BLOG: Agriculture Department recommends lifting ban on uranium mining in the Grand Canyon
- Evan Popp
- Nov 3, 2017
- 2 min read
In a recent report, the Department of Agriculture advised that a ban on mining uranium in the Grand Canyon watershed be reversed.
Historically, uranium mining in the West has caused a multitude of problems, particularly for Native Americans. Because the mining of uranium is unsafe, many Navajo miners ended up suffering from lung cancer as a result. In addition, radioactive waste from the mining still exists in tribal lands in the west.
Furthermore, opponents of allowing uranium mining in the Grand Canyon watershed area argue that the mining could increase the threat of the watershed becoming contaminated. This is a big deal, as the Grand Canyon watershed supplies at least 25 million people with drinking water.
While the Department of Agriculture's recommendation isn't binding and doesn't mean that uranium mining is going to definitely begin again in the Grand Canyon area, it's concerning that even with all the negative environmental and health impacts uranium causes, the Agriculture Department still wants to reinstate the practice.
It's also important to note that the move to mine uranium in the Grand Canyon watershed does not exist in a vacuum. Instead, it is part of a larger trend of government agencies targeting public land for development that began when Donald Trump became president. Examples of the targeting of public land include:
A plan to strip protections from and shrink the boundaries of 10 national monuments, many of which are ecologically fragile.
The reversal of a rule that had prevented new coal leases on public lands.
The institution of a review of 27 national monuments to see if the presidents who created those monuments overstepped their authority.
Overall, as the Trump administration moves to continue to develop more and more public land, it's important to remember that the issue of natural land development often flies under the radar. While environmental groups have harshly criticized the administration's actions, environmental activists and organizations alike need to continue to make noise and try to bring the attack on public lands to the attention of the public. Because only with pressure from citizens can the giveaway of public lands be averted.
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