Community | September 24, 2010 | 9 comments

Uranium Rush Prompts Grand Canyon Fears

source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-11350744

Image
toyotabedzrock
A new "gold rush" is under way in the American West, but this time the prospectors are out for another metal: uranium.

The Grand Canyon region in the US state of Arizona holds one of the nation's largest concentrations of high grade uranium, the fuel for nuclear power.

As global demand for nuclear power has increased so has interest in the metal and, across the south-west, companies are seeking permission to restart uranium mining.

In the US, President Barack Obama has called for an increase in nuclear power to help reduce the country's dependence on foreign oil.

The US government is currently weighing the costs and benefits of mining, with Arizona Congressman Raul Grijalva proposing a ban on mining near the Grand Canyon.

But with the increase in uranium exploration come concerns about the future of the Grand Canyon, a Unesco World Heritage Site and one of America's foremost natural wonders.

And Native American populations living near uranium mines fear exploration could contaminate their drinking water.

For now, the sole active uranium mine near the Grand Canyon's northern rim is run by Denison Mines Corporation, a Canadian firm.

The Arizona 1 mine employs 30 miners, and the firm says it goes to great lengths to protect them in the hazardous environment.

Among other precautions, large fans pump clean air into the mine and suck out most of the radioactive radon gas, while workers spray water across the site to keep down potentially harmful dust. The firm also says past accidents were swiftly and effectively cleaned up.

****************************************!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
On a recent trip into the mine, none of the miners wore masks, and their hands and face were caked with uranium ore.

"It washes off," miner Cody Behuden, 28, told the BBC while licking his ore-caked lips.

Vice-president of US operations Harold Roberts said the miners were under no danger from ingesting uranium.
***************************************
  1. groups:
    Community,   News and Politics,   Green,   WTF,   11 more
  2. tags:
    Nuclear,  Arizona,  Indians,  Native American,  11 more
  3.     
    |

9 comments // Uranium Rush Prompts Grand Canyon Fears

  • Saladin
    • 0
      Saladin  

    • ""It washes off," miner Cody Behuden, 28, told the BBC while licking his ore-caked lips."

      Holy. Fucking. Shit.

      Do these people have any idea what they're mining?

    • 1 year ago
  • oppressed1
    • 0
      oppressed1  

    • Its a fucking giant hole in the ground. Who really cares if they tear a little bit of it up. I have been there and it was fun for all of about three minutes while i threw stuff off the edge.

    • 1 year ago
  • Saladin
  • oppressed1
    • 0
      oppressed1  
    • Saladin:

      AS much as you would love to turn to waves and wind fueling america is futile. We canget more energy out of a couple pounds of uranium than an entire year of green fuels man.

    • 1 year ago
  • Saladin
    • 0
      Saladin  
    • oppressed1:

      Except that our nuclear reactors are falling apart and no one is putting up the capital to fix them, or even start new ones. And in this conservative environment, the government isn't going to do it either. Not that most of the left is exactly jumping in joy for nuclear.

      Plus there's the whole problem that the waste from the reactors sticks around pretty much forever. At least oil and coal turn into something else and can be counteracted. Uranium junk will likely outlast our civilization.

      Green power is notoriously inefficient (although advances are being made), but it's power that goes on FOREVER without a need for by-products or fuel.

      There has to come a point when we realize that finite fuel sources are not the basis for a stable economy or planet. And if we start licking our chops at our national parks because we're running out of places to get fuel, I'd say that time is nearly upon us.

    • 1 year ago
  • good_stuff
    • -1
      good_stuff  

    • Does anybody really "love" the grand canyon anyways? Every time I've been there it is so hot you can hardly stand to leave the car. and talk about a waste of space...

      I suppose the overlook they just built is kinda cool though.

    • 1 year ago
  • Nocturnus
  • toyotabedzrock
    • +1
      toyotabedzrock  

    • On a recent trip into the mine, none of the miners wore masks, and their hands and face were caked with uranium ore.

      "It washes off," miner Cody Behuden, 28, told the BBC while licking his ore-caked lips.

    • 1 year ago
more from Community:
from the community

top videos