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A new “gold rush” is under way in the American West, but this time the prospectors are out for another metal: uranium. The Grand Canyon region in the US state of Arizona holds one of the nation's largest concentrations of high grade uranium, the fuel for nuclear power. As global demand for nuclear power has increased so has interest in the metal and, across the south-west, companies are seeking permission to restart uranium mining. In the US, President Barack Obama has called for an increase in nuclear power to help reduce the country's dependence on foreign oil. The US government is currently weighing the costs and benefits of mining, with Arizona Congressman Raul Grijalva proposing a ban on mining near the Grand Canyon. But with the increase in uranium exploration come concerns about the future of the Grand Canyon, a Unesco World Heritage Site and one of America's foremost natural wonders. And Native American populations living near uranium mines fear exploration could contaminate their drinking water. For now, the sole active uranium mine near the Grand Canyon's northern rim is run by Denison Mines Corporation, a Canadian firm. The Arizona 1 mine employs 30 miners, and the firm says it goes to great lengths to protect them in the hazardous environment. Among other precautions, large fans pump clean air into the mine and suck out most of the radioactive radon gas, while workers spray water across the site to keep down potentially harmful dust. The firm also says past accidents were swiftly and effectively cleaned up. ****************************************!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! On a recent trip into the mine, none of the miners wore masks, and their hands and face were caked with uranium ore. “It washes off,” miner Cody Behuden, 28, told the BBC while licking his ore-caked lips. Vice-president of US operations Harold Roberts said the miners were under no danger from ingesting uranium. *************************************** added by: toyotabedzrock