The Obama administration will ban new uranium mining on 1 million acres of federal land near the Grand Canyon, the Interior Department announced Monday.
“We have been entrusted to care for and protect our precious environmental and cultural resources, and we have chosen a responsible path that makes sense for this and future generations,” Interior Secretary Ken Salazar said in a news release.
The ban prevents new uranium mining claims in the region, but does not halt projects that have already been approved or have existing mining rights. Interior said the ban will allow scientists to monitor the effect of uranium mining on water quality.
Continue reading at Interior blocks uranium mining near Grand Canyon for 20 years
