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JUST POSTED: The Trump administration is rushing to approve a final wave of large-scale mining and energy projects on federal lands, encouraged by investors who want to try to ensure the projects move ahead even after President-elect Biden takes office https://www.nytimes.com/2020/12/19/us/politics/in-last-rush-trump-grants-mining-and-energy-firms-access-to-public-lands.html
Let's take a look at some of these projects awaiting actions in the remaining weeks of Trump's tenure. MASSIVE mining projects on federal lands. First stop, ARIZONA. Sacred Native American lands now in a national forest are targeted for destruction to make way for a copper mine
Next stop SOUTH DAKOTA. Area near Black Hills planned for massive new uranium mine, on land also historically held by Native American tribe. Groundwater would be contaminated to extract the radioactive uranium.
Next stop, NEVADA, were one of world's largest lithium mines slated to be built starting soon on federal land. Final "Record of Decision" on project by Interior Department expected in EARLY January.
Next stop, UTAH, where Interior as soon as NEXT week, slated to give approval to what could soon be one of the large helium drilling operations in the United States on land in and around an iconic federal WILDERNESSS area.
NEXT STOP, WEST VIRGINIA/VIRGINIA where Forest Service slated to give final approval before mid January to a new natural gas pipeline that will be built across a national forest and the Appalachian Trial.
There are many others. Picked these as examples. Illustrates an intentional effort by President Trump and his Cabinet to open up public lands to mining/drilling, despite protests from Native Americans and environmentalists.
What is interesting is that many of these projects are sponsored by foreign investors, such as Rio Tinto, an Australian-based mining giant, which directly lobbied Commerce Sec. Wilbur Ross to speed up the project. Here is Ross discussing it during a visit to mine site in October
Please give the story a read (and a share). Will be doing tweet threads drilling down on individual projects. Collected thousands of pages of fed documents, detailing environmental consequences anticipated from these projects. Many r linked in story. https://www.nytimes.com/2020/12/19/us/politics/in-last-rush-trump-grants-mining-and-energy-firms-access-to-public-lands.html
FYI, here is the area in Utah near what could soon be one of the largest helium drilling operations in United States, pending approval as soon as next week by Department of Interior. Construction slated to start immediately. Photos by Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance/Ray Bloxham
