Renewed Interest in Uranium Leads to Surge in Federal Mining Claims

From the AP:

Metal mining claims on federal lands in the West have increased almost 50 percent in the past four years, in large part because a resurgence in nuclear power has led to a renewed interest in uranium exploration.

An advocacy and research organization said Thursday its review of Bureau of Land Management records found that the number of metal mining claims jumped from 220,000 at the end of 2002 to almost 325,000 this September.

Nevada had almost 90,000 new claims, more than any other state, and a 55 percent increase from 2002. Wyoming was second, with almost 20,000 new claims, or a 97 percent increase.

You'll recall that back in October, we pointed to a story about how increased uranium mining in the U.S. could create as many as 34,000 new jobs.

Technorati tags: Nuclear Energy, Nuclear Power, Electricity, Environment, Energy, Politics, Technology, Economics, Uranium, Mining