Chris Shuey from the Southwest Research and Information Center has raised concerns about the Grants Energy project to extract uranium using in situ recovery in New Mexico. While in situ recovery has fewer environmental impacts compared to traditional mining methods, there are worries about the depth of extraction and potential impacts on groundwater. Shuey pointed to the failed Mobil Oil pilot project as a cautionary tale, where groundwater was not restored after uranium extraction.
The Grants Energy project is near Navajo communities, which have a history of exploitation and pollution from uranium mining. Advocacy groups are calling for a halt in new uranium extraction until past pollution is cleaned up and affected workers compensated. Efforts to extend compensation under the Radiation Exposure and Compensation Act have so far been unsuccessful.
This project comes in the context of ongoing environmental and health concerns in the Four Corners region, where Native American lands have been scarred by uranium mining. Despite the potential economic benefits of uranium extraction, there is a need to consider the environmental and social impacts on local communities. Shuey emphasizes the importance of understanding this context and the need for responsible decision-making in the region.
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