Issues at Operating Uranium Mines and Mills - USA 
(last updated 30 Jul 2010)
Contents:
Site Index
Alta Mesa ·
Arizona 1 ·
Cañon City ·
Christensen Ranch ·
Cotter mines (CO) ·
Crow Butte ·
Denison mines (CO) ·
Highland (PRI) ·
Hobson ·
IMC Global ·
Irigaray ·
J-Bird·
Kingsville Dome ·
Mt. Taylor ·
Pandora ·
Pinenut ·
Rosita ·
Schwartzwalder ·
Smith Ranch ·
Sunday ·
Sweetwater ·
Vasquez ·
White Mesa
> See also: National Reports for Joint Convention on the Safety of Spent Fuel Management and on the Safety of Radioactive Waste Management 
(IAEA)
Arizona 1 uranium mine operating illegally, EPA says:
A uranium mine north of the Grand Canyon is operating in violation of the law, and its owner could face thousands of dollars in fines as a result, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency said.
The agency issued a notice of violation this week to Denison Mines Corp. for its Arizona 1 Mine, which is about 20 miles from the Grand Canyon's northern border.
The EPA said Denison failed to notify the agency as to when it would resume mining and that it did not secure the necessary federal approval before ventilating the mine or testing emissions.
Denison President Ron Hochstein said Tuesday (May 4) that he was surprised by the notice and believed the company was operating within the law. He said he was working with regulators to address those issues.
(AP May 5, 2010)
> View older issues
> View deposit info
On Sept. 1, 2009, the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality issued a Discharge Authorization for the 3.04 General Aquifer Protection Permit (APP) 100300 for the Pinenut Mine to Denison Mines (USA) Corp.
> View details (AZDEQ)
On June 19, 2009, the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ) issued a public notice opening the public comment period on the Water Quality General Aquifer Protection Permit for Denison Mines Corp.'s Pinenut mine.
Comment period ends July 22, 2009.
> Download ADEQ notice and documents (select "Public Notices, Meetings and Hearings")
Denison Mines has been denied a state permit for the reopening of the Pinenut mine:
The Arizona Department of Environmental Quality said Denison Mines proposed using outdated, 20-year-old liners and impoundment ponds to capture uranium mine-related runoff. In addition, ADEQ said Denison wasn't specific enough in describing pollution-control measures at the proposed mines.
(Arizona Daily Sun May 14, 2008)
> see extra page !
Cotter's defunct Schwartzwalder uranium mine contaminating groundwater near reservoir
Water cleanup started at closed Schwartzwalder uranium mine:
The owner of a defunct uranium mine leaking pollution along a creek that flows into a Denver Water reservoir has launched a cleanup as ordered, state officials confirmed Thursday (July 8).
Cotter Corp. installed a system that can pump and treat up to 50 gallons per minute of contaminated water from inside its Schwartzenwalder Mine, west of Denver in Jefferson County.
(Denver Post July 9, 2010)
Cleanup set for uranium-tainted water at closed Schwartzwalder uranium mine
Operators of a defunct uranium mine accused by the state of contaminating groundwater and a nearby creek have agreed to begin a cleanup by the end of July.
"We intend to comply to the best of our ability," Cotter Corp. vice president John Hamrick said.
Cotter will pump and treat tainted water from inside its Schwartzwalder mine in Jefferson County, then seek a state permit before releasing treated water back into Ralston Creek, Hamrick said.
Cotter was responding to a cease-and-desist order issued June 1 by the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment. Fines as high as $10,000 per day could be imposed.
(Denver Post June 15, 2010)
State rejects plan for water cleanup of Cotter's defunct Schwartzwalder uranium mine:
State regulators Thursday (May 20) directed Cotter Corp. to treat water from its nonoperating uranium mine in Jefferson County to keep contamination from reaching Ralston Reservoir, a drinking-water supply for Denver Water and the city of Arvada.
The state Division of Reclamation Mining and Safety rejected the protection plan Cotter submitted last month and instructed the Denver-based company to submit a water-treatment plan within two weeks, the agency said in a news release.
The mine closed in 2000, and Cotter dismantled its treatment plant in 2002, according to the agency. Drinking water remains safe, Denver Water and Arvada authorities said, because uranium has been removed by water-treatment plants.
The latest water-quality tests showed that Ralston Creek below the mine carried as much as 390 parts per billion of uranium, 13 times higher than the safety standard.
Cotter had proposed a man-made wetland and a chemical filter to capture uranium leaking from the mine.
(Denver Post May 21, 2010)
State health officials reject Cotter Corp.'s proposal to reduce uranium in groundwater:
Colorado health officials say Cotter Corp.'s plans to reduce uranium in groundwater at a mine near Golden are not acceptable.
Cotter has submitted a plan to state mining regulators to reduce uranium levels in Ralston Creek from the closed Schwartzwalder Mine. The water flows into a reservoir that supplies some of Denver's drinking water.
The Water Quality Control Division of the state health department told mining regulators in a memo Monday (May 10) that Cotter's plan doesn't reduce uranium in the water to acceptable levels.
(Denver Post May 12, 2010)
A defunct uranium mine in Jefferson County is contaminating groundwater near a reservoir, but government regulators and mine executives have yet to settle on a plan for cleanup.
Uranium concentrations in groundwater 30 feet beneath the brim of the Schwartzwalder Mine exceed the human health standard for uranium by more than 1,000 times, according to state records reviewed Thursday (Apr. 15).
Unhealthy concentrations also were detected in Ralston Creek, which eventually enters Denver Water's Ralston Reservoir. The reservoir supplies water to Denver and Arvada.
Denver Water managers say no uranium contamination has entered the drinking-water supply.
State officials said they want the mine's owner - Greenwood Village-based Cotter Corp., a subsidiary of General Atomics - to submit by Monday (April 19) a plan for dealing with the contamination at the mine.
Colorado mining regulators warned Cotter in July "that water quality degradation at the Schwartzwalder Mine is critical and may be approaching conditions requiring emergency response." Three months later, state officials rejected an initial Cotter protection plan as inadequate, declaring "a potential hazard to human health, property and the environment."
Neither Cotter nor the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, which is responsible for water quality, notified Denver Water.
"It would have been nice to know," said Brian Good, Denver Water's manager of operations and maintenance.
