HOME WISE Uranium Project > Mining & Milling > Industry > Decommissioning Data - North America >

Decommissioning Data - USA

(last updated 7 Sep 2025)

Contents:

Mines · Waste Rock · Heap Leaching Waste · Mill Tailings · In Situ Leach Facilities

> See also Issues for: New Mining Projects · Operating Mines · Decommissioning Projects · Legislation & Regulations
> See also Data for: Deposits, Proposed and Active Mines

Map of US Locations of Mines With Uranium (U.S. EPA)

> Download EPA's Uranium Location Database

Mines

Uranium mines - USA
Location	Type	Total Production [t U]	Status
Mission impossible! In 1958 alone, 850 underground mines and 200 open pit mines were producing uranium. (FGR08 , 1967)

Arizona
Navajo Indian Reservation			abandoned mines [ISSUES]

Colorado
Burro	UG		[ISSUES]
Sunday			standby
Pitch (Homestake Mining)	OP	830

New Mexico EMNRD database
Jackpile Paguate (Anaconda Minerals)	OP, UG	28,808	partly reclaimed [ISSUES]
Mt. Taylor (Rio Grande Resources)	UG	3080	standby [ISSUES]
St Anthony (United Nuclear)	OP	568	[ISSUES]
Northeast Church Rock (United Nuclear)			[ISSUES]
Section 27 (United Nuclear)			[ISSUES]

North Dakota
Belfield	OP		abandoned [ISSUES]

Oregon
White King	OP		Superfund site [ISSUES]
Lucky Lass	OP		Superfund site [ISSUES]

Texas
Conquista (Conoco)	OP	2875	[ISSUES]
Felder (Exxon Minerals)	OP	982	remediation complete
Jack Pump (Rio Grande Resources)	OP
Panna Maria (Rio Grande Resources)	OP	1868	remediation complete
Rhode Ranch (Rio Grande Resources)	OP	3036	reclaimed

Utah
San Rafael Swell			140 abandoned mines [ISSUES]

Washington
Midnite (Dawn Mining)	OP	3846	inactive [ISSUES]
Sherwood (Western Nuclear)	OP	2300	remediation complete [ISSUES]

Wyoming
Bear Creek (Rocky Mountain Energy)	OP	2615	remediation complete
Big Eagle (U.S. Energy)	OP, UG	1064	no remediation
Crooks Gap (U.S. Energy)	OP	8000	[ISSUES]
Day Loma (Energy Fuels Nuclear)	OP	575
East Gas Hills (Umetco Minerals)	OP, HL	6836
Gas Hills (Federal-American Partners)	OP	563	remediation complete
Highland (Exxon Minerals)	OP	9297	remediation complete
Lucky Mc (Pathfinder Mines)	OP	16,923
Powder River Basin (Kerr McGee Nuclear)	OP	384	remediation complete
Shirley Basin (Pathfinder Mines)	OP	9463
Shirley Basin (Petrotomics)	OP	9075	remediation in progress
Sweetwater (Minerals Exploration)	OP	497

TOTAL		350,498**

Type: UG = underground, OP = open pit, HL = heap leaching
** as of end 1998, includes production from ISL facilities
Source: NEA 2002; ...

Waste Rock

Uranium waste rock deposits - USA
Location	No. of Heaps	Area ha	Contents 10⁶ t	Status

?	?	?	?	?
TOTAL

Sources:

Heap Leaching Waste

Uranium heap leaching waste deposits - USA
Location	Area ha	Contents 10⁶ t	Status
Colorado
Durita (Hecla Mining)	65	0.54	remediation ongoing [DETAILS: CDPHE ] [ISSUES]
Maybell (Umetco)	24		remediation ongoing [DETAILS: CDPHE ]
New Mexico
Ambrosia Lake		0.02	[ISSUES]
Wyoming
Day Loma			remediated [ISSUES]
East Gas Hills (Umetco)	23	1.64	remediation in action [ISSUES]
TOTAL

Sources:

