The Dolores River Basin is home to ten proposed wilderness areas and a diversity of habitat that supports black bear, mountain lion, peregrine falcons and river otter. Stunning and remote, the very essence of this basin is a sensitive balance of nature. Red rock canyons meander between the forests of the La Sal Mountains and the Uncompahgre Plateau, and ponderosa pines stand sentinel on cliffs overlooking the river. The human history of the Dolores River Basin is also diverse. Ancestral Puebloan (Anasazi) sites are relics of an intriguing past, and remains of modern civilization indicate a troubled history. Today, communities struggle for a sustainable future in the midst of increasing natural resource extraction.

The Dolores River Basin is experiencing a resource rush -- one that has already left alarming impacts on human health and the environment, and that could further jeopardize the future of wild places and sustainable communities. Without a modern day solution to waste and storage, and in spite of the devastating impacts that uranium has had on communities, lives, and the environment, uranium mining is once again courting the Dolores River Basin.

In the Dolores River Basin, the uranium booms of the 1930s, 1950s, and 1970s resulted in a plethora of unreclaimed mines, unexplained health conditions, and a Superfund site called Uravan. In the 1990s, the town of Uravan (which was also the location of the region’s uranium mill) was leveled and trucked away -- the community's school, swimming pool, post office, businesses, and houses are now only a memory to the former residents of the area. (See www.uravan.com for more info and photos). Since the last boom, in the 1970s, most of the mines have been closed, and the sites have had little attention for over 30 years.

Nonetheless, the Department of Energy (DOE) is currently evaluating its Uranium Leasing Program in the Dolores Basin, which could affect 17 communities and 11 counties in western Colorado and Southeastern Utah. Thirty-eight DOE lease parcels are being considered, and thousands of claims have been staked on BLM land. The proposed leasing of public lands in the Dolores and San Miguel River watersheds includes lands directly adjacent to these extraordinary rivers, lands currently proposed for permanent protection as wilderness, and even lands already reclaimed at significant expense after being contaminated by previous uranium mining activities.

In the meantime, recreational uses and visitation based on the area’s scenic values are drawing substantial attention and dollars to the region. The river is a valuable asset which plays an important role in the ongoing economics of the region, by feeding  working farms and ranches, and attracting professional outfitters, anglers, river runners and hikers.

The Dolores River Basin is a landscape that deserves protection. Preserving its remarkable natural values will provide sustainable economies for the local communities, and will offer enjoyment for generations to come.

Uranium Mining Impacts Human Health
Impacts of uranium mining reveal a significant impact on human health. Uranium dust from mine sites and milling facilities has been cited as one of the largest human health concerns associated with uranium mining. Cancer-causing uranium dust, known as “radioparticulates,” can enter the lungs of uranium workers and citizens living near uranium operations. The largest potential for inhalation of radiation comes from radon, also associated with uranium mining.

A renewal of uranium mining, and the vast network of haulage routes, raises concerns for:

• public health 
  
  
• water quality (including where trucks use routes along Colorado rivers and streams)
  
  
• safety of truck drivers and the potential for accidents and overturns
  
  
• noise levels
  
  
• visual aesthetics
  
  
• downwind contamination due to dust created at the uranium mine and during transportation
  
  
• truck accidents

Uranium Mining Poses Environment Threats
Uranium mining threatens water, fish, wildlife, and the general condition of public lands. Apart from the specific impacts associated with the hauling and milling, significant environmental degradation can result from increased surface disturbance for uranium mining.

Major environmental threats to public lands posed by the uranium mines include:

• long-term contamination due to a lack of permanent disposal options
  
  
• impacts from waste rock piles
  
  
• impacts to water quality
  
  
• impacts to vegetation, cryptobiotic soils, and wildlife habitat as well as soil erosion concerns.

Recent State of Colorado Division of Minerals and Geology (DMG) leach tests conducted on active uranium mines operated by Cotter Corporation confirmed toxic releases at the mine sites. DMG found waste-rock dumps and ore stockpiles with the potential to leach each of the following chemicals in concentrations that exceeded either chronic aquatic life standards, agricultural standards, or both: aluminum, lead, selenium, arsenic, uranium, and zinc. Several lease tracts are located within close proximity to the Dolores and San Miguel Rivers.

Economics
The current market price for uranium is uncharacteristically high, the quality of ore in the leasing area is low-grade, the mill availability is unclear, and the uranium market is unpredictable. The last uranium program in the Dolores Basin resulted in a $120 million Superfund project. We need to ask ourselves if the short-term economic gain is worth the long-term costs.

Interesting Links
 
http://www.lm.doe.gov/land/sites/uranium_leasing/uranium_leasing.htm
http://www.lm.doe.gov/land/historicaldocs.htm
http://www.nrc.gov/info-finder/materials/uranium/
http://www.uravan.com/uravan/
http://www.epa.gov/region8/superfund/sites/co/uravan.html
http://www.cdphe.state.co.us/hm/cotter/cotter_docs_2006.htm
http://wise-uranium.org/indexr.html