Denver Water now will increase testing for uranium, Good said, calling on Cotter to clean it up.
Because Denver's Moffat water-treatment plant is closed for maintenance, no Ralston Reservoir water currently enters Denver's drinking-water system, Good said.
"Our water is safe," he said, "but it's a little bit troubling that (uranium) is coming into our reservoir in those concentrations."
(Denver Post Apr. 16, 2010, emphasis added)
Fire at Schwartzwalder uranium mine
Emergency crews were responding to a report of a "medium-sized" fire at the Schwartzwalder Mine in Jefferson County.
(MyFox July 10, 2007)
> View old issues
A battle over how state environmental regulations apply to western Colorado uranium mines is heating up in Montrose County's West End, where Cotter Corp. plans to re-open four uranium mines sitting dormant since 2005.
The Colorado Mined Land Reclamation Board christened three of Cotter's dormant mine sites near Naturita as "designated mining operations," or "DMOs," requiring Cotter to comply with strict environmental regulations and create an environmental protection plan.
Cotter is appealing the board's decision because complying with stringent environmental regulations would be a burden on its mining operation and require that it put more effort into planning at the mine, said Glen Williams, Cotter's Western Colorado Manager of Mining.
(Grand Junction Sentinel Jul. 10, 2007)
Cotter Corp. closed six uranium mines in the Uravan area last week and laid off 49 workers, company officials said. Richard Cherry, president of Cotter Corp., said in a statement that he is hopeful production will resume after the company revamps its operations.
(Grand Junction Sentinel Nov. 8, 2005)
The Cotter Corp. this week opened one new Western Slope uranium and vanadium mine and said it plans to open three more in 2005.
The company reopened several mines in Montrose County near Nucla and Naturita in August 2004 after more than a decade of dormancy, and with the recent renewal of the company's license to operate its Cañon City milling operation, Western Slope ore will be what keeps the mill busy.
(Grand Junction Sentinel Dec. 16, 2004)
> See also: Processing of uranium ores at White Mesa uranium mill (Utah)
> View mine info
On Feb. 2, 2009, Bluerock Resources Ltd. announced it has notified the underlying vendors of the J-Bird Uranium Mine and the Cone Mountain Uranium Mine that it is returning these properties to them as the Company has not met required option payments due to market conditions. The company has ceased permitting and development on its projects.
On Oct. 7, 2008, Bluerock Resources Ltd. announced a two week shutdown of US operations while the company works to ensure adequate working capital to allow for continued development and production at its US uranium mining operations.
On April 29, 2008, Bluerock Resources Ltd. announced the first production of uranium development ore at the J-Bird Mine, Montrose Country, Colorado. Uranium ore will be stockpiled at the J-Bird Mine and then transported to Denison Mines' White Mesa Mill under the Company's Ore Purchase and/or Toll Milling Agreement.
> View deposit info
BLM halts increase in mining at Sunday uranium mine, demands collection of more site data
Environmental groups won a victory against the revving uranium industry last week when the US Department of the Interior halted an increase in mining near Naturita and sent the mining company to the field for more data.
In a letter remanding a standing approval for expansion - won over the winter - Lynn E. Rust, the deputy state director in the BLM's Energy, Land and Minerals division, told Denison Mines Corporation that "This mine permit analysis should rely on the best available data, not simply on the data submitted, if better data can readily be obtained."
Sheep Mountain Alliance and other groups filed a complaint with the state, asking for the approval to be stricken down or, at least, remanded. They got the latter.
Mining under the initial permit is allowed to continue, "but updated monitoring should occur under that dated permit," Rust wrote.
(Telluride Daily Planet Sep. 25, 2009)
Sunday mine placed on standby
On March 18, 2009, Denison Mines Corporation announced that it has placed the Sunday mine on stand-by, as the cost of mining and processing this ore is above current spot prices.
BLM approves extension of uranium mining at Sunday mine complex
The Bureau of Land Management inked an approval for expanded uranium mining in the Big Gypsum Valley on Jan. 30, 2009, agreeing to a proposal brought forth from Denison Mines Corporation, a Canadian company.
New activities at the Sunday Mining complex - which lies near Naturita - will include the expansion of waste rock areas and the addition of vent holes along with access roads and additional drilling.
The existing land disturbance at the complex is about 80 acres; the proposed new surface disturbance would affect about 20 additional acres of public land in the area.
According to the BLM, the Denison Mines Corporation acquired the entire mining complex - it was multiple mines before - and will run it as one operation.
Jamie Sellar-Baker, the Dolores Public Lands Office associate manager, signed a Finding of No Significant Impact and Decision Record for the project, meaning its existence will have “no significant impact” on the environment surrounding it.
Hilary White, executive director of Sheep Mountain Alliance was disappointed with the decision to allow expansion.
(Telluride Daily Planet Feb. 4, 2009)
Sheep Mountain Alliance (SMA) joined a petition that challenges the approval and asks for higher-up review, which could stay or derail the project.
The filing disputes the BLM's review, calling it inadequate on environmental and socioeconomic levels. Among other charges, SMA says the environmental review fails to address water-quality impacts, and the petition also calls for a cumulative review of uranium mining's impacts across the region - something environmentalists say has yet to be done.
(Telluride Daily Planet Mar. 7, 2009)
BLM invites comment on extension of uranium mining at Sunday mine complex
The Bureau of Land Management is accepting public comments on the environmental assessment for a proposal to expand uranium and vanadium mining at the Sunday Mines in San Miguel County, southwest of Naturita. The complex includes five mines: the Sunday, West Sunday, Carnation, St. Jude, and Topaz mines. These underground mines are located within a two-mile area in Big Gypsum Valley. (Telluride Watch Nov. 19, 2008)
Public comment on the proposal will be accepted through December 5, 2008.
