Secretary of the Interior, Ken Salazar, announced this morning that the filing of new mining claims on nearly 1 million acres near the Grand Canyon will be temporarily barred. The ban will be in effect for two years while an evironmental study is conducted to determine the consequences of mining near the national park. Tomorrow a congressional hearing will be held on a bill to set aside over 1 million acres north and south of the Grand Canyon.
This is great news for park enthusiasts. The government is stepping up and finally taking action to preserve our environment. There are currently old uranium mining claims near the canyon that have not been cleaned up. This presents a real danger to people, animals, and the environment in general. Read more about the announcement here.
