by Amber Reimondo, Energy Director
The U.S. Department of Commerce is considering — at the behest of two uranium-mining companies — asking President Trump to impose uranium quotas, effectively forcing the U.S. nuclear power industry to purchase more uranium mined from U.S. public lands. Quotas would increase the price of uranium and make mining it more profitable, while putting our environment and our communities at risk.
For decades, the global uranium market has been saturated, which has kept prices low. Now uranium mining companies are ignoring the facts and taking advantage of a protectionist administration to boost their bottom lines.
There are hundreds of active mining claims on public lands in and around the original Bears Ears National Monument and around Grand Canyon National Park. If the uranium companies get these quotas and the price bump they say will accompany them, mining those claims could become a lot more attractive. The deadline to submit a public comment has been extended to September 25, 2018.
In your own words, please voice your opposition to uranium quotas. Some intel to share:
Thank you for taking action to protect our public lands from this ploy by uranium companies to drive up prices and bolster their own bottom lines.
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