> Download Environmental Assessment (BLM)
> View older issues
By-product uranium production is to 'permanently' cease at IMC Global's Uncle Sam and Faustina facilities in Louisiana. Low
uranium prices are cited as the major reason for the decision by senior
management. The facilities' combined production of 950 000 lbs U3O8
(365.4 tU) last year accounted for approximately 16% of uranium produced
in the US; 1998 production is expected to be similar. Meanwhile IMC's
New Wales and Plant City recovery facilities in Florida have remained on
'stand-by' since 1992. (UI News Briefing 98.49, Dec. 9, 1998)
> View mine details
> View decommissioning issues
Uranium mining at Crow Butte is being opposed by Save Crow Butte
NRC approves extension of the period of groundwater restoration at Crow Butte in situ leach mine
On Aug. 20, 2009, NRC approved Crow Butte Resources, Inc.'s request to extend the period of groundwater restoration beyond the regulatory requirement of 24 months for each of the mine units currently in restoration (i.e., Mine Units 2 to 5).
NRC staff finds no problem with groundwater impacts of existing in-situ leach uranium mines
> View here
On March 4, 2009, Cameco submitted to NRC a revised notice of intent to request additional amendments to Source Materials License SUA-1534 for the development of additional uranium in-situ leach mining resources. The proposed
development area for use as a satellite facility to the main Crow Butte plant is referred to as the Three Crow Expansion Area.
It is Cameco's intent to submit a license amendment application, for this expansion area, during the first quarter of 2010.
On March 4, 2009, Cameco submitted to NRC a revised notice of intent to request additional amendments to Source Materials License SUA-1534 for the development of additional uranium in-situ leach mining resources. The proposed
development area for use as a satellite facility to the main Crow Butte plant is referred to as the Marsland Expansion Area.
It is Cameco's intent to submit a license amendment application, for this expansion area, during the third quarter of 2012.
On May 23, 2008, the District Court of Lancaster County, Nebraska, imposed a $50,000 penalty on Cameco's subsidiary Crow Butte Resources for various violations at its Crow Butte in-situ leach uranium mine. According to the Nebraska Department of Environmental Quality, beginning on or about July 1, 2003, and continuing daily thereafter until March 31, 2006, Crow Butte Resources (CBR) violated its UIC Permit No. NE0122611
- by releasing well development water upon the surface of the ground during CBR's well development and drilling process,
- by using Chadron Formation well development water as drilling water,
- by constructing injection wells and mineral production wells in a manner that had the potential to allow the movement of fluid containing contaminants into an underground source of drinking water,
- by failing to provide written notification until May 12, 2006, upon becoming aware of the noncompliance on or about March 31, 2006.
> Download Complaint and Consent Decree May 23, 2008 (NE DEQ)
Geologist raises concern over potential groundwater contamination at Crow Butte uranium ISL mine
Hannan LaGarry, a Chadron State geology instructor, said the Crow Butte mine has ignored recent studies that show faults and fractures in underground layers of rock that could carry contaminants to aquifers used for drinking and livestock.
LaGarry said he's not opposed to uranium mining but is concerned that the mine is relying on outdated studies of underground rock.
"In recent years, we've found that the assumptions made by previous workers were false and that newer detailed work shows a different story," he said.
(Omaha World-Herald Dec. 14, 2008)
> See also: Expert opinion regarding ISL mining in Dawes County, Nebraska , by Hannan E. LaGarry, Ph. D., July 2008
Opponents to license renewal of Crow Butte uranium-mine granted hearing
Opponents of a uranium mine at Crawford, Neb., that is seeking to renew its license have been granted a hearing by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to voice environmental concerns.
The commission has ruled in favor of granting a public hearing on several contentions raised by the Oglala Sioux Tribe; a tribal environmental group; seven individuals; and a northwest Nebraska environmental group, the Western Resources Council.
The hearings likely would be held next spring, a commission spokesman said.
(Omaha World-Herald Nov. 25, 2008)
NRC announces establishment of Atomic Safety and Licensing Board for license renewal of Crow Butte uranium ISL mine
This proceeding involves a license amendment application from Crow Butte Resources, Inc. seeking a 10-year renewal of its Source Materials License for the in situ leach uranium recovery facility located in Crawford, Nebraska. In response to a May 27, 2008 Notice of Opportunity for Hearing (73 FR 30426), petitions to intervene and requests for hearing have been submitted by (1) Elizabeth Lorina and Mario Gonzales representing the Oglala Sioux Tribe, (2) Shane Robinson and David Frankel representing multiple individuals and multiple organizations, and (3) Thomas J. Ballanco representing the Oglala Delegation of the Great Sioux Nation Treaty Council.
Federal Register: August 21, 2008 (Volume 73, Number 163) p. 49496-49497 (download full text )
Residents voice opposition to production increase of Crow Butte uranium ISL mine
Crow Butte Resources (CBR), a mining company on the South Dakota and Nebraska border, wants to increase its annual uranium production by 50 percent. To do that, they and their opposition went face to face before the Atomic Licensing Board on July 23, 2008.
At the public hearing, dozens of homeowners from Pine Ridge voiced their opposition to CBR's plan to build a uranium mine near Crawford. They say the company's operation near Chadron is destroying natural resources.
(KOTA July 23, 2008)
NRC issues Opportunity To Request a Hearing on license renewal request of Crow Butte uranium ISL mine, and Order Imposing Procedures for Access to Sensitive Unclassified Non-Safeguards Information (SUNSI) for Contention Preparation
A request for a hearing must be filed by July 28, 2008.
Within ten (10) days after publication of this notice of opportunity for hearing any potential party as defined in 10 CFR 2.4 who believes access to SUNSI is necessary for a response to the notice may request access to such information.
Federal Register: May 27, 2008 (Volume 73, Number 102) p. 30426-30430
(download full text )
NRC issues Notice of License Amendment Request of Crow Butte uranium ISL mine, and Opportunity To Request a Hearing
A request for a hearing must be filed by June 6, 2008.
Federal Register: April 7, 2008 (Volume 73, Number 67) p. 18823-18825 (download full text )
Cameco applies for license renewal of Crow Butte uranium ISL mine
By letter dated Nov. 27, 2007, Crow Butte Resources, Inc. applied for the renewal of Source Materials License No. SUA-1534 for the continued operation of the Crow Butte in situ leach uranium mine.
> Download renewal application documents
Cameco to increase production from Crow Butte and Smith Ranch-Highland by 70%
On Dec. 4, 2007, Cameco announced that it is targeting to increase the combined production at its Crow Butte and Smith Ranch-Highland in-situ leach operations by 70% to 4.6 million pounds U3O8 [1,769 t U] annually by 2011. The planned production increase requires the restart of the idle Highland uranium recovery plant.
