Uranium Watch: News Archive


UTAH Uranium Mills Uranium Mines Nuclear Power URANIUM MILLS Proposed Licensed Reclamation Historical URANIUM MINES Arizona Colorado New Mexico Other States Abandoned RESOURCES Community Data and Info Government Industry Environmental Justice Site Index	NEWS ARCHIVE August 17, 2008 HEARING POSTPONED Hearing on Water Appropriation for Green River Uranium Mill - August 27, 2008 The Utah Division of Water Rights will hold a hearing on three protests of an application by Mancos Resources LLC to appropriate water from the Green River for a proposed uranium mill 6 miles west of the town of Green River, Utah. The hearing will be held on Wednesday, August 27 at 10 a.m. at the City Council Chambers, 240 East Main, Green River. Protests of the use of 800 acre feet of water were filed by Green River farmer, Tim Vetere, the Green River Canal Company, and by Red Rock Forests and Living Rivers. The hearing will be open to the public. Read More . . . . August 5 , 2008 DOE to Use Rail to Move Moab Uranium Mill Tailings The Department of Energy (DOE) issued a news release announcing their decision to rely primarily on rail transportation to move the Moab, Utah, UMTRA Project uranium mill tailings from the flood plain of the Colorado River. The tailings will be moved 30 miles north to a disposal impoundment in Crescent Junction. A Union Pacific rail line runs near both sites. DOE contractors will start work on the rail line infrastrucure later this year. Earlier this year the DOE amendmed the Record of Decision to include the possible use of trucks to transport the tailings. Opposition to the use of trucks by the local community, logistical problems, and, apparently, a more cooperative attitude by Union Pacific resulted in the decision to rely on the original rail transportation plan. The Nuclear Regulatory Commission has given condiitional approval of the Remedial Action Plan. Final approval is dependent on the DOE's groundwater remediation plan for the former Atlas uranium mill site. August 2 , 2008 Lawsuit Filed Against DOE Colorado Uranium Mine Leasing Program Four groups have filed a suit in the Denver U.S. District Court to challenge the environmental analysis conducted by Department of Energy (DOE) for the expansion of the DOE's Uranium Sites Leasing Program in south west Colorado. Information Network for Responsible Mining, Colorado Environmental Coalition, Center for Native Ecosystems, and Center for Biological Diversity joined in the suit. Plaintiffs, represented by the Energy Minerals Law Center and the Western Mining Action Project, claim that the DOE failed to properly implement the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). The DOE by failed to adequately address a number of significant impacts to the Dolores River area from the leasing program, other proposed an ongoing uranium mining and milling in the area, and from past uranium mining activities. News Release . . . . Story 1 . . . . Story 2 . . . . July 28, 2008 Draft Generic Environmental Impact Statement for In Situ Leach Uranium Recovery Operations Available for Public Comment The Nuclear Regulatory Commission and the Environmental Protection Agency have announced availability of the Draft Generic Environmental Impact Statement for In Situ Leach Uranium Milling Facilities. Comments are due on October 7, 2008. Public meetings to accept comments are to be held in New Mexico, South Dakota, Nebraska, and Wyoming. The Federal Register Notice (FRN) was published on July 28, 2008 (73 Fed. Reg. 43795-43798). Draft GEIS and Additional Information . . . . July 22, 2008 Draft of Vol. 2 of NRC ISL GEIS Publicly Available The Nuclear Regulatory Commission has made publicly available the draft of Vol. 2 of the Generic Environmental Impact Statement for In-Situ Leach Uranium Milling Facilities, Chapters 5 through 12 and Appendices A through F, June 30, 2008, NUREG-1910. Read More . . . . July 17, 2008 Judge Holds Mining Company Responsible for Pollution at Washington Uranium Mine A U.S. District Judge from Washington determined that the Newmont Mining Corp. of Colorado was responsible for cleaning up a large uranium mine site on the Spokane Tribe's land. Newmont's subsidiary, Dawn Mining Company, operated the mine, which continues to pollute nearby land, water, and wildlife. Read more . . . . July 2, 2008 Power Resources Inc. Requests Permission to Process Resins from Other In Sutu Leach Operations On June 19, 2008, Power Resources (doing business as Cameco Resources) requested an amendment to their Nuclear Regulatory Commission license to authorize the processing of resins from other in situ leach (ISL) uranium recovery operations. The resins would be processed at the Smith Ranch-Highland Project in Wyoming. The amendment request indicates that the amendment is minor and should receive a categorical exclusion from a National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) review. June 27, 2008 