Mill Tailings

Uranium Mill Tailings Deposits - USA
Location	Area ha	Contents 10⁶ t	Status
Arizona
Monument Valley	12	1.3*	relocated, groundwater cleanup planned [ISSUES]
Tuba City	13	2*	reclaimed, groundwater cleanup planned [ISSUES]
Colorado
Cañon City (Cotter)	66	2	shut down [ISSUES]
Durango	6	3.1*	relocated [ISSUES]
Grand Junction	24	4.2*	relocated [ISSUES]
Gunnison	13	1*	relocated [ISSUES]
Maybell	32	3.9*	reclaimed [ISSUES]
Naturita	9	0.7*	relocate [ISSUES]
New Rifle	13	3.4*	relocated [ISSUES]
Old Rifle	4	0.4*	relocated
Slick Rock	10	0.8*	relocated [ISSUES]
Uravan (Umetco Minerals)	34	9.5	reclaimed [DETAILS: CDPHE ] [ISSUES]
Idaho
Lowman	4	0.15*	reclaimed [ISSUES]
New Mexico
Ambrosia Lake	42	3.3*	reclaimed [ISSUES]
Ambrosia Lake (Quivira Mining)	131	30.1	fenced [ISSUES]
Bluewater (ARCO )	199	21.7	reclaimed [ISSUES]
Church Rock (United Nuclear)	40	3.2	reclaimed [ISSUES]
Grants (Homestake Mining )	86	20.2	unstabilized [ISSUES]
L-Bar (Sohio Western Mining)	46	1.9	remediation complete [ISSUES]
Marquez (Bokum Resources)	0	0	never operated
Shiprock	29	3.4*	reclaimed, groundwater cleanup planned [ISSUES]
North Dakota
Belfield		0.2*	abandoned [ISSUES]
Bowman		0.2*	abandoned [ISSUES]
Oregon
Lakeview	12	1.2*	relocated [ISSUES]
Pennsylvania
Canonsburg		0.32*	reclaimed
South Dakota
Edgemont (Tennessee Valley Authority )	50	1.8	stabilized [ISSUES]
Texas
Falls City	61	6.7*	reclaimed [ISSUES]
Conquista / Falls City (Continental Oil / Pioneer Nuclear)	89	10.5	stabilized [ISSUES]
Panna Maria (Rio Grande Resources)	101	5.9	stabilized [ISSUES]
Ray Point - Felder Facility (Exxon )	18	0.41	stabilized [ISSUES]
Utah
Green River	3.6	0.46*	reclaimed [ISSUES]
Lisbon (Rio Algom)	14	3.5	remediation complete [ISSUES]
Mexican Hat	28	3.1*	reclaimed [ISSUES]
Moab (Atlas)	> 80	9.6	relocation ongoing [ISSUES]
Monticello			[ISSUES]
Salt Lake City	40	3.3*	relocated [ISSUES]
Shootaring (Plateau Resources)	28	0	never operated [ISSUES]
White Canyon		0.024	inundated by Lake Powell [ISSUES]
White Mesa (IUC)	135	3.4	partially stabilized, operating [ISSUES]
Washington
Ford (Dawn Mining)	53	2.8	wood chip covering [ISSUES]
Sherwood (Western Nuclear)	17	2.6	reclaimed [ISSUES]
Wyoming
Bear Creek (Rocky Mountain Energy)	61	4.3	remediation complete [ISSUES]
Gas Hills (American Nuclear)	47	5.4	unstabilized [ISSUES]
East Gas Hills (Umetco)	58	7.3	remediation in action [ISSUES]
Highland (Exxon )	116	10.3	remediation complete [ISSUES]
Gas Hills North (ex Lucky Mc) (Pathfinder)	99	10.6	remediation complete [ISSUES]
Riverton	29	2.2*	relocated [ISSUES]
Shirley Basin (Pathfinder)	105	7.4	reclamation ongoing [ISSUES]
Shirley Basin (Petrotomics)	65	6.3	reclaimed [ISSUES]
Split Rock (Western Nuclear)	67	7.0	interim stabilization [ISSUES]
Spook	2	0.38*	reclaimed [ISSUES]
Sweetwater (GMMV)	121	2.1	partially stabilized [ISSUES]
TOTAL	> 2312	235

* calculated from volume using density of 1.6
t = metric tonne
Sources: DE91005801 (1989); ICEM95 p.1601; BEMR96

; IDB97 Table 52

; EIA-0592

(1995)

In Situ Leach Facilities

Uranium In Situ Leach Facilities - USA
Location	Surface Area ha	Total Production [t U]	Status
Nebraska
Crow Butte (Cameco)	23		idle [ISSUES]

New Mexico
Crownpoint (HRI)			operating [ISSUES]
Hosta Butte (NZU)			[ISSUES]
Texas
Alta Mesa (URI)			never operated [ISSUES]
Benavides (URI)	34
Boots/Brown (USX)			released for unrestricted use [ISSUES]
Bruni (Cogema Mining Inc.)	16		[ISSUES]
Burns/Moser (USX)	81		released for unrestricted use [ISSUES]
Clay West (USX)	81		released for unrestricted use [ISSUES]
Hobson (Everest Exploration)			inactive [ISSUES]
Holiday - El Mesquite (Cogema Mining Inc.)	68		restoration ongoing [ISSUES]
Kingsville Dome (URI)	11		decommissioning [ISSUES]
Lamprecht (Cima Energy)			[ISSUES]
Las Palmas (Everest Exploration)	21
Mt Lucas (Everest Exploration)	14		inactive [ISSUES]
O'Hern (Cogema Mining Inc.)			inactive [ISSUES]
Palangana (Rio Grande Resources)		120	released for unrestricted use [ISSUES]
Pawnee (Cima Energy)			released for unrestricted use [ISSUES]
Rosita (URI)	13		standby [ISSUES]
Tex-1 (Everest Exploration)	11		inactive [ISSUES]
Vasquez (URI)			operating [ISSUES]
West Cole (Cogema Mining Inc.)	19		inactive [ISSUES]
Zamzow (Cima Energy)			[ISSUES]

Wyoming
Willow Creek (ex Christensen Ranch) (Uranium One)	76		operating [ISSUES]
Willow Creek (ex Irigaray) (Uranium One)	76		operating
Highland (Power Res.)	85		operating [ISSUES]
North Butte/Ruth (Power Res.)	33		stand by [ISSUES]
Reno Ranch
Shirley Basin
Smith Ranch (Rio Algom)			operating [ISSUES]

TOTAL

Sources: ...; BUMINES OFR 90-82; EIA-0592

(1995); UIA98

HOME WISE Uranium Project > Mining & Milling > Industry > Decommissioning Data - North America >