Resisting the Nuclear Boom: A new wave of uranium mining threatens Indigenous communities in Southwest

Resisting the Nuclear Boom: A new wave of uranium mining threatens Indigenous communities in the Southwest
By Klee Benally and Jessica Lee

Since December, miners have resumed crawling deep into the earth on the edge of the Grand Canyon to mine high-grade uranium ore at the Arizona 1 Mine, which had been closed since the late 1980s. Owned by the Canadian Denison Mines Corp., it is the first uranium mine to open in northern Arizona since nuclear power again became a popular idea in Washington within the last decade. The greater Grand Canyon area faces a possible explosion in the number of new uranium mines.

The price of uranium has rebounded in recent years due to a surge in reactor construction throughout the world and thanks to political support from the White House, starting with George W. Bush and reinforced by Barack Obama. The price has varied from $10 to $138 per pound since 2001, and is currently valued at $41.25 per pound.

More than 8,000 uranium mine claims have been filed in northern Arizona, an increase from 110 in 2003 — a rate seen across the West. The area’s sedimentary rock layer called breccia pipes, which exists up to 1,800 feet below the surface, is the most concentrated source of uranium known in the United States.

According to the Arizona Daily Sun, Denison plans on operating four days per week, extracting 335 tons of uranium ore per day. The hazardous ore will be hauled by truck more than 300 miles through towns and rural communities to the company’s White Mesa mill located near Blanding, Utah, where it will be processed into “yellowcake” (refined uranium ore to make uranium oxide) and then sold.

A coalition of environmental groups filed a lawsuit last November to stop the opening of the mine, alleging that the legally required documents were outdated and did not offer protections required by contemporary environmental laws. While the lawsuit is pending, the Bureau of Land Management and Arizona Department of Environmental Quality say the mine is properly authorized.

In response to growing concern about the pending mining boom in northern Arizona, U.S. Secretary of Interior Ken Salazar called for a “two-year time-out” last summer to allow federal agencies to complete a two-year environmental review before authorizing new mining claims within the one million acres on federal lands near the Grand Canyon. Existing claims, such as Denison’s mine, were exempt from the temporary moratorium.

Environmentalists and local Indigenous communities hope that after the review in February 2011, Salazar will make the area unavailable for new mining claims for the a maximum 20-year period allowed by the Interior Department. Meanwhile, the U.S. House of Representatives is considering the Grand Canyon Watersheds Protection Act (H.R. 644), legislation that would permanently protect the one million acres on federal land from new mining claims — creating a five-mile buffer zone of around Grand Canyon National Park.
http://www.indypendent.org/2010/04/01/resisting-the-nuclear-boom/#comment-354834

North American Caucus to UN Permanent Forum

REPORT OF THE NORTH AMERICAN INDIGENOUS PEOPLES CAUCUS TO THE UNITED NATIONS PERMANENT FORUM ON INDIGENOUS ISSUES
PREPARATORY MEETING - MARCH 6 AND 7, 2010
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The preparatory meeting of the North American Indigenous Caucus took place on March 6 and7, 2010 in the territory of the Alexis Nakota Sioux Nation in Alberta, Canada. The meeting wasco-sponsored by the Alexis Nakota Sioux Nation, Enoch Cree Nation, and the Confederacy of Treaty Six First Nations. The meeting was attended by representatives of over 50 Indigenous peoples from across North America, Indigenous organizations, and numerous Chiefs, elders,youth and members of the nations comprising Treaty 6. Delegates were presented with a draft report of the meeting, reviewed and made amendments from the floor, and the amended report was adopted by consensus. Delegates further requested that a summary of the report be prepared for circulation at the UNPFII-9. This summary lists the key recommendations of the North American Indigenous Peoples Caucus. The full report is attached and is hereby formally transmitted to the UNPFII Secretariat for inclusion as an official document for the upcoming Ninth Session of the UNPFII.
Read more:
http://censored-news.blogspot.com/2010/04/north-american-caucus-report-to-un.html
For e-mail copy: brendanorrell@gmail.com

Underreported Struggles: Indigenous Global News

Underreported Struggles #36, March 2010
http://intercontinentalcry.org/underreported-struggles-36-march-2010

In this month's Underreported Struggles: Alaska Natives win battle against world's largest zinc mine; Mayan communities order halt to mining projects on their land; Indigenous Peoples of Guyana demand the right to consent; Colombia government signs accord with Indigenous People; Coastal First Nations bar tankers, pipeline from their territories.
--Indigenous People bar proposed pipeline from their territories - A coalition of Indigenous Nations have issued a declaration barring the proposed Enbridge Northern gateway pipeline from transporting crude oil from the Alberta Tar Sands through their territories along Canada's west Coast. The coalition of nine First Nations say the project, regardless of any economic benefits it may hold, poses an imminent threat to the environment, as well as their territories, cultures and livelihoods.