On January 6, 2010, Crow Butte Resources submitted to the Nebraska Department of Environmental Quality (NDEQ) a revised version of its application for a Class III Underground Injection Control (UIC) Permit for the North Trend Expansion project of its Crow Butte uranium in situ leach mine.
> Download revised application documents (ADAMS Acc. No. ML100432281)
The ownership of the Crow Butte Resources uranium mine near Crawford by a Canadian mining company is a legitimate issue for argument in deciding whether the mine should be allowed to expand its operation to a nearby site, a three-member panel of Nuclear Regulatory Commission judges has ruled.
In a decision issued Jan. 27, 2009, the NRC judges also said that questions of the impact of low levels of arsenic in water returned to aquifers during mining operations, the relationship between arsenic exposure and diabetes and information about an alleged cluster of pancreatic cancer in the Chadron area can also be raised during hearings on the mine's proposed North Trend expansion.
(The Chadron News Feb. 10, 2009)
> Download Memorandum and Order LBP-09-01 Jan. 27, 2009 (ADAMS Acc. No. ML090270965 )
On April 29, 2008, an NRC Atomic Safety and Licensing Board Panel (ASLBP) ordered as follows:
"In this Memorandum and Order, in addition to ruling on three pending matters on which the participants are in dispute, we find that Petitioners WNRC, Owe Aku, and Debra L. White Plume have shown standing to participate in the proceeding, and admit three of their joint contentions, in modified form. The first two of these concern alleged contamination of water resources and potential resulting environmental and health issues; the third concerns the extent of consultation that is required with tribal leaders regarding a prehistoric Indian camp located in the region of the proposed expansion site, under the National Historic Preservation Act."
> Download Memorandum and Order LBP-08-06, April 29, 2008 (ADAMS Acc. No. ML081200636 )
> Download Revised Memorandum and Order LBP-08-06, May 21, 2008 (ADAMS Acc. No. ML081430342 )
On November 12, 2007, seven Petitioners from parts of the poorest region in the United States asked the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) to participate in decisions relative to uranium mining and its harmful effects in northwestern Nebraska and the Lakota (Sioux) Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in Southwest South Dakota. According to NRC sources, this is the first request to intervene in an NRC proceeding relating to the expansion of an existing uranium mining operation in approximately 17 years. The petitioners are Thomas Cook, Chadron Native American Center, Slim Buttes Agricultural Development Corp., High Plains Community Development Corp., Western Nebraska Resources Council, Debra White Plume, and an Oglala Lakota nonprofit organization called Owe Aku.
(UN Observer Dec. 7, 2007)
On Nov. 8, 2007, the Nebraska Department of Environmental Quality dismissed CBR's petition for aquifer exemption, due to deficiences identified in CBR's Technical Review of Aquifer Exemption Petition dated August 15, 2007.
On May 30, 2007, Crow Butte Resources, Inc. (CBR) submitted a request for an amendment to Source Materials License SUA-1534 for the development of additional uranium in-situ leach mining resources. The proposed development area for use as a satellite facility to the existing main plant is referred to as the North Trend Expansion Area.
> Download application documents (ADAMS Acc. No. ML072540671)
Crow Butte Resources receives permission for increased plant throughput at in-situ leach mine
By letter dated Oct. 17, 2006, Crow Butte Resources requested from NRC a license amendment to increase the plant throughput from 5000 to 9000 gallons per minute (gpm). An additional production of 150,000 to 250,000 pounds of U308 [58 to 96 t U] per year is expected.
NRC issued an Environmental Assessment and Finding of No Significant Impact on Oct. 24, 2007.
> Download Environmental Assessment, Oct. 2007 (ADAMS ML072360287)
> Federal Register: October 31, 2007 (Volume 72, Number 210) p. 61693-61694 (download full text )
NRC issued the requested license amendment on Nov. 30, 2007.
Crow Butte in situ leach uranium mine threatened by wild fire
On July 31, 2006, Crow Butte Resources notified the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission of the wild fires east of Crow Butte Resources Central Processing Plant. The NRC was informed of the possible evacuation of the Crow Butte site should the fires continue to burn out of control.
Crow Butte Resources plans to expand In Situ Leach operations
"Division of Fuel Cycle Safety and Safeguards staff has learned that Crow Butte Resources (CBR) plans to expand its in situ leach (ISL) uranium extraction operations in Nebraska by operating up to four satellite facilities. CBR estimates that it will submit a license amendment application to NRC for the first satellite facility in May 2005, and an application for a second satellite facility is targeted for 2006 - 2007. Depending on economics, applications could be submitted to NRC for license amendments for two additional satellite facilities in the 2007 - 2010 time frame. Although a memorandum of understanding to defer active groundwater regulation at ISLs may be executed with the State of Nebraska before the first license amendment is submitted in 2005, NRC must prepare environmental assessments for each application."
(U.S. NRC SECY-04-0131 WEEKLY INFORMATION REPORT - WEEK ENDING JULY 16, 2004)
NRC denies Wellfield Unit 1 groundwater restoration approval
By letter dated March 29, 2002, NRC, in a rare move, denied approval for the groundwater restoration at Wellfield Unit 1 of the Crow Butte in-situ leach facility.
"Staff's analysis indicates that concentrations of ammonium, iron, radium-226, selenium, total dissolved solids, and uranium show strongly increasing concentration trends over the stability monitoring period. These trends indicate a reasonable likelihood that license limits would be exceeded in the near future."
> See also Federal Register: April 22, 2002 (Volume 67, Number 77) p. 19598
On Nov. 7, 2000, Cameco announced the writedown of the Crow Butte ISL property. Cameco plans to continue to produce 800,000 pounds U3O8 (308 t U) per year.
"The Department is proposing to modify the existing permit by removing the injection limitations on flow rate. The limitation for pH is proposed to be changed from 5.0 - 8.5 to 5.0 - 9.5. Reporting for the temperature of the waste stream is proposed to be removed. The limitations for arsenic, barium, and selenium are proposed to be changed from 1 mg/l to 5 mg/l, 20 mg/l to 100 mg/l, and 2 mg/l to 1 mg/l, respectively. Testing for calcium is proposed to be added to the injection parameters with no injection limitation. Testing for cadmium, chromium, lead, mercury, and silver is proposed to be added with limitations of 1 mg/l, 5 mg/l, 5 mg/l, 0.2 mg/l, and 5 mg/l respectively." [...]
