Albuquerque, NM (KKOB) –A New Mexico state senator Angel Charly is calling for a moratorium on uranium mining. Charley says the state needs to reconsider new permits until emerging extraction technology is better understood, and the state develops a regulatory framework. Following a presentation Thursday to the interim legislative Radioactive and Hazardous Materials Committee, Charley suggested a temporary ban on all new permits. She pointed to Virginia’s uranium moratorium, which the U.S. Supreme Court upheld in 2020, as proof that states can legally halt uranium production without running afoul of the federal government. Adding, that she is still considering whether she’ll introduce moratorium legislation ahead of the upcoming 60-day session, which begins Jan. 19th.
