Tom Udall: “I oppose the rule and urge my colleagues to vote against this unfair rule. Mr. Speaker, thank you for the opportunity to…”

“I oppose the rule and urge my colleagues to vote against this unfair rule. Mr. Speaker, thank you for the opportunity to speak on the rule on H.R. 4, the Securing America's Future Energy Act of 2001. I appreciate the opportunity to share my concerns with one section of H.R. 4 as it stands in its current form. Section 306 authorizes the appropriation of $10 million payment, or subsidies, for three years to domestic uranium producers "to identify, test, and develop improved in situ leaching mining technologies, including low-cost environmental restoration technologies." This legislation is not needed for research and development purposes. In fact, this in-situ leaching process causes radioactive uranium and other toxic chemicals to leach into groundwater, threatening the public health of communities surrounding the mines. The impact of this legislation could be severe on the Southwest's environment and on the public health of the Native American communities I represent. Specifically, section 306 of the SAFE Act of 2001 could directly prop up with millions of taxpayer dollars a uranium mining company that proposes in-situ leach uranium mining in the Crownpoint and Church Rock areas of New Mexico. In the case of the proposed uranium mines in Crownpoint and Church Rock, the mining process would pollute the high-quality aquifer that is the sole source of scarce drinking water for over 10,000 Navajos.”