House Committee Stops New Uranium Mine Claims in Grand Canyon Area On June 25, 2008, The House Natural Resources Committee adopted an Emergy Resolution stopping any new uranium mine claims on lands near the Grand Canyon National Park for up to three years. The resolution was introduced by Arizona Representative, Raul M. Grijalva, in order to protect the National Park area from the impacts of uranium mining. The resolution would impact over 1,000,000 acreas of federally owned land north and south of the Grand Canyon. Read More . . . . June 10 Protests of Mancos Resources Water Right Appropriation Application Three protests of Mancos Resources' request for 800 acre feet of water from the Green River for a planned uranium mill were filed with the Utah Division of Water Rights. The State Engineer will determine whether a hearing will be held on the objections to the use of the water by Mancos Resources. More . . . . May 20, 2008 BlueRock Resources Ltd. Purchases Mancos Uranium Mill Project BlueRock Resources, Ltd., a Canadian firm, announced that it purchased a 100% interest in the Mancos Resources, Inc., proposed Mancos Uranium Mill Project, Emery County, Utah. Completion of the purchase is subject to certain steps in the land and water aquisition and state permitting processes. As expected, Mancos Resources does not have the resources to complete the mill project on its own. The proposed mill would be constructed in an industrial park area six miles north west of the town of Green River. Mancos Resources has applied to the Utah Division of Water Rights for 800 acre feet of water per year from the Green River for the mill. BlueRock Resources has uranium mine interests in the San Raphael Swell and Temple Mountain Uranium Districts in Utah and in Montrose County, Colorado. More . . . . May 20, 2008 Colorado Governor Signs Uranium In Situ Leach Law Governor Bill Ritter of Colorado signed House Bill 1161, designed to protect groundwater from in situ leach (ISL) uranium extraction operations. The law requires the restoration of water to original water quality or to state standards. Groundwater impacted by ISL uranium extraction is also subject to Nuclear Regulatory Commission and Environmental Protection Agency groundwater restoration regulations. More . . . . May 14, 2008 Arizona Department of Environmental Quality Denies Uranium Mine Permits The Arizona Department of Environmental Quality denied Denision Mines, Inc., permits to operate two uranium mines in Grand Canyon area. Denison owns and operates a conventional uranium mill on White Mesa, near Blanding, Utah. The mill is adjacent to the White Mesa Band, Ute Mt. Ute, community. Read More . . . . April 29, 2008 Intervenors in Crow Butte ISL Expansion Proceeding Are Granted Standing by NRC Crow Butte Intervenors: Owe Aku/Bring Back the Way and Western Nebraska Resources Council, were granted standing to participate in an adjudicatory proceeding before a Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) Atomic Safety and Licensing Board Panel (ASLBP). Contentions A, B, and C were granted and limited as set forth in the 130-page Order. The Oglala Sioux Tribe and any other interested state, local government body, or federally-recognized Native American Tribe may file a request to participate in the hearing pursuant to NRC regulations at 10 C.F.R. §2.315(c). April 19, 2008 Navajo Community Challenges ISL Uranium Recovery Operation on Tribal Lands in Federal Court The New Mexico Environmental Law Center, on behalf of Navajo communities of Crownpoint and Church Rock, New Mexico, is challenging the Nuclear Regulatory Commission's approval of the nearby Hydro Resources, Inc., in situ leach (ISL) uranium recovery project. The appeal was filed in February 2007 in Tenth District Circuit Court of Appeals. The court will hear arguments in Denver on May 12. Read More . . . . April 5, 2008 Federal Judge Issues Injunction to Hault Uranium Exploration Next to Grand Canyon National Park On April 4, 2008, a federal judge issued an injunction to halt exploratory drilling for uranium by VANE Minerals close to the south rim of Grand Canyon National Park. The order is the result of a suit against the Forest Service by the Center for Biological Diversity, Grand Canyon Trust, and the Sierra Club challenging the exploratory drilling and demanding a complete analysis of the cumulative impacts associated with all of the uranium exploration in the Grand Canyon area. More. . . March 30, 2008 Navajo Nation President Joe Shirley, Jr., tells Congressional Subcommittee that Nation Will Continue to Oppose Uranium Mining President Shirley gave testimony at a hearing before the Congressional Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests, and Public Lands in Flagstaff on March 30. The hearing gathered testimony on "Community Impacts of Proposed Uranium Mining Near Grand Canyon National Park." Recently, the Forest Service granted VANE Minerals, LLC, permission