Comments or a request for a public hearing must be submitted by writing to Michael J. Linder, Director, Nebraska Department of Environmental Quality , P.O. Box 98922, Lincoln, Nebraska 68509-8922, prior to October 13, 2000.
The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission has issued a Finding
of No Significant Impact for the proposed license renewal
of the Crow Butte in-situ leach
uranium mine in Nebraska.
Any person whose interest may be affected by this proceeding may
file a request for a hearing within 30 days
from February 23, 1998.
> See notice in Federal Register, February 23, 1998
(Vol. 63, No. 35), p. 9023-9024
(download full
notice ).
- July 6, 2010: Well fails 5-year mechanical integrity test
- June 22, 2010: Excursions at two monitor wells "due to increased groundwater levels"
- June 22, 2010: Monitor well excursion
- June 16, 2010: Excursions at three monitor wells "due to increased groundwater levels"
- June 11, 2010: Evaporation Pond 3 liner leak detected
- May 10, 2010: Well fails 5-year mechanical integrity test
- Apr. 13, 2010: Excursion at monitor well due to "natural conditions"
- Dec. 31, 2009: Evaporation Pond 4 Liner Leak
- Nov. 19, 2009: Well fails 15-year mechanical integrity test
- Oct. 15, 2009: Mechanical integrity test missed for two wells
- June 18, 2009: Evaporation Pond 4 liner leak detected
- June 11, 2009: Monitor well excursion
- June 5, 2009: Evaporation Pond 1 liner leak detected
- April 27, 2009: Monitor well placed on excursion status
- April 17, 2009: Production well fails 5-year mechanical integrity test
- June 4, 2008: Exceedance of Well Head Manifold Pressure Limitations
- May 31, 2008: Monitor well placed on excursion status
- May 23, 2008: $50,000 penalty imposed for violations
- May 19, 2008: Monitor well placed on excursion status
- April 29, 2008: Five-year mechanical integrity test missed for 42 wells
- September 26, 2006: Monitor well placed on excursion status
- May 5, 2006: leak detected at Pond 4
- January 19, 2006: Monitor well placed on excursion status
- October 27, 2005: Injection well leak detected
- August 4, 2005: Monitor well placed on excursion status
- June 28, 2005: Monitor well placed on excursion status
- June 17, 2005: Monitor well placed on excursion status
- May 2, 2005: Monitor well placed on excursion status
- May 14, 2004: leak detected at Pond 1
- December 23, 2003: Monitor well placed on excursion status
- December 26, 2002: Monitor well placed on excursion status
- September 10, 2002: Monitor well placed on excursion status
- April 4, 2002: Monitor well placed on excursion status
- December 4, 2001: Monitor well placed on excursion status
- March 2, 2001: Monitor well placed on excursion status
- September 10, 2000: Monitor well placed on excursion status
- May 26, 2000: Monitor well placed on excursion status
- April 27, 2000: Monitor well placed on excursion status
- March 6, 2000: Monitor well placed on excursion status
- July 2, 1999: Monitor well placed on excursion status
- August 7, 1998: Spill of 10,260 gallons of injection fluid
- March 21, 1998: Monitor well placed on excursion status
- August 12, 1997: Discovery of Pinhole Leaks in Upper Liner of Process Water Evaporation Pond
(details on post-Nov.1,1999, events available through ADAMS , Docket No. 04008943)
> View deposit info
Rio Grande Resources Corporation (RGR) submitted a Standby Status Renewal Application for its Mt. Taylor Mine.
The mine is an existing uranium mining operation using underground mining techniques to extract uranium ore from depths of over 3000 feet below ground surface using room-and-pillar and stope mining methods. There are no milling facilities within the proposed Standby area.
The Mine has been inactive since January 1990 until the present.
> View Standby Status Application (NM EMNRD)
A groundwater discharge permit is being sought for Mount Taylor Uranium Mine and Mill owned by Rio Grande Resources, according to the New Mexico Environment Department .
Gerald Schoeppner of NMED's Groundwater Quality Bureau said Wednesday that the company has an existing discharge plan for its mine that it's trying to renew, "but that's one of the pieces of the puzzle that's missing - how they're planning to treat their mine water for the dewatering to meet standards."
The Mount Taylor mine previously was a conventional mining operation "and they plan to operate it as a conventional mine in the future," Schoeppner said. The mine site is located just outside the 8,000 foot elevation boundary established in the June 2008 emergency designation of Mount Taylor as a Traditional Cultural Property.
Rio Grande Resources controls uranium operations and mineral resources acquired by General Atomics from Chevron Resources in 1991. The Mount Taylor project, a conventional underground mine, contains the largest uranium resource in the United States and is currently on standby, according to the company's Web site.
Chevron began commercial production at Mount Taylor in 1986, initially shipping the ore to its Panna Maria mill in south Texas for processing. The mine was placed on standby in 1989.
(Gallup Independent Feb. 19, 2009)
> Download NMED Public Notice Feb. 13, 2009 (PDF)
> See also: Cotter aims to reopen Cañon City (Colorado) uranium mill in 2014 to process ores from Mt Taylor mine (New Mexico)
Uranium mining in South Texas is opposed by South Texas Opposes Pollution (STOP) .
> View deposit details
TCEQ issues Agreed Order over penalty of $2,000 to Mesteña Uranium LLC
Texas Commission on Environmental Quality: Enforcement Orders:
An agreed order was entered regarding Mesteña Uranium, L.L.C., Docket No. 2007-1010-UIC-E on December 20, 2007 assessing $2,000 in administrative penalties with $400 deferred.
(Texas Register, January 18, 2008, Volume 33 Number 3, Pages 449-634, In Addition)
TCEQ issues Agreed Order over penalty of $2,000 to Mesteña Uranium LLC
Texas Commission on Environmental Quality issues Agreed Order over penalty of $2,000 to Mesteña Uranium LLC for failing to secure acceptable financial assurance. (Texas Register, September 21, 2007, Volume 32 Number 38, Pages 6451-6688, In Addition)
> See older issues
> View deposit details
> View Planned uranium processing for Palangana ISL mine
> View decommissioning issues
TCEQ invites public comment or request for public meeting about proposed license transfer for Hobson, Tex-1, and Mt Lucas mines
The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) invites public comment or request for public meeting about the proposed license transfer for the Hobson, Tex-1, and Mt. Lucas mines from Everest Exploration to South Texas Mining Venture L.L.P.
