Not in my backyard, or national park, or lake.  That is the fight being fought in the United States about mines.  Consider:

Grand Canyon and uranium:  a majority of democrats used an obscure provision of the law to try to stop the staking of new mining claims for uranium near the  Grand Canyon—leaving in place about 10,000 claims staked before the politicians got around to acting. 

Alaska Lake Tailings Disposal:  The US Supreme Court has agreed to hear an appeal from a ruling by the Ninth Circuit court which essentially stopped plans to dispose of tailings in a lake off Juneau, Alaksa by Coeur d’Alene mines.  

In the first case there is a clear statement that mining uranium adjacent to the Grand Canyon should not occur.  Personally I would like to know who the mining companies are that have staked 10,000 claims in the area.  Are any of them majors or is this a case of thousands of juniors seeking an ephemeral dream?  

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