Washington – Metals-mining claims on Western federal lands jumped by 80 percent in the past 4 1/2 years, some popping up near popular national parks.
Overall metals-mining claims rose from 207,540 in January 2003 to 376,493 last month, two advocacy and research organizations said Thursday, based on their review of the Interior Department’s Bureau of Land Management records.
Higher prices for gold and copper and renewed interest in uranium exploration, mainly because of global demand for nuclear power, helped fuel the jump.
“Claims have been on the rise,” BLM spokesman Matt Spangler said. “That’s mainly due to rising copper, gold and uranium prices. Those have been going up pretty significantly the past 2 1/2 years.”
Between 2004 and 2006, four states – Colorado, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming – saw uranium-mining claims rise from 4,300 to 32,000, the Environmental Working Group and the Pew Campaign for Responsible Mining reported.
As nuclear power has rebounded, uranium prices have risen.
Nuclear-power proponents tout it as a relatively cheap, reliable and emissions-free source of energy, and many new nuclear power plants are planned around the world.
Luke Popovich, a spokesman for the National Mining Association, said it’s absurd to think mining is encroaching on parks and other remote areas.
“They can’t point to a single mining activity that’s going to damage the integrity of a park,” he said.
But rock and ice climbers, mountaineers and other outdoors enthusiasts are upset by the activity.
“In many cases, our climbing areas are literally being mined,” said Jason Keith, policy director for the Access Fund, a climbing advocacy organization based in Boulder.