All written public comments and requests must be submitted within 30 days from the date of newspaper publication of this notice.
> View TCEQ notice: Texas Register, May 28, 2010, Volume 35 Number 22, Pages 4275-4526, In-addition
> View TCEQ notice: Texas Register, June 4, 2010, Volume 35 Number 23, Pages 4527-4766, In-addition
License renewal for Hobson In Situ Leach processing plant (Texas)
On December 22, 2006, Everest Exploration, Inc. submitted on behalf of South Texas Mining Venture, LLP, an application for renewal of the Hobson Facility Radioactive Material Handling License to the Texas Department of State Health Services. This renewal application allows the Hobson Facility to continue operations as a uranium processing facility and provides the regulatory authorities with necessary information concerning the company's plans to increase the facility's processing capacity to over 1,000,000 pounds of U3O8 (385 t U) per year. (Energy Metals Corporation April 4, 2007)
License Renewal for Everest Exploration Hobson In Situ Leach mine (Texas)
"Everest Exploration for renewal of an Underground Injection Control (UIC) Well, Permit No. WDW-168. The Executive Director has prepared a draft permit.
The applicant currently operates an in-situ uranium mine. Wastes generated on-site are non-hazardous. The injected wastes include: barren solution bleed,
restoration waste stream, process waste streams, and tailings or wastes produced
by or resulting from the extraction or concentration of uranium, other associated
wastes such as ground water and rainfall contaminated by the above authorized
wastes, spills of the above authorized wastes, and wash waters and solutions used
in cleaning and servicing the waste disposal well system equipment which are
compatible with the permitted waste streams, reservoir and well materials.
WDW-168 was initially put in service in 1979. The facility is located 0.5 mile
southwest of Hobson on Farm-Market Road 81, Karnes County, Texas.
SIGNED MAY 7, 1999" (TNRCC Items Signed by Executive Director 7 May 1999 )
Vasquez in-situ leach mine, Duval County (Texas)
> View deposit details
Vasquez ISL mine shut down
During the fourth quarter of 2008, URI shut down the last wellfield at Vasquez.
(URI March 11, 2009)
Vasquez ISL mine production below expectations
"Production costs for the third quarter of 2006 were $56.92 per pound compared with $23.57 per pound in the prior year's third quarter. The higher production costs were primarily due to higher capital and operating costs compared with the prior year and also due to the change in the estimated recovery factor of for the Vasquez project from 70% to 50%."
"The Vasquez project has provided significant technical challenges since its inception in 2004 due to the unique geochemical composition of its ore body and the degree of re-reduction found in the uranium deposited within the formation. When uranium has been "re-reduced" it has in nature been oxidized, reduced and then subjected to additional reductants which results in the uranium being less accepting of oxidation for extraction. These factors have contributed to our production costs at Vasquez rising from $20.32 per pound in 2005 to over $46.00 per pound in 2006."
"Our third quarter production consisted of 26,074 pounds [10 t U] from our Vasquez project [...]. Last year's third quarter production of 65,797 pounds [25.3 t U] was produced completely from the Vasquez project. As discussed, given the challenges at this property, its level of production has measurably declined and was below expectations."
(URI Nov. 14, 2006)
"[...] Vasquez has continued to operate below expectations. At the beginning of the project in 2004, our mining plan indicated we could produce the Vasquez property at an annual rate of 700,000 pounds [269 t U]. The geological and chemical problems we experienced in 2005 caused us to revise that estimate downward to an annual capacity of 400,000 pounds [154 t U]. [...]" (URI Sep. 19, 2006)
> See older issues
Kingsville Dome and Rosita in-situ leach mines, Kleberg County (Texas)
> View deposit data: Kingsville Dome · Rosita
Whistleblower speaks out against methods once used by Uranium Resources Inc. at Kingsville Dome uranium in situ leach mine (Texas)
Roland Burrow worked as a wellfield operator for Uranium Resources, Inc., outside Kingsville, Texas a decade ago. He says the company at the time was regularly flushing high volumes of water into the mine field that would have expanded groundwater pollution beyond its permitted area, posing a potential future risk to the residents of Kingsville.
He claims also to have witnessed the falsification of monitoring-well data, which must be regularly submitted to the state to show the contaminated water is contained at the mine site.
He tried unsuccessfully to get the TNRCC and FBI involved, and was fired. He moved a couple counties over, but now a URI offshoot wants to mine in his backyard (at Goliad), and he's decided to fight.
> Watch video Uranium mining whistleblower by paleish, Sep. 8, 2009 (Youtube)
Kingsville Dome ISL mine to shut down again
During the fourth quarter of 2008, URI shut down one operating wellfield at Kingsville Dome.
The two Kingsville Dome wellfields that remained in production at December 31, 2008 are expected to be depleted by the end of the first quarter of 2009.
In Kleberg County, the economic downturn is leading to a slowdown at a uranium plant that's been around for two decades. In fact, the company plans to shut down temporarily over the next month and start working on restoration.
(URI Mar. 11, 2009)
The uranium mining plant opened up in 1988. Ever since then, critics have asked how the company plans to clean up. With a slow down expected soon, workers have started that process.
Word about the mining coming to end concerns opponents of the uranium mines. South Texas Opposing Pollution (STOP) leaders said these mines need to be cleaned up.
"They have been in the process of cleaning up in the last 20 years," said Mark Walsh, a member of STOP. "They have not cleaned out any area yet; Area 1, 2 or 3."
(KIII TV3 Jan. 27, 2009)
Startup of Rosita ISL mine delayed and shut down
On June 9, 2008, Uranium Resources, Inc. announced that there has been a delay in the startup of its Rosita wellfield as a result of a number of aquifer related technical issues.
On March 11, 2009, Uranium Resources, Inc. announced that the Rosita wellfield, which proved to be a technically challenging and therefore, higher cost operation, was shut-in during October, 2008, due to lack of economic feasibility in the current price environment.
