Do not believe GOP Grand Canyon uranium mining claims

By Raul M. Grijalva, U.S. Representative from Congressional District 7, Arizona

Protect the Grand Canyon from uranium mining. Call Senator McCain at 202-224-2235 or Congressman Gosar at 202-225-2315 and tell them you oppose uranium mining near GCNP

If a handful of Republican lawmakers get their way, the Grand Canyon area will be open for business to international uranium mining interests. In this or any other economy, it’s the last thing we need.

There are about 1.1 million acres of public forest land surrounding the Canyon currently subject to a moratorium on new mining claims set by Interior Secretary Ken Salazar. Salazar said in June that he would recommend withdrawing the land from new claims for 20 years by the end of 2011. This recommendation, perfectly in line with the Federal Land Policy and Management Act, comes after two years of study by Interior Department land-conservation and natural-resource experts. It’s been endorsed at public hearings around the region.

There is little public or scientific support for opening the area to further mining. The withdrawal is supported by Coconino County, which includes the Canyon; local tribes; the nearby city of Flagstaff and other local communities; the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California (think Los Angeles) and the Southern Nevada Water Authority (think Las Vegas); the tourism industry that relies on unspoiled natural views; and just about every other American you can think of.

But now, in the latest move in the battle over the Canyon’s future, the new Northern Arizona Mining Continuity Act of 2011 asks Congress to block the withdrawal. If the bill becomes law, mining prospects could open as soon as companies are ready.

The Arizona lawmakers responsible for this assault — Sen. John McCain and Reps. Paul Gosar, Jeff Flake, David Schweikert, Trent Franks and Ben Quayle, all Republicans — have wanted to open this land all along, and are now cynically selling their plan as an economic stimulus. In reality, it’s all about profits for a handful of mining companies that don’t hire local labor, don’t keep their profits in the state (or in some cases the country) and don’t sell their product domestically.

U.S. News and World Report found the mining industry contributed $3.4 million to congressional Republicans since 2009 and just $900,000 to Democrats. Sen. McCain is the biggest recipient of mining money among my state colleagues, pulling in more than $42,000. Rep. Quayle is second with almost $40,000.

Most of the approximately 1,100 mining claims within 5 miles of the Grand Canyon have been filed by Denison Mine Corp. and Vane Minerals, both Canadian mining interests. Korea Electric Power, the largest power provider in South Korea, owns a 20 percent stake in Denison, which ships much of its uranium there and to France. This is not about American jobs or American electricity. It’s about international special-interest profits.

A 2005 study by Northern Arizona University, later confirmed by the Arizona Office of Tourism looking at a larger sample, found that visitors to the Grand Canyon provided $687 million in revenue to the local economy and that tourism supported 12,000 full-time jobs. Unless this land is protected, we’re going to see a devastated regional tourist economy.

In the press release accompanying their bill rollout, the big mining crowd threw out some conflicting figures. Sen. McCain wrote, “The Department’s proposed mining withdrawal would kill hundreds of potential jobs.” Rep. Quayle said the withdrawal decision “will prevent the creation of thousands of potential Arizona jobs.” Rep. Gosar said, “If the administration’s proposed withdrawal is enacted, the potential for nearly $30 billion dollars [sic] of economic growth opportunities — nearly $700 million annually and over a thousand well paying jobs — will be eliminated.” These numbers can’t all be right.

If you think it sounds like they’re making it up as they go, you’re not the only one.

Here are the facts. This withdrawal has no effect on existing claims. Any company that so much as filed the paperwork by July 20, 2009, to mine near the Grand Canyon will still be able to do so. The issue is whether we’re going to keep letting new mines open every day, every month, every year from now on.

Republicans are circumventing a long-established public input process so a few companies get their way. When it comes to the Grand Canyon, let’s make a reasonable decision based on facts, not big claims about doing it all for the little guy.

Click here for an October 30 NY Times editorial “Buffering the Grand Canyon”

Call the Arizona delegation now and tell them you oppose uranium mining near Grand Canyon National Park.

Senator McCain: 202-224-2235
Congressman Gosar: 202-225-2315
Congressman Flake: 202-225-2635
Congressman Quayle: 202-225-3361
Congressman Schweikert: 202-225-2190
Congressman Franks: 202-225-4576