By Scott Buffon | Arizona Daily STAR
Public outcry pushed an Arizona environmental agency to require Canyon Mine, a uranium mine near the Grand Canyon, to apply for a more strict aquifer protection permit.
The Arizona Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ) denied a general permit for Canyon Mine, owned by Canadian-based Energy Fuels Resources, after reviewing feedback from the public and reviewing the years of documents available on the mine. Public comment cited allegations of cultural and environmental damage to water stores, wildlife and land to demand the department issue the stricter permit for the purpose of closing down the mine in September 2019.
Curtis Moore, spokesman for Energy Fuels, said the company denies any wrongdoing or damage to the aquifer or wildlife. The decision released last Thursday will require the mine to apply for the new permit, ADEQ officials said.