Winnemem Bringing Salmon Home to McCloud River - Winnemem Wintu tribal members have embarked on an unusual and historic journey in an effort to bring Chinook salmon back to the McCloud River.

Court Halts Colombia's Biggest Copper Mining Venture - Colombia's Constitutional Court has ordered a halt to Colombia's largest copper mining project, citing a lack of consultation with nearby indigenous and Afro-Colombian communities regarding the environmental and cultural impact of the mine. A total of 12 communities belonging to the Embera ethnic group and two Afro-Colombian communities live in the area.

International moratorium called for new oil exploration in the Arctic - The Indigenous Environmental Network, the Council of Canadians, and the Alaska based REDOIL Network have issued an open letter calling for an international moratorium on all new exploration for fossil fuel resources in the Arctic region.

Alaska Natives win battle against Red Dog, world's largest zinc mine - Alaska Natives living in two villages have won a battle against the world's largest zinc mine over a permit they said would have polluted an important fish stream that provides food and drinking water. The mine has repeatedly topped the EPA's Toxics Release Inventory list, an annual compilation of toxic chemicals released by all industries in the U.S.

Guatemala must suspend mining operations on Mayan territory - Several Mayan communities and organizations have presented a Constitutional Petition to the government of Guatemala, calling for the immediate suspension of all mining activities taking place on Mayan land-including Goldcorp's Marlin Mine and HudBay Mineral's Fenix project.

Chinese project brought to a grinding halt in PNG - Indigenous landowners described as "ignorant" by lawyers acting for the Chinese Ramu nickel mine have pulled off an enormous victory by securing a temporary court injunction to stop work on the mine's submarine tailings disposal system.

Malaysian indigenous tribes protest land changes - Hundreds of indigenous tribal Malaysians staged a rare protest outside the prime minister's office Wednesday to denounce potential changes to a law that they fear will rob them of land.

Protect the Glen Cove Sacred Burial Site! - Yet another sacred site is facing destruction in the United States. The Greater Vallejo Recreation District (GVRD) and the City of Vallejo want to convert the Glen Cove Shellmound site in Vallejo, California, into a community park with its own trail, picnic tables, restroom facilities and parking lot. The 15-acre Shellmound site, known to the Ohlone Peoples as "Sogorea Te" is the final resting place for thousands of Indigenous People dating back at least 3,500 years.

Indigenous Cambodians decry foreign land concessions - Indigenous Cambodians are urging the government to suspend hundreds of concessions awarded to foreign and local companies they say are operating on disputed land.

Protesting Against Operation Green Hunt: A Leaflet from Indigenous Villages - Kenddungri villagers in West Bengal have issued a statement against Operation Green Hunt, a military program aimed at "catching Maoists." The villagers are being indiscriminately terrorized by the questionable effort.

Brazilian Federal Police raids Native village and abducts Chief Babau - At around two o'clock in the morning on March 10th a group of unidentified armed people entered the Tupinambá Native American Village Serra do Padeiro in the South of the Brazilian state of Bahia and brutalized, threatened with murder, drugged and abducted the local Chief Babau.

Mexico: The Lacandona Rainforest is being cleared of its People - The Mexican government is moving ahead with an "ambitious new plan" to surround the Lacandona Forest in Chiapas, Mexico, with oil palm plantations; while disguising the forest around the plantations with various eco-tourism sites. In preparing for the two-faced project, the government—still in line with the old ambitious plan—with the help of various corporations, is clearing the Rainforest of its Indigenous People.

Legal blow for controversial Andaman tourist resort - Weeks after the last member of the Bo tribe died on the Andaman Islands, an Indian court has moved to protect the neighbouring Jarawa tribe by suspending the operation of a controversial tourist resort. India's Supreme Court ordered on Monday that the company, Barefoot India, must close its resort near the Jarawa's reserve, pending further deliberation by the court.

PERU: Suspension of Mining Operation Merely a Placebo - Although the Peruvian government reported that it had suspended the exploration activities of the Afrodita mining company in the country's northern Amazon jungle region to avoid further protests by local indigenous people, officials took no actual steps to bring the firm's work to a halt.

Indigenous Peoples of Guyana Demand Action on Land Rights, Consent Issues - Toshaos, Village leaders, regional leaders, district leaders, community leaders, and APA Executive members are demanding action from the Government of Guyana and the international community to advance the land rights of indigenous peoples and ensure that the principle of free, prior and informed consent (FPIC) is respected.

Malaysia: Pressure mounts on Sarawak natives - Sarawak is again in the news as the relentless pressure on the ‘native peoples' intensifies. Logging operations continue to push into the Dayak peoples' ancestral territories, extending deep into the lands of the Penan people, up into the Kelabit highlands and right up to the sources of the Rajang river. Logging tracks even extend over the border into Indonesia. Meanwhile on the coast and in the lower-lying parts of the State, extensive tracts of Dayak land are being converted to oil palm plantations.

