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Colorado anti-uranium movement gets a legal boost

Uranium Mining Lawsuit Gets a Boost as Judge Unlocks Feds’ Records Center for Native Ecosystems 15 Jan DURANGO, Colo.— A ruling handed down in federal court Thursday has significantly bolstered a legal challenge to the revival and expansion of uranium mining on public lands in the American West.

U.S. District Judge Wiley Daniel ruled yesterday that conservation groups could now question Department of Energy officials and obtain records connected to a 42-square-mile uranium leasing program that threatens water and wildlife in the Dolores and San Miguel rivers in western Colorado and eastern Utah.

“This is a big victory for the Dolores and San Miguel rivers and a good sign for our litigation,” said Travis Stills of the Durango-based Energy Minerals Law Center who is leading the litigation. “Chief Judge Daniel took a thorough look at the filings and agreed that this lawsuit brings a comprehensive challenge to the DOE’s failure to take a hard look at the effects of the uranium lease program, the issuance of uranium leases, and the approval of exploration and mining activity.”

The Colorado Environmental Coalition, Information Network for Responsible Mining, Center for Native Ecosystems, and Center for Biological Diversity sued the Department of Energy and Bureau of Land Management in July 2008 for approving the program without analyzing the full environmental impacts that could come from individual uranium mining leases. The Energy Department has since issued leases without any additional review. Thursday’s ruling allows the groups to get information about those leases from the Department to use in their challenge of the entire program…………..

Uranium mining and milling resulting from the lease program will deplete Colorado River basin water and threaten to pollute streams and rivers with toxic and radioactive waste products, including uranium, selenium, ammonia, arsenic, molybdenum, aluminum, barium, copper, iron, lead, manganese, vanadium, and zinc. These pollutants may contaminate rivers and aquatic ecosystems for hundreds of years following uranium mining, threatening downstream communities and fish and wildlife. Selenium and arsenic contamination in the Colorado River basin from abandoned uranium mining operations in the region has been implicated in the decline of the four endangered Colorado River fish species and may be impeding their recovery.

“Even small amounts of some of these pollutants, like selenium, can accumulate in the food chain and cause deformities and reproductive problems for endangered fishes, ducks, river otters and eagles,” said Josh Pollock of the Center for Native Ecosystems. “It is irresponsible for the Department of Energy to put fish and wildlife at risk by rushing to approve numerous uranium mines

Uranium Mining Lawsuit Gets a Boost as Judge Unlock Fed’s Records

January 17, 2010 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | Legal, USA | antinuclear, nuclear, nuclear wastes, radiation, radioactive, uranium