Court keeps ban on new mining claims around Grand Canyon
ASSOCIATED PRESS
The North Rim of Grand Canyon in Arizona in 2005.
FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. >> A U.S. appeals court has kept in place an Obama administration ban on new mining claims around the Grand Canyon.
The decision today comes as a U.S. House committee hears testimony on access to minerals on public land.
The U.S. Forest Service under President Donald Trump said weeks ago it would review the 20-year ban. The 2012 moratorium covers more than 1 million acres rich in high-grade uranium reserves outside Grand Canyon National Park.
The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals decision upholds a lower-court ruling.
The National Mining Association had argued the ban was irresponsible public policy and violated federal laws. A spokesman for the group says it’s disappointed with the ruling and is reviewing its options.
Conservationists say the ban protects water resources.
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