Protect the Grand Canyon from uranium mining

Dear Gov. Hobbs,

We urge you to use your authority as Governor of Arizona to cancel existing uranium mining permits near the Grand Canyon.

In August 2023, the Biden administration declared the area surrounding the Grand Canyon as a national monument, barring any new mining leases. But the Pinyon Plain Mine’s owners are exploiting a 150-year-old law that makes it hard for the federal government to cancel old mining leases.

The Grand Canyon region is home to nearly 600 different species, several of which are endangered. Radioactive waste could harm all of these species. Uranium mining could poison both the Colorado River and the trout living in it, which would in turn hurt the iconic birds of prey that feed on them. We are short on nature and cannot afford to contaminate the habitats of hundreds of species.

The Grand Canyon is a natural wonder and a treasure. For our environment and our health, this mine must be shut down.