Poll shows Arizona residents overwhelmingly oppose new uranium mines near Grand Canyon National Park/Rebecca Latson

Arizona voters overwhelmingly oppose uranium mining around Grand Canyon National Park, according to a poll commissioned by the Grand Canyon Trust.

The telephone poll of 600 Arizona voters conducted earlier this month showed that 73 percent believe the existing ban on new uranium mining near the park should be continued. A similar percentage said the state would benefit more from outdoor recreation and tourism tied to the national park and other public lands in Arizona than from mining, while 21 percent voiced the opinion that mining was more important.

Ninety-six percent of those surveyed said that keeping Arizona lands and water healthy is critical both to the economy and to quality of life. This support is strong across political party, demographic group, and geography, with majority support in every major subgroup, including sportsmen and rural residents, the pollsters said. 

“There are many things that Arizonans don't agree on, but the value of the Grand Canyon to the state’s economy and quality of life is not one of them. A healthy majority of Arizonans agree that uranium mining poses a threat to those values,” said Amber Reimondo, energy program director with the Grand Canyon Trust. 

Mining interests earlier this year asked the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn a lower court's ruling to leave intact a 20-year ban issued by then-Interior Secretary Ken Salazar in 2012. The court has yet to rule on that request.

“What’s clear from the data is that Democrats and Republicans alike want to see the Grand Canyon uranium mining ban remain intact,” said Lori Weigel, a partner at Public Opinion Strategies, a Republican polling firm. 

“There aren’t many political issues these days where the public isn’t fiercely divided,” said Dave Metz, partner and president at Democratic polling firm Fairbank, Maslin, Maullin, Metz & Associates, “but when it comes to uranium mining in the Grand Canyon region, Arizona voters agree it’s a bad idea.” 

Havasupai Tribal Councilwoman Carletta Tilousi said, “(T)he Havasupai people have lived in the Grand Canyon for centuries and know that our land, waters, and animals need to be protected for our future generations. But this is not just a Native American issue. This national treasure needs to be protected for all citizens.”