A bill to halt new uranium mining claims near the Grand Canyon cleared a key committee vote Wednesday and is heading to the floor for a vote by the full House of Representatives.
If passed, HR1373, also known as the Grand Canyon Centennial Protection Act, would make permanent a moratorium on new uranium claims across 1 million acres of federal lands. Its sponsor, Rep. Raul Grijalva, D-Ariz., guided an hour of discussion in the House Natural Resources Committee, which he chairs. He championed the measure's passage, calling it a “plain and simple” bill he hopes will finally pass.