Governor visits Grants

Comment: Gov of New Mexico, leave the Native Americans land alone, NO URANIUM MINING!!!

RICHARDSON SUGGESTS TALK IS NEEDED

By Donald Jaramillo
Beacon publisher/managing editor
djaramillo@cibolabeacon.com
Published Friday, April 24, 2009 9:18 AM MDT

GRANTS - “Do you want a dialogue with the Native Americans?” Governor Bill Richardson asked a group of county residents at a meeting with the state leader at the Cibola County Complex on April 23.

“My office can help. I encourage a dialogue between Cibola County officials and Native Americans.” The issue being discussed at the time Richardson made these remarks was the Mount Taylor Traditional Cultural Property designation and uranium mining.

A large portion of Mount Taylor could become a permanent traditional cultural property if voted in favor of in June by a state preservation agency. The application for the designation was made by several tribes including Acoma and Laguna.

Uranium has become a hot topic in Cibola County since mining companies are once again interested in extracting the ore from the Grants Mineral Belt when the price per pound skyrocketed last year to over $100 a pound. Today, the per pound price is $54, according to Pay Dirt, a mining industry magazine.

Nearly a hundred people packed the Cibola County Commission room for the meeting with Richardson including state representatives, county officials and city officials.

“Your office can be the bridge,” said state representative Ken Martinez to Richardson. “I don't believe the bridge is not too big at this point.”

On the issues Richardson thinks compromises can be made, he said at the meeting. “For example we recently designated the Pecos State Park and in the park is a cave that is sacred to Jemez Pueblo. The state has a nice new park and they can still visit the cave regularly.”

Mining company representative and longtime resident Joe Lister remarked that he has made efforts since January 2008 to meet with the tribes but to no avail.

Hardy Allen of Mount Taylor Millwork said, “They (the tribes) don't have to contact us for casinos at the foothills of Mount Taylor. It's a one way street.”

Richardson advised the group that his administration has approved nine permits and that he is in favor of uranium mining as long as it is environmentally safe and mining companies give more money to the state. (SOUNDS LIKE OUR LAME DUCK GOV - URANIUM MINING HAS NEVER BEEN DONE SAFELY, THE GOV OF NM - SHORT MEMORY OF THE PAST URANIUM MINING IN HIS STATE!!)

Real estate businessman Howard Michael said, “While New Mexico is turning industry away other states are rolling out the red carpet.”

James Martinez of the Juan Tafoya Land Corporation, also at the meeting, said, “If we are constantly dragging out our permits these companies will go elsewhere.

We had a mine and mill on our land 25 years ago��-we are not pendejos, we want clean water also. We don't want the Native Americans telling us what to do on our private land.”

The meeting lasted an hour and fifteen minutes and many other issues were spoken on besides TCP and uranium. A follow up story on the meeting will be in Tuesday's Beacon.

http://www.cibolabeacon.com/articles/2009/04/24/news/doc49f1ce8f383e0599085379.txt