Having just returned from the Grand Canyon, I noticed with
interest that the Obama administration is announcing the
continuation of a moratorium on uranium mining on lands adjacent
to Grand Canyon National Park. It's a contentious issue, the
idea of mining uranium in one of the crown jewels of our
national park system. I mean, really, can you imagine uranium
mining at the Grand Canyon?? |The Orphan Mine at Grand Canyon in
2002| The headframe was still there only a couple of years ago,
but most signs of mining are beginning to disappear as the park
service starts to mitigate the property. They still have a real
problem with ambient radiation levels, and the park's rim trail
diverts around the mine site. It's going to take awhile to clean
up. They're being quite open about the process; there are
interpretive signs along the trail to Powell Point that explain
the situation in detail. The ores occurred in a unique
geological environment: breccia pipes. Limestone is soluble in
slightly acidic water, and whenever d