What's New

Uranium claims on public lands jumped from just over 100 claims in 2003 to more than 10,000 claims in 2007. The toxic and radioactive byproducts of uranium mining threaten Colorado's streams and rivers, and our most treasured wild lands.

Environment Colorado is backing common-sense environmental protects for our unspoiled mountain landscapes, our waters, and our communties from uranium mining.

How You Can Help

Play fair Powertech!

A bill to protect our wild lands from dangerous uranium mining is making progress in Colorado's Legislature. But the Canadian mining company Powertech is fighting to block the bill. 

E-mail Powertech today and tell them to stop opposing sensible environmental and public health protections for uranium mining.

Background

Hang on to your cowboy hats, the mining boom is back!

Colorado has the third-largest uranium reserve in the nation, and with skyrocketing prices for uranium, mining companies are staking claims on Colorado’s unspoiled mountains and open spaces.

Uranium claims on public lands jumped from just over 100 claims in 2003 to more than 10,000 claims in 2007. Colorado’s Dolores River Canyon stands on the front lines of this assault. Located northwest of Telluride, the Dolores provides unrivaled rafting and fishing opportunities along its red sandstone walls. Hundreds of uranium claims surround this wild treasure.

Other wild lands across Colorado are also at risk from uranium mining, including Vermillion Basin north of Dinosaur National Monument and roadless forests in the Arapaho-Roosevelt National Forest.

In addition, open pit and injection, or “in-situ,” uranium mines - recently proposed by the Canadian mining company Powertech - threaten open prairies and farmland east of Fort Collins. Conservationists, farmers and ranchers, and the Colorado Medical Society are up in arms over Powertech's mines, which could contaminate groundwater, air and surrounding landscape with radioactive pollution.

The Colorado Legislature should pass House Bill 1161, the Land & Water Stewardship Bill, and create strong protections for our waters, our environment and our unspoiled mountain landscapes from potentially toxic and radioactive uranium mining pollution.

Click here for a fact sheet on House Bill 1161 - the Land & Water Stewardship Bill.