Uranium firm urged Trump officials to shrink Bears Ears National Monument

As reported by Juliet Eilperin in the Washington Post.

Mary Papenfuss also reported on this story in Huffington Post, including that a coalition of environmental groups, Native American nations, scientists, and businesses are countering the Trump administration's attacks on national monuments in Utah in court.

The HuffPosrt article reports: "The [uranium company's hired] lobbying team was headed by Andrew Wheeler, whom Trump has tapped to be deputy secretary of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Wheeler is awaiting Senate confirmation."

Please phone both your U.S. Senators via the Capitol Switchboard (202-224-3121) and urge that they do everything in their power to block Andrew Wheeler's confirmation as EPA deputy secretary.

Combined with Michael Flynn's reported involvement in promoting dozens of new atomic reactors in Saudi Arabia, including Russian industry involvement, nuclear power-related schemes have risen to the top of the list of biggest scandals and controversies plaguing the Trump administration's first 11 months in office.

Stop uranium mining in Tanzania

Groups go to court in Australia to block Yeelirrie uranium project

36 million tonnes of radioactive mine waste. A mine pit 9 kilometres long. Extinction of 11 species. Over 40 years of opposition by Traditional Owners. A name that means “place of death” in local language. This is the story of a uranium proposal, and a place called Yeelirrie.

The Yeelirrie uranium project is a uranium deposit located approximately 70 km southwest of Wiluna, in the Mid West region of Western Australia. The name Yeelirrie is taken from the local sheep station and, in the local Aboriginal language, means "place of death". The proposed site is owned by BHP Billiton.

There is a proposal to mine other uranium deposits in the Wiluna area: the Lake Maitland, Centipede, Millipede and Lake Way uranium projects.

On July 3, the Conservation Council of Western Australia went to the Supreme Court with Tjiwarl Traditional Owners to stand up for country, to uphold environment laws, and to stop a toxic uranium proposal becoming a precedent for wildlife extinction across the state. More

170 Conservation Groups Urge Senate to Reject Zinke for Interior Secretary

As reported in an environmental coalition press release: Congressman Would Do Irreparable Damage to Endangered Species, Public Lands, Climate.

In a letter to U.S. Senators, Beyond Nuclear joined with Center for Biological Diversity, Friends of the Earth, Public Citizen, and 166 more groups to urge they vote against Trump's nominee for Interior Secretary, Ryan Zinke, Republican U.S. Representative from Montana.

While the letter and press release focus on the risk that Zinke would permit the dramatic expansion of fossil fuel extraction on public lands, the same could be said of uranium extraction for nuclear power.

Center for Biological Diversity: Protect Grand Canyon's Magnificent Watershed

Action alert from Center for Biological Diversity:

People come from all over the world to experience the natural splendor of the Grand Canyon. Its mile-deep gorge can be seen from space, and its rugged landscape is a testament to the grandeur of the American wilderness. Tragically, the lands surrounding the national park remain unprotected and open to exploitation -- a problem we can't ignore.

In 1919 Grand Canyon National Park was designated -- but the need to safeguard its watershed, whose springs and streams feed the Colorado River, was overlooked. That means toxic uranium mining and old-growth logging projects continue to crop up just outside the park's borders, threatening to mar the landscape and poison the Colorado River, which supplies water to millions of people downstream.

Unfortunately Congress isn't likely to support a national monument proposal in time to protect this priceless place, so we're urging President Obama to use his power under the Antiquities Act to forever protect these lands for future generations.

Act now to lend your support to the cause. Urge President Obama to designate the Greater Grand Canyon Heritage National Monument.

Click here to take action and get more information.

Update on October 20, 2016 by admin

Ian Zabarte from Native Community Action Council called out attention to a resolution passed by the National Congress of American Indians (NCAI) entitled "Support for Designation of Grand Canyon Heritage National Monument."