Judge sets hearing in Bears Ears monument case as tribes, environmentalists demand notification of potential mining

A federal judge has scheduled a hearing Thursday to discuss arguments by tribes and environmentalists suing over the shrinking of the Bears Ears National Monument that the government should have to notify them of any planned oil, gas or mineral extraction within the boundaries of the redrawn monument. The groups say that they’ve “learned of some mining activity” within the original boundaries that would have been prohibited without President Donald Trump’s December 2017 order to remove 1.1 million acres from the monument in southeastern Utah. The plaintiffs, who believe Trump lacked authority to change the monument’s boundaries, say there is a proposal for “ground-disturbing activities” on a former uranium mine that could begin this month. Those suing over the monument changes are the Hopi, Navajo, Ute Indian, Ute Mountain Ute and Zuni tribes, as well as environmental and conservation interests. They had requested in January that the federal government notify them of any proposed mining requests within 48 hours, but Judge Tanya S. Chutkan responded, “At this time, I’m not going to require the government to provide notice,” according to a motion filed in the case...MORE