Biden expected to permanently block Grand Canyon mining

President Joe Biden is likely to announce the creation of new national monument to protect about 1 million acres of land around the Grand Canyon from uranium mining as soon as next week, according to three people familiar with the matter.

Senior officials in the Biden administration have been speaking in recent weeks with Native tribes, environmental groups and members of the Arizona congressional delegation, and some of those people have been told to prepare for “a possible announcement” when Biden visits Arizona next week.

The three people familiar with the matter asked not to be identified in order to discuss internal deliberations.

Abdullah Hasan, a White House spokesperson, said final decisions about the monument designation had not been made. But he said, “I can tell you that President Biden has conserved more land and water in his first year than any president since JFK and his climate protection record is unmatched.”

The area in question is already off limits to uranium mining, a designation made by President Barack Obama in 2011. But those protections are set to expire in 2032. If Biden were to designate the land as a national monument, those conditions would be permanent. The expected announcement was first reported by The Washington Post.

Ashley Burke, a spokesperson for the National Mining Association, which represents U.S. mining companies, said a moratorium on uranium development around the Grand Canyon would hurt the economy and force the United States to import the metal.

“If any doubts remained about the Biden administration's stance on domestic mining, this unwarranted withdrawal puts them to rest,” Burke said in a statement. “By continuing to block mineral-rich lands from responsible mining, this administration is imperiling our supply chains, robbing U.S. communities of highpaying jobs and community-supporting revenues, and enriching our adversaries.”

Native tribes have long lobbied for the government to permanently protect the area from uranium mining that they say would damage the Colorado River watershed as well as areas with great cultural meaning for Native Americans.