to conduct exploratory drilling for uranium just three miles south of Grand Canyon National Park. There was minimal contact with the surrounding tribes about the drilling program. President Shirley spoke about the past impacts to the people and lands of the Navajo Nation from the mining and milling of uranium and firmly presented the Navajo position against any new uranium mining on and near Diné lands. He explained that "the science that they're talking about in mining the uranium ore is not proven either; its not proven safe; and we don't want to deal with it." More, including audio links . . . . March 13, 2008 Cotter Corporation Fined $15,000 for Death of Migrating Birds by Solvent Spill at Cañon City Uranium Mill U.S. Magistrate, Kathleen Tafoya, sentenced Cotter Corporation to pay $15,000 for an organic solvent spill that resulted in the death of about 40 geese and ducks at the Cañon City Uranium Mill, Cañon City, Colorado. The waterfowl are considered "migrating birds" under federal statutes and regulations. The 4,500 gallons of kerosene-contaminated liquid was discharged into a settling pond pond at the mill. Cotter entered a Plea Agreement that stipulated that Cotter would pay the money to the non-profit National Fish and Wildlife Foundation. They are also required to submit an Environmental Compliance Plan designed to prevent similar events and ensure timely and effective remediation of such events should they occurr. The plan will be submtted to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and Cotter will provide proof to the Probation Office that the plan has been implemented. More . . . . March 12, 2008 Conservation Groups Challenge Uranium Exploration Near Grand Canyon The Center for Biological Diversity, Sierra Club, and Grand Canyon Trust filed a lawsuit challenging the approval of the VANE Mineral proposal to conduct exploratory uranium drilling within just a few miles of Grand Canyon. The group is challenging the Forest Service's approval of the project under a "categorical exclusion" under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). More . . . . March 10, 2008 Transition Power Resources Submits Letter of Intent to NRC for Development of Nuclear Power Plant Project in Utah On January 30, 2007, Transition Power Development LLC submitted a Letter of Intent to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) regarding their plans to develop two nuclear power houses in Utah. Transition Power informed the NRC that they intend to submit either an Early Site Permit and/or a Combined Operating License Application by April 2010. Information about New Reactor applications and regulation can be found at the NRC website: http://www.nrc.gov/reactors/new-reactor licensing.html. The Transition Power project is called the Blue Castle Generation Project. Blue Castle is the name of a butte and other formation northeast of the town of Green River and just west of the Green River. According to statements made by Transition Power to the Salt Lake Tribune, they have two primary locations identified and are still in the process of negotiating a site for the project. One of the locations is near Green River. Transition Power has not been forthcoming regarding exactly where these location are. According to the Tribune, the Letter of Intent "keeps the company's place in the line of 22 reactor license applicants in various stages of review." This is not so. Only the submittal of a complete application will hold a place in line for the review of the application. The Letter of Intent will facilitate planning and budgeting by the NRC, but will not allow Transition's application to be reviewed before power house applications that were submitted earlier than Transition's. According to an October 29, 2007, Press Release by EnergyPath Corporation, Transition Power's partners and principals are President Tom Retson (also president of EnergyPath Corporation); CEO Aaron Tilton, member of the Utah House of Representatives; Nils Diaz, Executive Policy Advisor and immediate past Chariman of the NRC; and Reed Searle, Strategic Relations Director and former General Manager of Utah's Intermountain Power Agency. As a member of the 5-member Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Mr. Diaz was able to help lay the groundwork for the revised nuclear power facility licensing process, which he will now be able to take advantage of financially. February 29, 2008 DOE Amends Record of Decision for the Moab Mill UMTRA Project to Allow for Truck Transportation of Tailings to Crescent Junction Disposal Site The US Department of Energy amended the Moab Mill, Utah, UMTRA Project Record of Decision (ROD) for the relocation of the Moab Uranium Mill Tailings from the Moab mill site at to the disposal site at Crescent Junction, 30 miles north. The amended ROD would allow the DOE to move some or all of the mill tailings by truck, rather than by rail, as originally planned. According