Los
Angeles Times: According to a new report by the Pew
Environment Group, mining claims pose an environmental threat
to territory near the borders of 10 iconic US national parks
and wilderness areas. The Grand Canyon is especially at risk,
where uranium claims have increased 2000% since 2004, because
of possible damage to the Colorado River watershed. In the wake
of rising global prices, companies have filed claims at an
increased rate to mine copper, gold, and other metals as well
as uranium. Critics blame an outmoded 1872 law, which allows
corporations to stake out rights to federal lands for mining
without a competitive bid and to extract resources without
paying royalties. "We're still dealing with an antiquated law
that in its wake has left huge cleanup and contamination
problems all over," said Representative Raul Grijalva
(D-AZ).
