Scott Buffon/Arizona Daily Sun via AP

Just 10 miles south of the entrance to the South Rim of the Grand Canyon is a giant hole in the ground where miners are hoping to strike it big with one of Earth’s rarest but deadliest elements—uranium. Despite it only being about 17 acres in size, the Canyon Mine extends over 1,400 feet down into the Earth’s surface and critics worry it could scar the Grand Canyon itself and pollute a nearby tribe’s water.

Mining has been prevalent in the region...

Continue Reading America’s Most Iconic Natural Wonder Has a Uranium Mine Next Door