The Russian atomic energy agency is currently in the process of selling its ownership in a proposed uranium mine in northern Arizona. The New York Times today published* an explosive article laying out possible connections between Russia's expansion into the U.S. mining industry and contributions made to the charitable foundation led by former President Bill Clinton and current Presidential candidate Hillary Clinton. (The headline of the article is "Cash Flowed to Clinton Foundation as Russians Pressed for Control of Uranium Company.")
The article details how the Clinton Foundation received millions of dollars from Canadian mining financiers as they were selling a majority interest of their U.S. uranium mining interests to the Russians. The sale thus required approvals from multiple agencies in the federal government, at a time when Hillary Clinton was the Secretary of State.
The proposed Wate Pipe mine just south of the Grand Canyon is a joint venture between Uranium One - a private company wholly owned by Russia's Rosatom - and publicly-traded Vane Minerals**. Last year, Anfield Resources announced that it was "thrilled" to buy Uranium One's interest, in a deal that was supposed to close by the end of March; earlier this month, the negotiations period was extended until June 30. (The Arizona pipe was just one of several uranium assets included in the deals; the others are in Utah and South Dakota.)
According to Arizona State Geologist Lee Allison, the mine is eventually expected to produce about 550 tons of uranium oxide. It would be located on state trust lands, just outside the Hualapai Tribe's lands, and the high grade of the uranium there has been touted by the owners.
It appears that if the deal is completed, Russian-owned Uranium One will only have one uranium mining asset left in the United States, in Wyoming.
*on its website
** Vane Minerals announced in January that it was selling its interest in the Wate Pipe mine to publicly-traded Energy Fuels Inc.
I read that a federal court stopped the uranium mining development in 2012. Some of the concerns cited in 2010-2011 were that uranium mining could punch into the aquifer and pollute the Colorado River watershed which supplies water to Nevada, California, and Arizona. And let's not forget uranium mining's track record for "cleanup" --hahahahahaha! what a joke!-- on the Navajo Reservation (scores of toxic mines, cancer deaths, tailing piles where children play, etc.).
ReplyDeleteSo what happened between 2012 and now, that they're still planning to screw the entire US Southwest? The Teabag Revolution?
Thanks, Christy! The court case was regarding another proposed mine. This one is also not part of the federal moratorium on uranium mining ON FEDERAL LANDS.
ReplyDeleteThis proposed mine is on state trust lands.
Thanks for the clarification.
ReplyDelete*Heaves tragic sigh.*
And because this is on state land, you know those boobs in the legislature are swarming over the opportunity to not only poison Arizona, but Nevada and southern California. I've never seen such an uneducated, hateful, short-sighted, immature, foolish bunch as AZleg.