23 Dec Seven Reasons Given for a New Uranium Rush and Seven Reasons to Reject It

by Michelle Kanoe-Lehua Marsonette

Uranium, AI and Data Storage companies, and national policy makers are pushing a so-called “nuclear renaissance”. They claim America needs new uranium mines for nuclear power. Below are seven pro uranium claims, followed by reasons to reject them.

1. Uranium for nuclear power is essential for America’s energy future. New nuclear power and domestic uranium source development are too slow. The first new reactor designs are not scheduled to come online until 2030. Annual US uranium oxide consumption is 23,400 tons. Nearly 99% is imported because it’s cheaper and easier to mine there, and the US industry struggles to compete.

2. Uranium mining is clean, safe, and well regulated. Uranium mining has a long record of contamination and unresolved cleanup. The 15,000 abandoned mines in the US have polluted soil, water, and air. Elevated health risks near mines include cancer, birth defects, and hypertension. No US uranium mine has been fully cleaned up. It will take many decades and trillions of dollars to clean up the mess that we’ve already created.

3. Nuclear energy is carbon free. Uranium extraction and reactor construction carry huge carbon and environmental costs. Mining, milling, transport, enrichment, and reactor construction all require fossil fuel inputs. Building reactors relies on cement and steel, both carbon intensive to produce.

4. Artificial intelligence and electrification demand new reactors now. AI energy demand is an infrastructure and planning issue. Instead, we need efficiency, distributed clean power, and modernized grids.

5. Domestic uranium strengthens national security. Civilian nuclear programs and weapons risks are deeply linked. The same fuel cycles that supply reactors can support weapons development and create dangerous waste. True security comes from disarmament, not from new uranium mines.

6. New uranium mines will boost rural economies. Uranium mining often brings short term jobs but leaves long term harm. Past uranium booms on rural and Indigenous lands resulted in contamination, water degradation, and ongoing health crises. Promised economic benefits rarely lasted, while toxic legacy remained for generations.

7. Nuclear power offers reliable baseload electricity. Modern, clean grids rely on flexibility and renewable power, not a single fuel source. Grid science shows that clean, reliable energy is possible without nuclear power. Renewables, storage, demand response, and smart planning deliver resilience without the risks of uranium extraction.

Conclusion: We reject the story that America’s energy future must depend on uranium mining. We reject the idea that nuclear development is a climate solution. We reject arguments that economic interest can justify environmental damage to Indigenous or rural communities. We choose a different course. We choose community controlled renewable power, ecological restoration, energy justice, and a clean and equitable transition for all people. This is the path of nonviolence, climate justice, and respect for life. We invite everyone to stand with us, reject the uranium rush, and continue to sail for peace and for the planet.