Wal-Mart vs. mining as a good place to work and grow rich?

In the April 2, 2007 New Yorker Jeffrey Goldberg writes of the trials and tribulations of working for Wal-Mart.  He notes the chain’s claim that there are more people applying for jobs with Wal-Mart than there are jobs available.  Keep in mind there still seem to be more jobs than people applying in the mining industry.

Saskatchewan uranium cleanup and Esperanza lead cleanup to begin

The good news is that the Canadian Press reports that cleanup of abandoned uranium mines is about to begin in northern Saskatchewan.  Apparently $25 million has been budgeted to “control the radiation risk.”   Here is more from the relevant report:

Most of the mines operated briefly near Uranium City a half a century ago, during the Cold War era.  Following the completion of their operations, the mines were abandoned at a time when environmental standards were limited or non-existent.  Since the companies that operated the mines no longer exist, the responsibility for the cleanup has fallen on governments.  The management of the project has been contracted to the Saskatchewan Research Council.