| Ready for some good news? The Grand Canyon uranium ban stands!
After a protracted legal battle to defend the temporary ban on new uranium claims around the Grand Canyon from attacks by the mining industry, the highest court in the land has finally put the matter to rest. On Monday, the Supreme Court denied an industry challenge to a lower court’s decision upholding the ban. This puts an end to the legal battle to reopen about 1 million acres of public land around the Grand Canyon to new uranium mining. We’re deeply grateful for the government’s savvy and forceful efforts to defeat the mining industry’s lawsuit, from the trial court to the U.S. Supreme Court.
The culmination of years of hard work, this victory is shared — with the Havasupai Tribe who make their home at the bottom of the Grand Canyon, with hunting and angling groups, local governments, allies in Congress, and other partners. And we wouldn’t be here without the hundreds of thousands of concerned citizens like you who have raised their voices to protect the Grand Canyon. Thank you.
While this decision is a very big step in the right direction, our work isn’t over yet. The current administration could still decide to lift the ban. It has listed uranium as a “critical mineral” and the Department of Commerce is in the midst of developing a strategy to streamline access to critical mineral deposits, including uranium. The Department of Commerce is also investigating, at the request of two uranium companies, whether to recommend uranium import quotas. Both of these things have significant potential to add political pressure to lift the ban. |
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