Protecting the Grand Canyon
Issue 8 > October 27, 2008
FEATURE STORY:
Stop the Bush Administration from rolling back mining protections for the Grand Canyon Some relief in Rosia Montana Marcellus shale update #2: learn more about your rights Recycle your cell phone from home
Stop the Bush Administration from rolling back mining protections for the Grand Canyon
 The Grand Canyon. Credit: National Park Service |
Please add your voice to the more than 2,800 EARTHWORKers protesting the Bush Administration’s last minute attempt to overturn Congressional action to protect the Grand Canyon.
Earlier this year, Congress legally required Interior Secretary Dirk Kempthorne to withdraw 1 million acres of land around Grand Canyon National Park from mineral development. The area is increasingly threatened by uranium mining exploration within a few miles of the Park.
Rather than carry out the withdrawal, the Bush Administration is now attempting to change the law granting Congress its emergency withdrawal power by regulatory fiat. The Administration’s proposed rule allows the public only 15 days to comment and provides no environmental analysis of the potential effects of the elimination of the regulation would have on the Grand Canyon or other treasured resources.
Today is the last day of that comment period, and your letter is needed to stop this blatant attempt to undermine Congressional authority. Please take action now.
Some relief in Rosia Montana
The people of Rosia Montana have won another victory in their struggle to stop the open-pit gold mine that would displace their town. A court ruling has agreed with a Ministry of the Environment decision that suspended the Environmental Impact Assessment and permitting process for the planned mine by Canadian miner Gabriel Resources.
Gabriel, backed by Newmont Mining and American Electrum Strategic Holdings, continues to push for this massive gold mine in spite of local, national, and international opposition and numerous rulings against the company. The company is hoping a new government after elections at the end of November will be more friendly to allowing the mine.
Meanwhile, a cyanide ban bill could also be introduced into the next parliament and the government of neighboring Hungary has recently reiterated its opposition to the project. EARTHWORKS is continuing to support Romanian efforts to stop this destructive mine project. [Learn More]
Marcellus Shale update #2: learn more about your rights
EARTHWORKS is keeping you up to date on the Marcellus Shale natural gas exploration, most recently with a report on the Shale and a transcript of Bruce Baizel’s testimony in New York.
This week, on October 29th from 7 to 9pm, Bruce will be speaking at a panel discussion in Binghamton, New York at the West Lake Middle School. If you are in the area and want to learn more about the implications of drilling the Marcellus Shale, please come to this discussion hosted by Binghamton Regional Sustainability Coalition in conjunction with the City of Binghamton and the Sierra Club.
You can also check out OGAP’s Landowners Guide online for more information about what happens when natural gas exploration is occuring in your area.
For more information, visit the Catskill Mountain Keepers or OGAP’s report on the Marcellus Shale.
Recycle your cell phone from home
Do you have old cell phones and PDAs in a desk drawer somewhere? Don’t thrown them away, recycle them!
Throwing them away puts toxic metals into the environment, while recycling reduces the need for more mining.
If you use EARTHWORKS’s recyclemycellphone.org website, you can even recycle your phone from home for free.
You can also set up a recycling program in your community to help benefit a local charity! [Learn More]
