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Groups challenge federal uranium permits near Grand Canyon |
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Written by ERIC BONTRAGER, Greenwire
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Three advocacy groups filed a lawsuit yesterday challenging the Forest Service's decision to issue 39 permits for uranium mining near the Grand Canyon.
The lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court in Prescott, Ariz., claims the service violated the National Environmental Policy Act and two other laws when it approved the drilling at seven sites south of Grand Canyon National Park using a "categorical exclusion" analysis of potential environmental harm.
At issue are permits issued by Kaibab National Forest officials who said they were unable to deny the company access to mining claims under the 1872 hardrock mining law. Jackie Denk, a Kaibab spokeswoman, has said the agency did not conduct a full environmental study because the exploration may not lead to a full mining operation (Land Letter, Feb. 14).
But the groups that filed the lawsuit -- the Center for Biological Diversity, Sierra Club and the Grand Canyon Trust -- argue the agency had several avenues for denying the claim. The lawsuit argues the operation does not qualify for a categorical exclusion because the drilling operations would last longer than one year.
Local authorities have also objected to the drilling permits. The Coconino County, Ariz., board of supervisors voted unanimously to try stopping uranium operations. The Navajo Nation and the Hopi and Havasupai tribes also have voted to ban uranium mining on their land.
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Last Updated ( Tuesday, 18 March 2008 )
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