Mining poses threat to US national parks and wilderness areas, according to report

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).