to the February 28 Federal Register Notice (73 Fed. Reg. 11103): "This ROD amendment meets the strong stakeholder desire to relocate the residual radioactive material as soon as practicable by accelerating the date of the first shipment because truck shipments could start sooner since the logistics of initiating the rail alternative would require time to safely implement (i.e. building the hillside loadout infrastructure). In addition long-term risks would be reduced through earlier completion, and reducing total project costs would be reduced through greater flexibility and competition between rail and truck transporters." February 21, 2008 Mancos Resources Inc. Withdraws Request to Lease Grand County, Utah, Water for a Uranium Mill Mancos Resources Inc. notified the Grand Water and Sewer Service Agency that it not wish to pursue its request for a lease of water from Grand County. Mancos intended to use the water from Green River for a proposed uranium mill west of the town of Green River. The company had not yet been granted rights to use land that Emery County intends to use for an industrial park development. February 7, 2008 Mancos Resources Inc. Plans for Uranium Mill at Green River, Utah Mancos Resources Inc., a company with no known history in the uranium mining and milling industry, is asking the Grand Water Sewer and Service Agency (GW&SSA), Grand County, Utah, for a lease of water from Green River for a uranium mill to be constructed west of Green River, near the intersection of Hwy. 6 and Interstate 70. The proposed site is where Emery County plans to develop an industrial park. The park will depend on obtaining approval of the Utah School and Institutional Trust Lands Administration (SITLA) for the sale or lease of the land to Emery County. GW&SSA will consider the request at their February 21 meeting. The planned mill would require local and state permits and a license from the Utah Division of Radiation Control. January 30, 2008 Uranium One Completes Purchase of Energy Metals Uranium One Inc. (formerly sxr Uranium One) completed acquisition of Energy Metals Corp. (EMC). EMC website was removed from the Web. Information about EMC uranium projects at the EMC website are no longer available. January 23, 2008 Spot Price of Uranium Continues to Drop A Mineweb article reports slowing of uranium buyer's interest and possible end to the rush to invest and develop. Reports that spot prices are down about 37% from last summer's $136 per pound high. According to TradeTech's Uranium Information Web site, last week the spot price has dropped from $90 to $84 per pound. December 17, 2007 Petitioners Request Nuclear Regulatory Commission Hearing on Crow Butte ISL Expansion On November 12, 2007, seven petitioners submitted requests for hearing and petitions to intervene to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), challenging the Crow Butte, Nebraska, in situ leach (ISL) uranium recovery facility expansion. The petitions were filed in response to a request by Crow Butte Resources Inc. (CBR) to authorize an upgrade to the central processing plant (CPP) and an increase in the CPP flow rate at its main ISL facility near Crawford, Nebraska. Debra L. White Plume, Owe Aku/Bring Back the Way, Western Nebraska Resources Council, Thomas Kanatakeniate Cook, and Slim Buttes Agricultural Development Corporation, filed timely petitions In response to a September 13, 2007, notice of opportunity for hearing that was published on the NRC website. Two other petitions werelater withdrawn. CBR is a subsidiary of the Canadian company, Cameco. The filings and information about the Crow Butte facility and the hearing are available on the NRC's Electronic Reading Room (ADAMS). The Crow Butte Docket Number is 40-8943. The State of Nebraska Department of Environmental Quality (NDEQ) issued theTechnical Review of Aquifer Exemption Petition for North Trend Expansion on November 8, 2007. The Review includes a lengthy evaluation of the Crow Butte Resources (CBR) application The NDEQ states that the document provided by CBR for NDEQ review "lacks site specific data, inclusion of recent research, and the presentation of well supported scientific interpretations to be considered acceptable." An aquifer exemption must be approved by the Environmental Protection Agency, in addition to approval by the NDEQ. More . . . HOW TO LOCATE CROW BUTTE DOCUMENTS IN THE NRC ELECTRONIC READING ROOM (ADAMS): 1. Go to http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/adams.html 2. Click on Web-based access / Begin ADAMS search / Advanced Search 3. Enter 04008943 in the Docket Number box. 4. Sort by Document Date. Some document packages are undated and are found at end of list of documents in Descending order and at beginning of list of documents in Ascending order. More about NRC document access . . . . <<Back to Top>> Updated October 8, 2008
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NEWS ARCHIVE