Production starts from new wellfield at Kingsville Dome ISL mine
Uranium Resources, Inc. announced on July 19, 2007, that it started production at Wellfield 14 located on the Company's Kingsville Dome project in South Texas. The Company expects to produce 120,000 to 140,000 pounds U3O8 [46 to 54 t U] over a one-year period from this wellfield. Total production costs are projected to fall within the range of $25 to $30 per pound.
The Company plans to bring its next wellfield at Kingsville Dome online in the fourth quarter of this year. The new wellfield should also produce approximately 120,000 to 140,000 pounds U3O8 within a twelve-month period.
The Company produced a total of 109,000 pounds U3O8 [42 t U] during the first quarter, and 136,000 pounds U3O8 [52 t U] during the second quarter 2007.
Restart of Kingsville Dome and Rosita ISL mines delayed
"Delays in restarting production at Kingsville Dome and Rosita have continued. Kingsville was restarted in April 2006. We planned to bring on three new wellfields, one in August and two in September. Weather problems and a shortage of available drill rigs and logging trucks have pushed off the expected startup of these wellfields by at least one month. At Rosita, the shortage of drill rigs and logging trucks has delayed estimated production until the first quarter of 2007. The shortage of drill rigs and logging trucks is the result of intense industry-wide competition for exploration and development tools." (URI Sep. 19, 2006)
Study finds URI Inc failed to restore groundwater quality after in-situ leach mining at Kingsville Dome
Kleberg County Citizen Review Board contracted this study by Dr. George Rice in which he found that Uranium Resources, Inc failed to restore water quality after mining.
Effects of URI's Kingsville Dome Mine on Groundwater Quality , Final Report, Prepared for the Kleberg County URI Citizen Review Board By George Rice, July 2006 (ALTURA)
License renewal for Kingsville Dome ISL mine
Hearing request granted on license renewal for waste disposal injection wells at Kingsvill Dome ISL facility
On July 14, 2004, the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality granted the hearing requests by Eleuterio & Enedelia Saenz, Kleberg County and the STOP organization on the applications by URI, Inc., for renewal of permits for two
Underground Injection Control wells, WDW-247 (this well has not been constructed) and WDW-248 (constructed), which authorize the continued disposal of industrial nonhazardous waste. The wells are located at the Kingsville Dome Uranium Mine in Kleberg County, approximately eight miles southeast of the City of Kingsville, five miles east of the City of Ricardo, east of Highway 77, and adjacent to Farm Road 1118.
(TEXAS COMMISSION ON ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY, marked agenda, July 14, 2004)
Extension of Kingsville Dome ISL mine (3rd production area)
Texas regulator approves extension of Kingsville Dome ISL uranium mine
State regulators have given a uranium company the go-ahead to expand its mine near the small South Texas town of Ricardo, despite the protests of residents who say the operation is fouling the groundwater.
The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality ruled on Feb. 22, 2006, that Dallas-based Uranium Resources Inc. could begin mining near the rural Kleberg County community.
Commissioners even overruled a Texas administrative law judge who had recommended that the company only be allowed to open the new mine after it cleaned up the groundwater in two older mining areas.
(San Antonio Express News Feb. 23, 2006)
> Download Texas Commission on Environmental Quality Commissioners' Marked Agenda Feb. 22, 2006 (PDF)
Hearing request granted on application for third production area authorization for the Kingsville Dome Mine
On July 14, 2004, the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality granted the hearing requests by URI, Kleberg County and the STOP organization on the application by URI, Inc., for a third production area authorization for the Kingsville Dome Mine Site under existing Permit No. UR02827-001. The proposed production area authorization number is UR02827-031. The site is located in Kleberg County, approximately eight miles southeast of the City of Kingsville, five miles east of the City of Ricardo, east of Highway 77, and adjacent to Farm Road 1118. The authorization would allow injection into specified zones for the purpose of uranium production. The production zone is the Goliad formation at a depth of 420 feet to 810 feet.
(TEXAS COMMISSION ON ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY, marked agenda, July 14, 2004)
URI plans to resume mining at Kingsville Dome
During 2004, URI plans to continue actively working towards the completion of the permitting for the Kingsville Dome property. It is anticipated that this will be complete by early 2005 allowing the commencement of production at Kingsville Dome later that year. (URI March 23, 2004)
Kingsville Dome and Rosita ISL facilites to be placed on standby
In view of the depressed uranium market, Uranium Resources, Inc. announced that it plans to shut-in and place on stand-by its Kingsville Dome and Rosita in-situ leaching facilites in South Texas no later than the end of the first quarter of 1999. The Company will maintain certain activities at the Kingsville Dome and Rosita sites including the continuation of its ongoing restoration efforts. (URI release Nov. 16, 1998)
Uranium Spill - URI, Incorporated - Kingsville, Texas
"On January 24, 2000, the Licensee notified the Agency of a spill of 'bleed water' that occurred on October 26, 1999, when a feed line became disconnected from a main trunk line. A well field operator discovered a flange connection between a feed line and a main trunk line had separated resulting in a 2000 gallon (7.6 m3) spill. The area was on higher ground causing the water to flow down and collect in a low area inside the fenced property. The spill covered an area of approximately 4800 square feet (446 m2) and was contained onsite."
[SUMMARY OF INCIDENTS FOR FORTH QUARTER 1999, Texas Department of Health, Bureau of Radiation Control]
Spill of Radioactive Material - URI, Inc. - Kingsville, Texas
"On June 1, 1999, the Licensee notified the Agency of a spill of approximately 9000 gallons (34 m3) of restoration water containing 2.7 parts per million of uranium. The spill was due to a disconnect in the flow line from the well to the disposal pond. All spilled water was contained on-site."
[SUMMARY OF INCIDENTS FOR THIRD QUARTER 1999, Texas Department of Health, Bureau of Radiation Control]
Uranium Spill - URI, Inc. - Kingsville, Texas
"On January 22, 1998, the Licensee notified the Agency of a uranium spill involving 15,000 gallons" (57 m3) "of mine solution fluid containing 35 parts per million uranium that occurred on January 22, 1998. The spill occurred along an extraction line and was contained within the licensed area."
