Kingman poll on northern Arizona mining ban

The Kingman (AZ) Daily Miner newspaper is running a poll on reaction to Interior Secretary Salazar's ban on mining on federal lands in northern Arizona. While the issue has been framed in the news media as a choice between saving the Grand Canyon or poisoning the drinking water of 25 million people, the issues are more complex than that.

There's a long legacy of mining in the Kingman region (hence the paper's name) that is evidenced in these poll numbers:

Interior Secretary Ken Salazar indicates he'll favor a permanent ban on uranium mining in the Arizona Strip outside Grand Canyon National Park. Salazar's announcement was praised by environmental groups and harshly criticized by local officials, who say mining uranium has the potential to create thousands of jobs and millions in revenue.


18%
Science is on Salazar's side

12%
Protect the environment no matter what

48%
There is no legitimate reason to ban mining in the area

22%
Salazar is just another eco-nut

[Thanks to Larry Turner for passing along the link to this]