By Rebekah L. Sanders | The Arizona Republic
One of mining’s biggest foes in Congress, U.S. Rep. Raúl Grijalva, is setting the ball rolling again on controversial environmental legislation that would permanently ban uranium extraction near the Grand Canyon as well as block new mining claims in parts of southern Arizona.
Grijalva’s package of bills would also preserve Arizona rivers that are environmentally and culturally rich and expand maintenance of national parks.
Grijalva, a Tucson Democrat, is known for his advocacy on behalf of the environment and public lands. In recent years, he has been a thorn in the side of the mining industry, as the values of minerals have skyrocketed and new mining claims have exploded. Grijalva has pushed for the federal government to collect mining royalties and has thrown up roadblocks to various projects in Arizona, citing environmental, economic and tribal concerns.
“These pieces of legislation are diverse, from protecting Native American sites to water quality to creating a heritage area to a jobs program to the granddaddy of them all: protecting the Grand Canyon,” Grijalva said of his bills package.
Though the 10-year congressman has introduced several similar bills in previous sessions only to see them go nowhere, he said it’s important to keep trying.
