In front of the U.S. Capitol: (From Left to Right) Robert Tohe
(Sierra Club, Arizona), Nikke Alex (Multicultural Alliance for a
Safe Environment, Arizona), Marv Ballantyne (Western
Colorado Congress, Colorado), Nadine Padilla (Multicultural
Alliance for a Safe Environment, New Mexico), Wilma Tope
(Ranchers and Neighbors Protecting our Water, Wyoming),
Shannon Anderson (Powder River Basin Resource Council,
Wyoming), Jay Davis (Coloradains Against Resource
Destruction, Colorado), Lauren Pagel (Earthworks), Anna
Lucas (Western Organizations Resource Council), Erika
Kamptner (Earthworks)
[click for larger image]
Last month, seven individuals affected by past and present uranium mining came to Washington, DC to talk to House Representatives and Senators about the major issues affecting their communities. The group was made up of individuals from Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, and Wyoming.
Forty-five meetings with staffers, Congressmen, and Senators were arranged to discuss uranium mining issues and specifically HR 1452, The Uranium Resources Stewardship Act (URSA).
Last month, seven individuals affected by past and present uranium mining came to Washington, DC to talk to House Representatives and Senators about the major issues affecting their communities. The group was made up of individuals from Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, and Wyoming.
Forty-five meetings with staffers, Congressmen, and Senators were arranged to discuss uranium mining issues and specifically HR 1452, The Uranium Resources Stewardship Act (URSA).
This bill, introduced by Congressmen Martin Heinrich (D-NM) and Ben Ray Luj n (D-NM), is an attempt to reform the way uranium mining operates on public lands. The bill would move uranium mining from the antiquated 1872 Mining Law to the Mineral Leasing Act.
Under current law, mining take precedence over other uses of public lands, from recreation to religious uses. URSA would allow public land to decide where uranium mining is and is not appropriate and would also allow the federal government to charge a royalty on uranium taken from public lands.
Currently, mining companies mine uranium for free. The money generated by this royalty would fund the clean up of the hundreds abandoned uranium mines that litter the western United States.
Although HR 1452 isn t a full reform of the 1872 Mining Law, it is a step in the right direction towards responsible mining and making sure the at least one sector of the mining industry is held accountable for their practices.
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