The Arizona BLM office advised us late today that the Draft EIS for uranium exploration and development in northern Arizona has been delivered to BLM and is now at the printer. Barring a major event, they anticipate a public release on February 18th, which will begin the 45 day public comment period. The public comment period will end on April 4. AZGS is a cooperating agency in the EIS process. [right, map showing the withdrawal area of approximately 1 million acres of federal lands from exploration or mineral entry in green]
The public meeting schedule is now:
March 7, 2011 - BLM National Training Center, Phoenix, AZ
March 8, 2011 - High Country Conference Center, Flagstaff, AZ
March 9, 2011 - Fredonia High School Media Center, Fredonia, AZ
March10, 2011 - Homewood Suites, Salt Lake City, UT
All meetings are planned as an Open House scheduled to begin at 6pm, with an introduction and informational presentation from 6:30 to about 6:45, and scheduled to end at 8:30.
[taken in part from the BLM email]
Our Government at work. They are only 6 months late on getting this Draft EIS out. It really makes me wonder if they had to make something up to actually find something that would justify this segregation and a further withdrawal.
ReplyDeleteIn the mean time, a country that is desperate for jobs has seen a flight of investment and jobs in Arizona directly due to this segregation and withdrawal action. Go Gov.
The only saving grace will be if Interior decides that they were wrong and take a No Action Needed alternative. The rapid increase in the price of uranium will bring more investment and jobs to Arizona very quickly once this occurs. Lord only knows what will happen if they do something else. It is all about attitude, not many want to keep fighting up hill or expend there investment in an increasingly hostile enviornment.