For Immediate Release
Washington DC — Interior Secretary Ken Salazar announced Monday that the Obama administration would impose a new 20-year, million-acre ban on uranium mining for federal lands in Arizona, despite the fact that these lands hold the highest-grade of known uranium deposits in the United States. Â IER President Tom Pyle issued the following statement in response to the administration’s decision:
“At a time when the U.S. is producing less than one-tenth of the uranium we need for our annual nuclear demand, Secretary Salazar has chosen to close off another million acres of prime federal lands and impose an arbitrary 20-year ban on new mining claims. Â This latest power-grab by federal regulators is another example of the Obama administration’s willingness to use ideologically-driven energy policies as a means to control the U.S. economy. Â Already, American consumers are experiencing the effects of the president’s agenda to stop, stall, and slow-walk domestic energy production. Â Reports in recent weeks that electricity rates, gasoline prices, and other energy costs are skyrocketing serve to underscore the need for more domestic production, not less.
“Today’s announcement further compounds a man-made energy crisis that has been planned and executed in Washington D.C. Â To push back uranium exploration in Arizona until 2032 greatly hinders our ability to meet the challenges of our energy future with clean, safe nuclear technologies. Â It also appears to fundamentally undercut the administration’s own goal of reducing carbon emissions.
“American consumers deserve a comprehensive energy plan that utilizes the full array of our domestic sources, including nuclear power. Â ‘No’ is not an energy policy.”
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