INTERESTING TIMES

The latest Sierra Club project to cross my email is a petition to stop anyone from mining the uranium claims that are inside of 5 miles of Grand Canyon. They say it will cause radiation contamination to the river and everyone downstream. They don't mention how polluted the river already is, or the fact that the radioactive materials leak out of the ground with every rainfall. I wonder if there is some new corporate effort to extract the uranium, or if the claims are in private hands. I'm not saying I agree with the Sierra Club--not enough info yet--but here's what they have to say:
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Flows and lake levels in the Colorado River drainage have been lower than predicted for years now. Lake Powell has been so low for so long that the river has dug itself a new course. A new rapid has been formed.

The road that used to go to the Pearce Ferry takeout now ends miles from the water. The outfitters are upset because they can't get their boats out of the water at the old takeout (Pearce) and it costs them time/$$ to run the boats the extra river miles to South Cove. So the river outfitters (including the Hualapai tribe) have approached the US Park Service offering private funding to build the road extension--under park auspices. So it will be done. Here's a slide show of the intended road route:
http://www.rrfw.org/gallery/displayimage.php?album=11&pos=87
And here's a side show of the new rapid:
http://www.rrfw.org/gallery/thumbnails.php?album=12

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