Halalt First Nation holds blockade for the water - For more than a week, members of the Halalt First Nation, near the southeastern coast of Vancouver Island in British Columbia, have held onto a "protective blockade" in defense of the Chemainus River. The blockade officially came to an end on March 11.

Colombia signs accord with Indigenous People - In late 2009, Indigenous families began occupying police stations in Colombia, to demand negotiations with the government and bring an end to ongoing military and paramilitary harassment. The mobilization involved more than 6,000 families. Fortunately, after 63 days, the government agreed to sign a 45-point accord with the families.

New law to facilitate relocation of communities in mineral rich areas, Peru - Hundreds of Peruvian communities were displaced as they fled the 1980-2000 civil war. Today the government is pushing for urgent passage of a law that would facilitate the relocation of entire villages or neighbourhoods in mineral or energy-rich areas.

Sioux Tribe settles tax debt with IRS, buys back land - The Crow Creek Sioux Tribe has settled its tax debt with the IRS and lined up a loan that will enable it to buy back the 11 square miles of land the IRS sold at auction in December, the tribal chairman said. A stipulation filed in court last week indicates the tribe will dismiss its lawsuit, which sought to prevent the IRS from selling the Hyde County land. That will cancel a May 4 trial.

Australia Gov't Pushing Ahead with Nuclear Dump on Indigenous Land - As long expected, the Rudd government has decided to push ahead with their plan to build a nuclear waste dump site on Warlmanpa land.
Videos

Wet'suwe'ten Blockade Against Logging - The Vancouver Media Co-op interviews Richard Sam, a member of the Wet'suwe'ten Nation and one of two people maintaining a road blockade against the Canadian logging company Canfor in central British Columbia

Amazonia For Sale - 35 minutes in length, Amazonia for Sale tells the story of the Awajun Peoples, who, like so many other Indigenous Peoples around the world, are struggling to preserve their land, protect their way of life, and defend their dignity and rights in the Peruvian Amazon.

Hope and Terror in the land of the Jumma - An eerie calm has returned to the Chittagong Hill Tracts of Bangladesh, where the military recently opened fire on the Indigenous Jumma People, killing 6 and injuring more than two dozen men, women and children. Sadly, painfully, it was not the first time the peaceful Jumma were put through such wretched violence, as we are reminded by this powerful clip from the documentary film, "Terrified voices."

Arctic Summit told to leave it in the ground

Arctic Summit told to leave it in the ground


By IEN, Council of Canadians and REDOIL

Ottawa / March 26, 2010 – The Indigenous Environmental Network, the Council of Canadians, and the Alaska based REDOIL Network have issued an open letter calling for an international moratorium on all new exploration for fossil fuel resources in the Arctic region. The letter is directed at the Foreign Ministers of Canada, Norway, Denmark, Russia and the United States who will be present at the Arctic Summit in Chelsea, Québec, March 29, 2010.

The discovery of 90 billion barrels of oil and 1,670 trillion cubic feet of natural gas in the Arctic region has triggered a rush to secure access that includes petroleum companies such as Shell and Exxon.

“New oil and gas development is anything but responsible in the face of a very serious climate crisis which requires governments like those meeting in Chelsea to rapidly reduce emissions,” says Andrea Harden-Donahue, Energy Campaigner with the Council of Canadians. “It is no small irony that increased access to exploit reserves in the fragile Arctic Ocean ecosystem is largely the result of melting sea ice.”

“We believe that a moratorium on fossil fuel development would be a first step to addressing the climate crisis we are in. Strong actions need to be taken now by Governments of the world to effectively address climate change. Indigenous peoples worldwide bear the consequences of Global Warming daily and we want concrete action now," states Faith Gemmill, Executive Director of the Alaska based Resisting Environmental Destruction on Indigenous Lands (REDOIL).

“Climate change is responsible for increased levels of contaminants like mercury, DDTs and PCBs in staple edible fish species near my home community,” says Daniel T'seleie, a K'asho Got'ine Dene from Fort Good Hope, Northwest Territories. “Increased development of Arctic oil and gas would not only contribute to the climate crisis that is devastating Arctic communities, it would also add more direct pressure to fragile ecosystems that are already stressed by the combined impacts of climate change and existing development. This would be an unconscionable infringement on the rights of Arctic Indigenous Peoples.”

Excellent photo opportunities: The IEN and the Council of Canadians will bring a message to Foreign Ministers to "leave it in the ground" Monday afternoon at the parking lot off of Meech Lake road near the road leading to the Arctic Summit meeting location.
For more information:
Clayton Thomas Muller, Indigenous Tar Sands Campaigner, Indigenous Environmental Network, monsterredlight@gmail.com, 1-218-760-6632
Andrea Harden-Donahue, Energy Campaigner, Council of Canadians, aharden@canadians.org, 613-218-5800

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