Plan ends uranium mining study at Grand Canyon

FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. -- U.S. scientists studying the effects of uranium mining around the Grand Canyon say they are lacking information on whether the radioactive element is hurting plants, animals and a water source for more than 30 million people.

And they would not get to fully gather it if President Donald Trump's 2019 budget proposal is approved.

The U.S. Geological Survey is leading a 15-year study meant to determine whether a 1 million-acre area surrounding the national park needs protection from new uranium mining claims well into the future. Now, no one can stake claims until 2032, though a portion of the Obama-era ban is under review by the Trump administration.

The agency says it's received far less for its study than what's needed so far and would be left with nothing under Trump's plan, which eliminates the money in favor of other priorities.

Former President Barack Obama's administration implemented the ban in 2012 as uranium prices soared and a flurry of new mining claims came pouring in. It faced a backlash from Republicans, who touted improved mining techniques and lamented job loss in a remote area.

Without the study, some fear industry supporters would point to a lack of evidence of environmental harm to reopen the area to mining.

A federal appeals court recently upheld the ban, but the U.S. Forest Service is reviewing whether it's necessary on 360,000 acres it manages. It follows an order by Trump to identify regulations standing in the way of energy production.

The ban provided an avenue for the Geological Survey to study uranium-bearing pipes, groundwater flow, windborne dust and plants and animals near mines. Of particular concern for the Obama administration was the Colorado River, a lifeline for millions of people in seven Western states running nearly 300 miles through the Grand Canyon.

Those supporting the ban have pointed to the legacy of death and disease on the nearby Navajo Nation, the country's largest American Indian reservation, from Cold War-era uranium mining.

Without the science, the concern is "just opinion," said Jan Balsom, senior adviser to the Grand Canyon National Park superintendent.

"I'm not comfortable with that being the only source of information," she said.

The Geological Survey said its Environmental Health Mission funds the work, allocating $800,000 to $1.5 million a year to the studies between 2013 and 2017 -- about half the estimated need annually, the agency said. Trump's 2019 budget proposal nixes all funding for the program.

The agency's associate director for environmental studies, Geoff Plumlee, said he's proud of the work done so far under budget constraints and will await word from Congress on what science will be produced.

Other federal agencies and universities work to fill the knowledge gaps and have contributed funding for the larger effort.

Northern Arizona is rich in high-grade uranium ore, and companies have staked hundreds of claims in the area. Even with the ban, federal agencies estimated a dozen uranium mines would open under claims grandfathered in.