The company asserts that it holds federal approval to resume operations at the mine, which situated six miles south of the Grand Canyon national park’s South Rim entrance.
Further, the company claims that the ban imposed by Obama is not applicable for it as it secured mining rights 20 years ago when it was closed. It obtained approval through an environmental study conducted by US Forest Service 25 years ago in 1986.
In 2012, Obama enforced ban on uranium mining on 1m acres of land around the Grand Canyon to preserve the one of the world’s natural wonders, reported The Guardian.
Meanwhile, the country’s environment groups including the Grand Canyon Trust, the Centre for Biological Diversity, the Sierra Club and the Havasupai tribe filed a lawsuit against the US Forest Service, stating that the study conducted about 25 years ago is
outdated.
However, Energy Fuels spokesperson Curtis H Moore downplayed the allegations noting that the forest department reviewed the project with futuristic view and found it adequate.
"And 1986 was not that long ago. These are tiny mines – about 20 acres," Moore added.
