Western states brace for a uranium boom as the nation looks to recharge its nuclear power industry
The U.S. says it wants to revive its atomic power industry, but it barely produces any nuclear fuel. Thanks in part to new technology, mothballed mines have restarted, potentially carrying fewer environmental and human health risks than older mines. But this uranium boom could unfold near some of the U.S.’s most cherished landscapes, where communities fear groundwater pollution and other threats. … [Pinyon Plain Mine, Ariz.] and others like it pose threats to the region’s network of interconnected aquifers that stretches across the Grand Canyon region, according to research published last year.
Other water and mining news:
- Las Vegas Review-Journal (Nev.): ‘You can’t drink money’: Mine drilling near Death Valley stokes groundwater fears