August 17, 2008

HEARING POSTPONED

Hearing on Water Appropriation for Green River Uranium Mill - August 27, 2008

The Utah Division of Water Rights will hold a hearing on three protests of an application by Mancos Resources LLC to appropriate water from the Green River for a proposed uranium mill 6 miles west of the town of Green River, Utah. The hearing will be held on Wednesday, August 27 at 10 a.m. at the City Council Chambers, 240 East Main, Green River. Protests of the use of 800 acre feet of water were filed by Green River farmer, Tim Vetere, the Green River Canal Company, and by Red Rock Forests and Living Rivers. The hearing will be open to the public. Read More . . . .

August 5 , 2008

DOE to Use Rail to Move Moab Uranium Mill
Tailings

The Department of Energy (DOE) issued a news release announcing their decision to rely primarily on rail transportation to move the Moab, Utah, UMTRA Project uranium mill tailings from the flood plain of the Colorado River. The tailings will be moved 30 miles north to a disposal impoundment in Crescent Junction. A Union Pacific rail line runs near both sites. DOE contractors will start work on the rail line infrastrucure later this year. Earlier this year the DOE amendmed the Record of Decision to include the possible use of trucks to transport the tailings. Opposition to the use of trucks by the local community, logistical problems, and, apparently, a more cooperative attitude by Union Pacific resulted in the decision to rely on the original rail transportation plan.

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission has given condiitional approval of the Remedial Action Plan. Final approval is dependent on the DOE's groundwater remediation plan for the former Atlas uranium mill site.

August 2 , 2008

Lawsuit Filed Against DOE Colorado
Uranium Mine Leasing Program

Four groups have filed a suit in the Denver U.S. District Court to challenge the environmental analysis conducted by Department of Energy (DOE) for the expansion of the DOE's Uranium Sites Leasing Program in south west Colorado. Information Network for Responsible Mining, Colorado Environmental Coalition, Center for Native Ecosystems, and Center for Biological Diversity joined in the suit. Plaintiffs, represented by the Energy Minerals Law Center and the Western Mining Action Project, claim that the DOE failed to properly implement the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). The DOE by failed to adequately address a number of significant impacts to the Dolores River area from the leasing program, other proposed an ongoing uranium mining and milling in the area, and from past uranium mining activities. News Release . . . . Story 1 . . . . Story 2 . . . .

July 28, 2008

Draft Generic Environmental Impact Statement for
In Situ Leach Uranium Recovery Operations Available for Public Comment

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission and the Environmental Protection Agency have announced availability of the Draft Generic Environmental Impact Statement for In Situ Leach Uranium Milling Facilities. Comments are due on October 7, 2008. Public meetings to accept comments are to be held in New Mexico, South Dakota, Nebraska, and Wyoming.

The Federal Register Notice (FRN) was published on July 28, 2008 (73 Fed. Reg. 43795-43798). Draft GEIS and Additional Information . . . .

July 22, 2008

Draft of Vol. 2 of NRC ISL GEIS Publicly Available

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission has made publicly available the draft of Vol. 2 of the Generic Environmental Impact Statement for In-Situ Leach Uranium Milling Facilities, Chapters 5 through 12 and Appendices A through F, June 30, 2008, NUREG-1910. Read More . . . .

July 17, 2008

Judge Holds Mining Company Responsible for Pollution at Washington Uranium Mine

A U.S. District Judge from Washington determined that the Newmont Mining Corp. of Colorado was responsible for cleaning up a large uranium mine site on the Spokane Tribe's land. Newmont's subsidiary, Dawn Mining Company, operated the mine, which continues to pollute nearby land, water, and wildlife. Read more . . . .

July 2, 2008

Power Resources Inc. Requests Permission to Process Resins from Other In Sutu Leach Operations

On June 19, 2008, Power Resources (doing business as Cameco Resources) requested an amendment to their Nuclear Regulatory Commission license to authorize the processing of resins from other in situ leach (ISL) uranium recovery operations. The resins would be processed at the Smith Ranch-Highland Project in Wyoming. The amendment request indicates that the amendment is minor and should receive a categorical exclusion from a National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) review.

