APNewsBreak: US moves to block mining near Yellowstone

[Judi Lynn]

Source: Associated Press

Matthew Brown, Associated Press
Updated 9:02 pm, Monday, November 21, 2016




PRAY, Mont. (AP) U.S. officials on Monday blocked new mining claims outside Yellowstone National Park as the Obama administration races in its last days to keep industry out of natural and environmentally sensitive areas.

Mining claims on 30,370 acres north of the nation's first national park would be prohibited for at least two years while a long-term ban is considered, Interior Secretary Sally Jewell said during a visit to Montana's scenic Paradise Valley.

. . .

Republicans and industry representatives have criticized the administration's eleventh-hour actions to limit development. They've promised to seek their reversal once Obama leaves office and Donald Trump takes charge of the White House.

The latest move came after a pair of gold exploration proposals north of Yellowstone drew strong opposition from business owners, environmentalists and Montana elected officials. Local officials worry mining could hurt an economy heavily dependent on tourism and outdoor recreation.

Read more: http://www.chron.com/news/us/article/APNewsBreak-US-moves-to-block-mining-near-10627174.php

[greymattermom]

1. Mining the Yellowstone Caldera?

What are they thinking? Really?

[lonestarnot]

2. Well, they're doing the same thing with the Grand Canyon. Will be the Grand Dump when they get done

[burrowowl]

3. Money! Greed!

Thinking, with with their primitive GREED brain!

[cstanleytech]

4. To be honest the odds are nothing major would happen as the deepest human mine currently is

about 2 miles where as the magma chamber for yellowstone is far deeper than that.
No the real problem with gold mining is all the pollution such mines produce and that in of itself imo is the best reason to protest such a mine.

[greymattermom]

8. Nasty hot stuff is on the surface

all around Yellowstone. The magma may be deeper, but there must be a lot of cracks already, or there wouldn't be so many places where this stuff bubbles up.

[cstanleytech]

9. The pollution from the mining is still a far more hazardous risk to the

environment.

[2naSalit]

10. This is a long, ongoing battle around here.

I live right next to Yellowstone NP and this is not a new problem here. And it seems that all the Cheney oriented offenses to the natural environment are now back on the agenda.

In Paradise Valley, not only do the groups mentioned in the article in opposition to this mining proposal, so are 99% of the landowners in the valley. There is also a private landowner in the valley who wants to destroy an archeological site (a buffalo jump that everyone knows is a big archeo site) into a gravel pit and pavement plant for road construction material for YNP. Once one of the Indian tribes heard about it, they complained to the park and the park said they wouldn't buy the material so at least that's a no-go for now.

https://www.doi.gov/pressreleases/obama-administration-protects-30000-acres-new-mining-claims-near-yellowstone-national

Also another point to note:

https://www.doi.gov/pressreleases/interior-department-releases-second-annual-report-us-extractive-industries

I know a lot of the folks involved in stopping this, personally and professionally, it's a good thing that a permanent moratorium is proposed...

AND A 90 DAY PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD!!!! PLEASE SUBMIT COMMENTS!!!!

There is no link to the public comment opportunity yet but should be posted soon. I will post that link when it comes up... this is right in my front yard so to speak. If you love our public lands, better speak up now or forever stand by and watch as it is taken from us in the most horrific ways imaginable.

2na

[MiniMe]

5. tRump will just undo it when he takes office

[0rganism]

6. at least he hast to undo it

Obama's setting it up so that by the time 2018 rolls around, there's no question about Humpty Dumpty's agenda for the environment

[cstanleytech]

7. Yup plus it will hopefully have an impact during the next midterm elections as well if the GOP

decides to try and rubber stamp everything Trump proposes.