Nuclear Energy Group Sues Over Uranium Mining Ban in Arizona
Nuclear Energy Group Sues Over Uranium Mining Ban in Arizona
February 27, 2012, 10:05 PM EST
By Edvard Pettersson
Feb. 27 (Bloomberg) -- The Nuclear Energy Institute and the National Mining Association said they sued the U.S. to reverse a ban on new uranium mining on federal land around the Grand Canyon in Arizona.
The two organizations, representing mining and nuclear power companies, today asked a federal court in Arizona to reverse a U.S. Interior Department ban, announced Jan. 9, on new hard-rock mining claims on about 1 million acres (405,000 hectares) of land, according to an e-mailed statement. The lawsuit couldnt be independently confirmed from court records.
Richard Myers, vice president for policy development with the nuclear power group, said in the statement that the proposed land withdrawal was designed to protect against circumstances that no longer exist. The land involved isnt within the Grand Canyon or the buffer zone protecting the national park, according to the statement.
Contrary to the assertions by the administration, todays environmental laws ensure that ore extraction and production at uranium mines have minimal environmental impact on the surrounding land, water and wildlife, Myers said.
Arizona Strip
The uranium resources in the so-called Arizona Strip represent ...
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