Since February of this year, the debate has raged over whether or not to allow new uranium mining projects to go forward in the area surrounding one of the United States’ most recognizable landmarks, the Grand Canyon. Now, thanks to new legislation put before Congress, it appears those against the mining efforts have one a victory, albeit a temporary one.

Beginning in 2005 as uranium prices began to tilt upwards, numerous new mining projects were undertaken, constituting a threat to both the Grand Canyon ecosystem and the down-stream communities who depend on the Grand Canyon’s riverbed for water. According to the Environmental News Service, “more than 2,100 new uranium claims, dozens of exploration drilling projects, and moves to open several uranium mines on public lands immediately north and south of the Grand Canyon have been started” since 2005.

Roger Clark, of the Grand Canyon National Trust, added that “uranium mining poses one of the greatest risks to Grand Canyon National Park in decades. “It threatens to contaminate park waters with radioactive waste, poses public-health problems for local residents and downstream communities dependent upon the Colorado River, and endangers the park’s unique ecosystems.”

As of today, however, the projects have largely been shelved due to legislation introduced by Congressman Raul Grijalva, an Arizona Democrat. Seeking to prohibit the claims indefinitely, the bill will be discussed in a Congressional hearing tomorrow. Today’s news on the subject struck a victory for environmental activists, as the Interior Secretary, Ken Salazar, decreed that his department is “temporarily barring the filing of new uranium mining claims on about 1 million acres near the Grand Canyon, an Obama administration official said.” This news was reported by Joan Lowy and Felicia Fonseca of the Huffingtonpost.com.

And while this ruling will only be in effect for 2 years (during which time more information will be gathered on the possible consequences of uranium mining in the region), it further illustrates the difference in attitudes towards the environment between the Obama and Bush Administrations. During George W. Bush’s tenure in the White Office, “the Interior Department  was unresponsive to efforts to ban new uranium mining claims.”