[SUMMARY OF INCIDENTS FOR FIRST QUARTER 1998, Texas Department of Health, Bureau of Radiation Control]
Uranium Spill - URI - Kingsville, Texas
"On September 29, 1997, the Licensee notified the Agency of a uranium spill involving 5000 gallons" (19 m3) "of pregnant mine solution containing 81 parts per million uranium that occurred on September 29, 1997. The spill occurred along an extraction line and was contained within the licensed area."
[SUMMARY OF INCIDENTS FOR FOURTH QUARTER 1997, Texas Department of Health, Bureau of Radiation Control]
Uranium Spill - URI - Kingsville, Texas
"On September 16, 1997, the Licensee notified the Agency of a uranium spill involving 3000 gallons" (11 m3) "of barren mine solution containing 6.7 parts per million uranium that occurred on September 16, 1997. The spill occurred at the end of a lateral line and was contained within the licensed area."
[SUMMARY OF INCIDENTS FOR FOURTH QUARTER 1997, Texas Department of Health, Bureau of Radiation Control]
Uranium Spill - URI, Inc. - San Diego, Texas
"On December 17, 1997, the Licensee notified the Agency of a uranium spill involving 7000 gallons" (26 m3) "of pregnant solution that occurred on December 17, 1997. The spill occurred on the extraction side of a lateral line. The spill was contained and 2500 gallons were recovered and deposited in a disposal pond."
[SUMMARY OF INCIDENTS FOR FOURTH QUARTER 1997, Texas Department of Health, Bureau of Radiation Control]
Uranium Spill - URI, Inc. - San Diego, Texas
"On December 4, 1997, the Licensee notified the Agency of a uranium spill involving 7000 gallons" (26 m3) "of pregnant solution that occurred on December 4, 1997. The spill occurred on the extraction side of a lateral line. The spill was contained and 3500 gallons were recovered and deposited in a disposal pond."
[SUMMARY OF INCIDENTS FOR FOURTH QUARTER 1997, Texas Department of Health, Bureau of Radiation Control]
Uranium Spill - URI, Inc - San Diego, Texas
"On October 13, 1997, the Licensee notified the Agency of a uranium spill involving 6600 gallons" (25 m3) "of pregnant solution that occurred on October 13, 1997. The spill occurred from the extraction side of a line that was attached to a main trunk line to the plant. The spill was caused by improper fusion of two joints. The spill was contained within a licensed area."
[SUMMARY OF INCIDENTS FOR FOURTH QUARTER 1997, Texas Department of Health, Bureau of Radiation Control]
Uranium Spill - URI - San Diego, Texas
"On September 30, 1997, the Licensee notified the Agency of a uranium spill involving 5000 gallons" (19 m3) "of pregnated solution that occurred on September 30, 1997. The spill occurred at the injection side of a lateral line and covered approximately 400 square feet. The spill was contained and deposited in a disposal pond."
[SUMMARY OF INCIDENTS FOR FOURTH QUARTER 1997, Texas Department of Health, Bureau of Radiation Control]
Uranium Spill - URI - San Diego, Texas
"On September 1, 1997, the Licensee notified the Agency of a uranium spill involving 30,000 gallons" (114 m3) "of barren injection water containing 1.5 parts per million uranium that occurred on September 1, 1997. The spill occurred at a booster pump on the main barren trunk line covering approximately 1200 square feet."
[SUMMARY OF INCIDENTS FOR THIRD QUARTER 1997, Texas Department of Health, Bureau of Radiation Control]
Southern Nevada Water Authority blames uranium mining near Moab for uranium in Colorado River
Southern Nevada's top water official is raising concerns about "measurable quantities" of uranium showing up in the Colorado River, the region's primary source for drinking water.
Southern Nevada Water Authority chief Pat Mulroy blames uranium mining, particularly near Moab.
In a letter Monday to federal Interior Secretary Dirk Kempthorne, Mulroy urges the department to "carefully evaluate" the effect on water quality before authorizing new mining claims near the river.
(Salt Lake Tribune June 20, 2008)
> View deposit info
Groups file suit to stop expansion of Pandora uranium mine in La Sal, Utah:
Uranium Watch, Center for Water Advocacy, and Living Rivers, conservation groups located in Moab, Utah, yesterday (July 29) filed suit in federal district court in Salt Lake City to halt uranium exploration and the construction of radon vent holes on U.S. Forest Service land in the Manti-La Sal National Forest in La Sal, Utah.
The complaint filed with the United States District Court for the District of Utah
challenges a decision by the Moab/Monticello Ranger District to permit the drilling
of 16 exploration drill holes and 2 radon vent holes as part of the expansion of the
Pandora Uranium Mine.
Radon is vented to the surface from the underground mine operations so that the miners will not breath in the radon gas and be exposed to the short-lived highly radioactive particles that are produced when radon decays. The proposed radon vents would add to the amount of radon gas and radioactive particulates released in the vicinity of the community of La Sal, on the south slope of the La Sal Mountains. In 2009, the amount of radon released from the uranium mines in La Sal jumped from 300 Curies to over 4,500 Curies, according to Denison's annual reports to the Utah Division of Air Quality. Radon is released from vents near the Beaver Shaft not far from the La Sal Elementary School.
(Uranium Watch, July 30, 2010)
A 28-year-old uranium miner from Moab died Wednesday (May 26) morning after he was hit by falling rock in the Pandora mine near LaSal, San Juan County.
(The Salt Lake Tribune May 26, 2010)
A public input period is under way to comment on an air-quality permit for the Pandora uranium mine in La Sal, San Juan County.
Moab-based Uranium Watch has requested a hearing. Director Sarah Fields raised a concern about the proximity of venting to an elementary school.
The deadline for written comments is July 3, 2009.
(The Salt Lake Tribune June 9, 2009)
> View Utah DEQ DAQ Permits out for public comment ("Denison Mines (USA) Corp, La Sal Mine")
On Sep. 14, 2006, International Uranium Corp. announced
it has reached an agreement with Reliance Resources, LLC to conduct contract mining at the Company's Pandora Mine, located near LaSal, Utah. The Pandora Mine is a previously developed mine last operated in the late 1980's. Mining activities are underway and ore shipments to the Company's White Mesa Mill in Blanding, Utah will begin in early October 2006.
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