June 27, 2008

House Committee Stops New Uranium Mine Claims in Grand Canyon Area

On June 25, 2008, The House Natural Resources Committee adopted an Emergy Resolution stopping any new uranium mine claims on lands near the Grand Canyon National Park for up to three years. The resolution was introduced by Arizona Representative, Raul M. Grijalva, in order to protect the National Park area from the impacts of uranium mining. The resolution would impact over 1,000,000 acreas of federally owned land north and south of the Grand Canyon. Read More . . . .

June 10

Protests of Mancos Resources Water Right Appropriation Application

Three protests of Mancos Resources' request for 800 acre feet of water from the Green River for a planned uranium mill were filed with the Utah Division of Water Rights. The State Engineer will determine whether a hearing will be held on the objections to the use of the water by Mancos Resources. More . . . .

May 20, 2008

BlueRock Resources Ltd. Purchases Mancos
Uranium Mill Project

BlueRock Resources, Ltd., a Canadian firm, announced that it purchased a 100% interest in the Mancos Resources, Inc., proposed Mancos Uranium Mill Project, Emery County, Utah. Completion of the purchase is subject to certain steps in the land and water aquisition and state permitting processes. As expected, Mancos Resources does not have the resources to complete the mill project on its own. The proposed mill would be constructed in an industrial park area six miles north west of the town of Green River. Mancos Resources has applied to the Utah Division of Water Rights for 800 acre feet of water per year from the Green River for the mill. BlueRock Resources has uranium mine interests in the San Raphael Swell and Temple Mountain Uranium Districts in Utah and in Montrose County, Colorado.
More . . . .

May 20, 2008

Colorado Governor Signs Uranium In Situ Leach Law

Governor Bill Ritter of Colorado signed House Bill 1161, designed to protect groundwater from in situ leach (ISL) uranium extraction operations. The law requires the restoration of water to original water quality or to state standards. Groundwater impacted by ISL uranium extraction is also subject to Nuclear Regulatory Commission and Environmental Protection Agency groundwater restoration regulations. More . . . .

May 14, 2008

Arizona Department of Environmental Quality Denies Uranium Mine Permits

The Arizona Department of Environmental Quality denied Denision Mines, Inc., permits to operate two uranium mines in Grand Canyon area. Denison owns and operates a conventional uranium mill on White Mesa, near Blanding, Utah. The mill is adjacent to the White Mesa Band, Ute Mt. Ute, community. Read More . . . .

April 29, 2008

Intervenors in Crow Butte ISL Expansion Proceeding Are Granted Standing by NRC

Crow Butte Intervenors: Owe Aku/Bring Back the Way and Western Nebraska Resources Council, were granted standing to participate in an adjudicatory proceeding before a Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) Atomic Safety and Licensing Board Panel (ASLBP). Contentions A, B, and C were granted and limited as set forth in the 130-page Order.

The Oglala Sioux Tribe and any other interested state, local government body, or federally-recognized Native American Tribe may file a request to participate in the hearing pursuant to NRC regulations at 10 C.F.R. §2.315(c).

April 19, 2008

Navajo Community Challenges ISL Uranium Recovery Operation on Tribal Lands in Federal Court

The New Mexico Environmental Law Center, on behalf of Navajo communities of Crownpoint and Church Rock, New Mexico, is challenging the Nuclear Regulatory Commission's approval of the nearby Hydro Resources, Inc., in situ leach (ISL) uranium recovery project. The appeal was filed in February 2007 in Tenth District Circuit Court of Appeals. The court will hear arguments in Denver on May 12.
Read More . . . .

April 5, 2008

Federal Judge Issues Injunction to Hault Uranium Exploration Next to Grand Canyon National Park

On April 4, 2008, a federal judge issued an injunction to halt exploratory drilling for uranium by VANE Minerals close to the south rim of Grand Canyon National Park. The order is the result of a suit against the Forest Service by the Center for Biological Diversity, Grand Canyon Trust, and the Sierra Club challenging the exploratory drilling and demanding a complete analysis of the cumulative impacts associated with all of the uranium exploration in the Grand Canyon area. More. . .

