DECEMBER 2020
SJWCD TERMINATES BLUE CASTLE PROJECT
WATER RIGHTS
• Blue Castle Holdings Inc. (BCH) no longer holds a lease for 24,000 acre feet of water from the Green River for the proposed Blue Castle Project nuclear reactor near Green River, Utah. The 2007 Water Rights Lease Agreement between the San Juan Water Conservancy District (SJWCD) and BCH was terminated by a March 25, 2019 notice of Termination of Lease. BCH also has a Water Rights Lease Agreement with the Kane County Water Conservancy District (KCWCD) for 29,600 acre feet of water, for a total of 53,600 acre feet (~ 87 million gallons per day) for the proposed reactor. This means that BCH no longer has a right to 45% of the water appropriated for the Blue Castle Project.
The Lease Agreement was terminated by the SJWCD because BCH defaulted on its payment obligations. Without informing the Districts, BCH failed make the expected lease payments, starting in 2016. BCH finally made Payments to the District from 2018 to 2020, according to a Payment Schedule. The status of the Water Rights Lease Agreement between the KCWCD and BCH for 29,600 acre feet of water for the Blue Castle Project is unclear.
From 2009 to 2016, BCH and the San Juan and Kane County Water Conservancy Districts convinced the State Engineer, Division of Water Rights; the Utah 7th District Court, and the Utah Court of Appeals that the BCH proposal to license, construct, and operate a 2-unit reactor about 4 miles west of Green River was economically feasible.
All along protesters and plaintiffs asserted that the Blue Castle Project was not economically feasible. Protestors and plaintiffs questioned whether BCH could raise the money necessary to submit a license application and construct and operate the proposed reactor. It turned out they did not even have the money to pay the Water Conservancy Districts for the Green River water.
SEPTEMBER 2020
UTAH DIRECT ENERGY FUELS TO RECLAIM THE
SNOWBALL MINE WASTE ROCK PILE IN LA SAL
• By Letter of September 2, 2020, the Utah Division of Oil, Gas & Mining (DOGM) informed Energy Fuels Resources (USA) Inc. of the need to reclaim the Snowball Mine, part of the La Sal Mines Complex, a complex of 4 uranium mines in the La Sal Mountains in southeast Utah. DOGM requested that Energy Fuels submit a schedule, including interim steps, for reclamation of portions of the Snowball Mine no longer needed for mining operations and complete the reclamation no later than November 30, 2021.
Energy Fuels has not used the waste rock pile near the Snowball portal for many years. Utah Rule R647-4-107.6 requires that surface areas be reclaimed when no longer needed.
DOGM also issued a Conditional Approval of Amended Notice of Intention for the expansion of the Pandora Mine and combining the Beaver Shaft, La Sal, and Snowball Mines (M0370026) with the Pandora Mine (M0370012) to create a new mine, the La Sal Mines Complex. The La Sal Mines Complex permit number will be M0370026.
AUSTRALIAN COMPANY CONDUCTS UNAUTHORIZED
EXPLORATION WORK IN EAST CANYON
• Recent TNT Mines USA Ltd. news releases describe uranium exploration work in East Canyon in southeast Utah, between Hwy. 191 and Lisbon Valley.
TNT has been going into old underground workings to take rock samples without filing the required exploration notices with the Utah Division of Oil, Gas & Mining and Bureau of Land Management.
Over 200 mine claims in East Canyon and Dry Valley belong to Vanacorp USA LLC, the US subsidiary of Vanacorp Aust. TNT has, or intends to, acquire Vanacorp. Uranium Watch alerted the state and federal agencies of TNT's announcements, and they are looking into TNT and its exploration activites.
TNT News Releases:
https://www.asx.com.au/asxpdf/20200814/pdf/44lhlnj42tb6vt.pdf
https://www.asx.com.au/asxpdf/20200811/pdf/44lczx5qs843vl.pdf
https://www.asx.com.au/asxpdf/20200805/pdf/44l6ld2pp4p3m1.pdf
Video: https://stockhead.com.au/stockhead-tv/v-con-uranium
JULY 2020
STOP FEDERAL BAILOUT OF URANIUM INDUSTRY
• The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and the uranium industry want the Congress to appropriate $150 million in 2021 to establish a uranium stockpile. The stockpile would cost tax-payers a total of $1.5 billion over a period of 10 years. This is part of a larger effort, spearheaded by Energy Fuels Inc., the Canadian company that owns and operates the White Mesa Uranium Mill in southeast Utah.
WRITE TO THE SENATE COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS MEMBERS:
View MEMBER LIST HERE
WRITE TO THE HOUSE COMMiTTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS MEMBERS:
VIew MEMBER LIST HERE
• FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION RE REVIVAL OF THE URANIUM INDUSTRY - VIEW HERE
JUNE 2020
URGE THE STATE OF UTAH NOT TO ACCEPT FOREIGN RADIOACTIVE WASTE IN UTAH
COMMENTS DUE JULY 10
• Urge the State of Utah not to accept the Silmet radioactive waste from Estonia for processing and disposal at the White Mesa Uranium Mill, San Juan County.
Utah should not become the dumping ground for imported waste that foreign countries are unwilling or unable to safely dispose of.
COMMENT FORM (Grand Canyon Trust) - View HERE
GCT BLOG - “European Waste Could Land Near Bears Ears - View HERE
COMMENT PERIOD FOR WHITE MESA MILL
LICENSE AMENDMENT - EXTENDED TO JULY 10
• The Utah Division of Waste Management and Radiation Control has extended the time to submit public comments on Amendment #10 to the White Mesa Uranium Mill License to July 10.
> Public Notice of Extension - View HERE
> License and Application Documents -
View HERE
>
License Amendment #10 Documents - View HERE
• Recent Media
> KZMU, "Sarah Fields of Uranium Watch on This Week in Moab" -
Listen HERE
> Salt Lake Tribune, "Radioactive Waste from Estonia may soon be comming to San Juan County Mill" - View HERE
> KUER, "White Mesa Has Become a Dumping Ground for Radioactive Waste, Trbe and Advocates Say" - View HERE
> Catalyst Communications, “Utah Poised to Import Radioactive Waste from Estonia” - View HERE
• DIV. OF OIL, GAS & MINING MINERAL FILES - Click HERE
• Energy Fuels SEDAR Financial Reports - Click HERE
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