The word is spreading, and in today’s hearing, the Senate Energy and
Natural Resources Committee will learn more about why now is the time
to protect Grand Canyon National Park from toxic mining. With the price
of gold increasing, mining companies are poised to boost their profits
at the expense of this American treasure. In the past five years alone,
more than 800 claims have been staked within five miles of the national
park.
The
future of the Grand Canyon is at stake right now. Senators on the
Energy and Natural Resources Committee have the historic opportunity to
stand up and give America’s park the protection it deserves, and they
cannot wait.This fall, the House of Representatives passed
the Hardrock Mining and Reclamation Act of 2007 (H.R. 2262), which
outlines protections for the Grand Canyon and other national parks.
Mining companies use a range of toxic chemicals to extract gold,
silver, copper, and other minerals from the earth. In one mining
process, cyanide is poured over mounds of earth to extract low grade
ore. This situation, combined with other operations, has led to fish
kills, dead birds around mines, and fenced off areas of contamination.
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has estimated that hardrock
mining is the number one source of toxic pollution in the United States
and that it has contaminated 40 percent of western watersheds. The
Senate must support the long over due public lands protections outlined
in H.R. 2262 and save the Grand Canyon for future generations.