March 30, 2008

Navajo Nation President Joe Shirley, Jr., tells Congressional Subcommittee that Nation Will Continue to Oppose Uranium Mining

President Shirley gave testimony at a hearing before the Congressional Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests, and Public Lands in Flagstaff on March 30. The hearing gathered testimony on "Community Impacts of Proposed Uranium Mining Near Grand Canyon National Park." Recently, the Forest Service granted VANE Minerals, LLC, permission to conduct exploratory drilling for uranium just three miles south of Grand Canyon National Park. There was minimal contact with the surrounding tribes about the drilling program. President Shirley spoke about the past impacts to the people and lands of the Navajo Nation from the mining and milling of uranium and firmly presented the Navajo position against any new uranium mining on and near Diné lands. He explained that "the science that they're talking about in mining the uranium ore is not proven either; its not proven safe; and we don't want to deal with it." More, including audio links . . . .

March 13, 2008

Cotter Corporation Fined $15,000 for Death of Migrating Birds by Solvent Spill at
Cañon City Uranium Mill

U.S. Magistrate, Kathleen Tafoya, sentenced Cotter Corporation to pay $15,000 for an organic solvent spill that resulted in the death of about 40 geese and ducks at the Cañon City Uranium Mill, Cañon City, Colorado.
The waterfowl are considered "migrating birds" under federal statutes and regulations. The 4,500 gallons of kerosene-contaminated liquid was discharged into a settling pond pond at the mill.

Cotter entered a Plea Agreement that stipulated that Cotter would pay the money to the non-profit National Fish and Wildlife Foundation. They are also required to submit an Environmental Compliance Plan designed to prevent similar events and ensure timely and effective remediation of such events should they occurr. The plan will be submtted to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and Cotter will provide proof to the Probation Office that the plan has been implemented. More . . . .

March 12, 2008

Conservation Groups Challenge Uranium
Exploration Near Grand Canyon

The Center for Biological Diversity, Sierra Club, and Grand Canyon Trust filed a lawsuit challenging the approval of the VANE Mineral proposal to conduct exploratory uranium drilling within just a few miles of Grand Canyon. The group is challenging the Forest Service's approval of the project under a "categorical exclusion" under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). More . . . .

March 10, 2008

Transition Power Resources Submits
Letter of Intent to NRC for Development
of Nuclear Power Plant Project in Utah

On January 30, 2007, Transition Power Development LLC submitted a Letter of Intent to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) regarding their plans to develop two nuclear power houses in Utah. Transition Power informed the NRC that they intend to submit either an Early Site Permit and/or a Combined Operating License Application by April 2010. Information about New Reactor applications and regulation can be found at the NRC website: http://www.nrc.gov/reactors/new-reactor licensing.html.

The Transition Power project is called the Blue Castle Generation Project. Blue Castle is the name of a butte and other formation northeast of the town of Green River and just west of the Green River. According to statements made by Transition Power to the Salt Lake Tribune, they have two primary locations identified and are still in the process of negotiating a site for the project. One of the locations is near Green River. Transition Power has not been forthcoming regarding exactly where these location are.

According to the Tribune, the Letter of Intent "keeps the company's place in the line of 22 reactor license applicants in various stages of review." This is not so. Only the submittal of a complete application will hold a place in line for the review of the application. The Letter of Intent will facilitate planning and budgeting by the NRC, but will not allow Transition's application to be reviewed before power house applications that were submitted earlier than Transition's.

According to an October 29, 2007, Press Release by EnergyPath Corporation, Transition Power's partners and principals are President Tom Retson (also president of EnergyPath Corporation); CEO Aaron Tilton, member of the Utah House of Representatives; Nils Diaz, Executive Policy Advisor and immediate past Chariman of the NRC; and Reed Searle, Strategic Relations Director and former General Manager of Utah's Intermountain Power Agency. As a member of the 5-member Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Mr. Diaz was able to help lay the groundwork for the revised nuclear power facility licensing process, which he will now be able to take advantage of financially.

February 29, 2008

DOE Amends Record of Decision for the Moab Mill UMTRA Project to Allow for Truck Transportation of Tailings to Crescent Junction Disposal Site

The US Department of Energy amended the Moab Mill, Utah, UMTRA Project Record of Decision (ROD) for the relocation of the Moab Uranium Mill Tailings from the Moab mill site at to the disposal site at Crescent Junction, 30 miles north. The amended ROD would allow the DOE to move some or all of the mill tailings by truck, rather than by rail, as originally planned. According to the February 28 Federal Register Notice (73 Fed. Reg. 11103):

"This ROD amendment meets the strong stakeholder desire to relocate the residual radioactive material as soon as practicable by accelerating the date of the first shipment because truck shipments could start sooner since the logistics of initiating the rail alternative would require time to safely implement (i.e. building the
hillside loadout infrastructure). In addition long-term risks would be reduced through earlier completion, and reducing total project costs would be reduced through greater flexibility and competition between rail and truck transporters."

