Colorado state legislators to propose new in-situ uranium mining regulations
Lawmakers address rally at capitol building
October 14, 2007
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State Senator Steve Johnson
Uranium Protestors Rally at Capitol |
| Last Edited: Sunday, 14 Oct 2007, 10:31 PM MDT |
| by Kim Posey Fox 31
DENVER -- Some residents in
northern Colorado are very upset by the planned mining of
uranium near Nunn.
Sunday they gathered with lawmakers for a protest at the capitol. Powertech Uranium Corp bought or leased the uranium mineral rights to 5,800 acres in Weld County and plans to drill using an in-situ recovery process. The company would drill, pump in a chemical, mobilize the uranium, pump it out and treat it. Residents are concerned about contamination. "We are scared that the mine will make our kids sick and contaminate our drinking water," says resident Robin Davis. In April Richard Blubaugh, with Powertech Uranium, told Fox 31 there was no cause for concern. "There's not a case that I an aware of where this kind of mining has resulted in contamination to anyone's water supply," Blubaugh said. But some lawmakers question that. State Senator Steve Johnson says this process has been used in about 30 other areas. "There has been serious contamination of the aquifer, of the water supply and of the environment," Johnson said. He and other lawmakers plan to tackle the issue when the legislative session starts in January. The group plans to draft a bill dealing with mining regulations. "We intend to raise the bar, the standards, to make sure public health and the environment are protected," said State Representative Randy Fischer. |
State Representative Randy Fischer and northern Colorado landowners