FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: June 20, 2011
CONTACT: Ben Carnes
June 20, 2011- Following an announcement by Interior Secretary Ken Salazar that the Obama Administration intends to make 1 million acres of uranium-rich land in Arizona off-limits for future uranium mining, Congressman Trent Franks (AZ-02) released the following statement.
“This shameful effort by the Obama Administration is a step in precisely the wrong direction for the American economy, making the U.S. even more dependent on foreign powers and potentially creating a serious national security threat going forward.
“Of America’s existing 104 operating nuclear reactors, 90% now import the uranium they use from foreign countries, as opposed to the 1970′s, when America was 100% self-sufficient.
“Despite the fact that uranium mining efforts have for decades operated without impacting the environment or our the beauty of our national parks, President Obama is nonetheless seeking to make 326-375 million pounds of the best quality uranium in the entire country off-limits, thus putting the desires of a handful of rabid environmentalists above America’s long-term energy independence and national security.”
Congressman Franks was the lead sponsor last year of H.R. 5665, which aimed to protect Arizona’s land from just such an expected overreach by the Obama Administration.
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Congressman Franks is serving his fifth term in the U.S. House of Representatives and is a member of the Judiciary Committee, where he serves as Chairman of the Subcommittee on the Constitution and a member of the Subcommittee on Courts, Commercial and Administrative Law. He is also a member of the Armed Services Committee, where he serves on the Strategic Forces Subcommittee and the Subcommittee on Emerging Threats and Capabilities.