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Uranium Mining/Water Quality

Our Position: support
Bill Number: HB1161
Sponsor: Representative Kefalas and Fischer and Senator Johnson
Legislative Session: 2008

To Send an email supporting this bill, click here.

This bill requires the reclamation of lands affected by in situ leach mining and the restoration of all contaminated ground water to premining quality. The bill requires the mined land reclamation board to deny permits to those who can not guarantee that reclamation can and will be accomplished and those who can't provide evidence of at least 5 similar mining operations which did not result in ground water contamination.

Status

Vote on uranium bill stalls yet again

DENVER - A bill aimed at tightening uranium mining regulation in Colorado was delayed again Monday because of lengthy amendments proposed to the legislation on the House floor.  The second reading vote of the so-called uranium bill may be heard today.  HB 1161, sponsored by Fort Collins Democrat Reps. John Kefalas and Randy Fischer, would require uranium companies to prove they could return groundwater to either pre-mining conditions or levels in line with existing state standards.

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New, improved uranium mining

The Colorado House of Representatives is scheduled to consider a bill Monday to protect the state's vital water resources in the face of a renewed boom in uranium mining.  The Post supports House Bill 1161 in its current form. We had reservations about the bill as introduced, but it has been substantially improved by its sponsors, Fort Collins Reps. Randy Fischer and John Kefalas, after repeated meetings with mining industry representatives, local officials and environmental groups.

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HB 1161 will Protect groundwater

• Water is too precious a resource in Colorado to be exposed to irresponsible mining practices. We need to protect groundwater quality by setting reasonable standards that allow mining to take place but protect domestic and agricultural water resources. Mining companies should demonstrate and prove that they can restore the affected aquifers to their pre-mining conditions before permits are issued. Protect our waterways, environment, and public health

• We need to close the loophole and ensure that all uranium mining is subject to environment and public health protections as “designated mining operations.” These sensible protections were created in response to the Summitville mining disaster and can help ensure that uranium mining happens more responsibly.

 

The bill passed the House Agriculture Committee.

02/20/08 This Bill was referred Amended to Appropriations committee.

03/14/08 This Bill was Passed by the Appropriations committee.

03/28/08 Passed House Second Reading with Amendments

03/31/08 Passed House Third Reading by a vote of 49-16

04/07/08 Introduced in Senate - assigned to the Senate Local Government Committee

04/17/08 Passed by the Local Government committee referred to Appropriations Committee

04/25/08 Passed the Senate Appropriations Committee

04/30/08 Passed Senate Second Reading

05/02/08 Passed Senate Third Reading

Action Needed

Please contact your State Representative and ask them to vote yes on HB 1161.

For a sample email that you can personalize and send to your representative, CLICK HERE

To see a full copy of the bill as a PDF, go to HB 1161.

Contact

Background

Denver Post Supports HB 1161

With the nation’s third largest uranium reserves, price spikes have led to the staking of hundreds of new uranium mining claims across Colorado, affecting lands adjacent to farms and ranches on the Eastern Plains as well as the sportsmen and tourist centers in the Colorado River headwaters and the Dolores River Basin. The uranium rush threatens to pollute our rivers, streams, and groundwater with radioactive toxics and could harm local economies and hurt the quality of life for rural Coloradans. We need strong protections for our communities and water to ensure that mining companies “do it right."

Threats of uranium mining

• A Canadian-based company is proposing the Centennial Mine, an injection or “in-situ” uranium mining operation which would deliberately pump and contaminate the Laramie-Foxhills aquifer with chemicals designed to force or “leach” out uranium and toxic heavy metals from underground. Injection uranium mining projects regularly increase radioactive toxics and heavy metals into groundwater such as arsenic, selenium, radium, uranium, molybdenum, and vanadium. These pollutants are known to harm human health, wildlife, livestock, and agriculture. The Laramie-Fox Hills aquifer is part of the Denver Basin, stretching around the Front Range from Golden to Greeley to Colorado Springs.

• Colorado’s experience with injection uranium mining near Grover in Weld County showed dramatically increased radioactive contamination to over 15 times its original and safe pre-mining condition. Currently, “in-situ” uranium mines are being considered or proposed in Weld, Fremont, Grand, Moffat, and Teller counties.

• According to an investigative report in the Corpus Christi Caller Times, of 32 injection uranium mining projects in Texas, no project successfully restored the water quality of underground aquifers back to pre-mining conditions.

• In 2007, the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission stated that injection uranium mining tends to contaminate groundwater, leaving behind toxics and toxic metals such as arsenic, selenium, radium, vanadium, and uranium – even after restoration projects have taken place.

• Open pit and underground uranium mining can mar landscapes and contaminate the environment. These uranium mines can leak chemicals such as aluminum, lead, selenium, uranium, and zinc in violation of water quality standards and pose threats to human health and wildlife.