February 21, 2008

Mancos Resources Inc. Withdraws Request to Lease Grand County, Utah, Water for a Uranium Mill

Mancos Resources Inc. notified the Grand Water and Sewer Service Agency that it not wish to pursue its request for a lease of water from Grand County. Mancos intended to use the water from Green River for a proposed uranium mill west of the town of Green River. The company had not yet been granted rights to use land that Emery County intends to use for an industrial park development.

February 7, 2008

Mancos Resources Inc. Plans for Uranium Mill
at Green River, Utah

Mancos Resources Inc., a company with no known history in the uranium mining and milling industry, is asking the Grand Water Sewer and Service Agency (GW&SSA), Grand County, Utah, for a lease of water from Green River for a uranium mill to be constructed west of Green River, near the intersection of Hwy. 6 and Interstate 70. The proposed site is where Emery County plans to develop an industrial park. The park will depend on obtaining approval of the Utah School and Institutional Trust Lands Administration (SITLA) for the sale or lease of the land to Emery County. GW&SSA will consider the request at their February 21 meeting. The planned mill would require local and state permits and a license from the Utah Division of Radiation Control.

January 30, 2008

Uranium One Completes Purchase of Energy Metals

Uranium One Inc. (formerly sxr Uranium One) completed acquisition of Energy Metals Corp. (EMC). EMC website was removed from the Web. Information about EMC uranium projects at the EMC website are no longer available.

January 23, 2008

Spot Price of Uranium Continues to Drop

A Mineweb article reports slowing of uranium buyer's interest and possible end to the rush to invest and develop. Reports that spot prices are down about 37% from last summer's $136 per pound high. According to TradeTech's Uranium Information Web site, last week the spot price has dropped from $90 to $84 per pound.

December 17, 2007

Petitioners Request Nuclear Regulatory Commission Hearing on Crow Butte ISL Expansion

On November 12, 2007, seven petitioners submitted requests for hearing and petitions to intervene to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), challenging the Crow Butte, Nebraska, in situ leach (ISL) uranium recovery facility expansion. The petitions were filed in response to a request by Crow Butte Resources Inc. (CBR) to authorize an upgrade to the central processing plant (CPP) and an increase in the CPP flow rate at its main ISL facility near Crawford, Nebraska.

Debra L. White Plume, Owe Aku/Bring Back the Way, Western Nebraska Resources Council, Thomas Kanatakeniate Cook, and Slim Buttes Agricultural Development Corporation, filed timely petitions In response to a September 13, 2007, notice of opportunity for hearing that was published on the NRC website. Two other petitions werelater withdrawn. CBR is a subsidiary of the Canadian company, Cameco.

The filings and information about the Crow Butte facility and the hearing are available on the NRC's Electronic Reading Room (ADAMS). The Crow Butte Docket Number is 40-8943.

The State of Nebraska Department of Environmental Quality (NDEQ) issued theTechnical Review of Aquifer Exemption Petition for North Trend Expansion on November 8, 2007. The Review includes a lengthy evaluation of the Crow Butte Resources (CBR) application The NDEQ states that the document provided by CBR for NDEQ review "lacks site specific data, inclusion of recent research, and the presentation of well supported scientific interpretations to be considered acceptable."

An aquifer exemption must be approved by the Environmental Protection Agency, in addition to approval by the NDEQ.
More . . .

HOW TO LOCATE CROW BUTTE DOCUMENTS IN THE NRC ELECTRONIC READING ROOM (ADAMS):

1. Go to http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/adams.html
2. Click on Web-based access / Begin ADAMS search / Advanced Search
3. Enter 04008943 in the Docket Number box.
4. Sort by Document Date. Some document packages are undated and are found at end of list of documents in Descending order and at beginning of list of documents in Ascending order.
More about NRC document access . . . .

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Updated October 8, 2008

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