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(last updated 30 May 2009)
,
Sierra Club Glen Canyon Group Nuclear Committee ,
Red Rock Forests
has opened an office in Moab, Utah, at 76 South Main Street, Suite 7. Office hours are generally from 1 to 5, Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday. Phone 435-210-0166 during office hours and 435-259-4734 outside of office hours. Thanks to the Ben & Jerry's Foundation for a grant in support of Uranium Watch's work. (Uranium Watch Feb. 4, 2009)
The Daneros Mine Project Decision Record was signed on May 26, 2009, approving the Plan of Operations with conditions.
> Download Daneros Mine - Decision Record and Final Environmental Assessment, May 2009 (BLM)
On April 30, 2009, White Canyon Uranium Ltd announced that the BLM's Draft Environmental Assessment for the prosposed Daneros uranium mine was completed with a Finding of No Significant Impact. Execution of final Environmental Assessment is expected on or about 20 May 2009, allowing mining operations to commence immediately.
The Daneros Mine Project Environmental Assessment is available for public comment beginning March 13, 2009.
Written comments are accepted no later than April 13, 2009.
> Download Daneros Mine - Environmental Assessment (BLM)
The Bureau of Laud Management, Monticello Field Office has opened the public scoping review process for a proposed mine operation on public lands located approximately 35 miles east of Blanding, Utah. Utah Energy Corporation (a subsidiary of White Canyon Uranium Ltd ) has submitted a Plan of Operations to develop a new underground uranium mine called the Daneros Mine. The proposed mine operation, totaling approximately 4.5 acres, is located on unpatented claims is Bullseye Canyon, San Juan County, Utah.
An environmental assessment is being prepared in conformance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). As part of the required NEPA process, public involvement is an essential component. The public is encouraged to participate by reviewing the plan and providing written comments concerning the project.
Written comments will be accepted until December 15, 2008.
Mancos Resources Inc. presented the Utah Radiation Control Board in its meeting on May 2, 2008, with a uranium mill proposal for an "isolated" location six miles northwest of the Green River area in Emery County.
Mancos is owned by Canadian-based Bluerock Resources Ltd. , which has one operating mine, one nearing production and twelve "uranium properties" in Utah and Colorado. Its proposal, which was an information-only item for the board, is to mine 1,200 tons per day at a "conventional" uranium mill, using a wet crushing and solvent extraction technique.
Waste from the mill would involve a dry tailings disposal method and a composite cap over the tailings. The Mancos Resources Uranium Mill would employ over 40, last for about 50 years and result in a $125 million investment in Utah. An "optimistic" start-up date for the mill would be about three years away.
Part of Mancos' proposal included an assurance that it would have a comprehensive plan developed for radon sequestration for its operations.
(Deseret News May 5, 2008)
Utah DEQ invites comment on proposed groundwater permit for restart of Energy Queen uranium mine:
"Energy Fuels Resources Corporation (Energy Fuels) proposes to reactivate the Energy Queen uranium mine (formerly called the Hecla shaft) near La Sal, Utah. Before mining can commence, ground water will need to be removed from the flooded mine workings and treated to meet effluent discharge limits under a current Utah Pollutant Discharge Elimination System permit. The ground water permit includes a 1.5 million gallon untreated water pond with a double liner system with leak detection, a concrete filter pad, a treatment plant with multimedia filters, and a contingency pond. The permit requires the operator to utilize best available technology in the construction and operation of the treatment system and ground water compliance monitoring of the shallow aquifer to monitor potential impacts of the mine dewatering operation."
Public comments are invited any time prior to March 13, 2009.
> Download Public Notice of Issuance of Ground Water Discharge Permit, Feb. 5, 2009 (PDF - Utah DEQ)
The Energy Queen mine is a former Union Carbide mine, which is undergoing mine rehabilitation with a total capex of US$3 million. The 200-300 tpd operation is scheduled to begin in 2008. Energy Queen's estimated resource includes 766,000 pounds of uranium [295 t U] and 3 million pounds of vanadium. (Minweb Dec. 17, 2007)
On Nov. 25, 2008, Denison Mines Corp. announced the temporary closure of the Tony M mine located in Ticaboo, Utah due to the current economic situation, including the current uranium market. The mine will be put on care and maintenance and will be maintained in a state to resume mining operations quickly when uranium prices improve or Denison is able to obtain favourable uranium contracts for the Tony M production.
The Bureau of Land Management has granted Denison Mines Corp. an operating permit for the Tony M Mine uranium mine in Ticaboo, Garfield County, the mine company president Ron Hochstein said on Sep. 5, 2007. The Tony M Mine was developed from 1977 to 1984 and, under the new permit will operate for at least 10 years. Denison has been operating the mine since May 2007 with an exploratory permit, Hochstein said. Currently, about 50 percent of the Tony M Mine is flooded, and Denison is working on removing the water. The ore will be transported to Denison's White Mesa mill. (Deseret Morning News, Sep. 6, 2007)
On March 7, 2005, International Uranium Corp. announced the aquisition of the Tony M mine adjacent to its Bullfrog properties. These properties are now collectively addressed as the "Henry Mountains Complex". The Company is beginning the permitting process for the Henry Mountain Complex with the aim to put these mines into production immediately upon receipt of the required permits.
On June 14, 2006, IUC announced that plans are to complete the permitting on the Tony M mine with production slated for late spring 2007.
> View: Decommissioning Issues
On Oct. 29, 2007, U.S. Energy Corp. announced the sale of the Ticaboo Townsite to Uranium One Inc. for approximately $2.7 million in cash. The Ticaboo Townsite is located approximately 5 miles from Uranium One Inc.'s Shootaring Canyon Uranium Mill in southeastern Utah, which was purchased from U.S. Energy Corp. on April 30, 2007. The fully developed Ticaboo Townsite includes commercial operations, a 149-unit mobile home park, a single-family residential subdivision with 98 lots and an Recreational Vehicle park. Commercial operations include a 70-unit motel, a restaurant/lounge, convenience store and a boat storage/service facility.
In September 2007, the Utah Division of Radiation Control released the Tailings Management Plan, Revised April 2007 for the Shootaring Canyon mill.
In July 2007, the Utah Division of Radiation Control released the License Application and the Environmental Report submitted for the reopening of the Shootaring Canyon uranium mill by Plateau Resources in 2006.
On April 30, 2007, sxr Uranium One Inc. announced the completion of the purchase from U.S. Energy Corp. of the Shootaring Canyon Uranium Mill in Utah, as well as a land package comprising approximately 38,763 acres of uranium exploration properties in Utah, Wyoming, Arizona and Colorado.
On March 17, 2005, U.S. Energy Corp. and Crested Corp. announced that a formal request has been filed with the State of Utah for an operational license to reopen and operate the Shootaring Canyon Uranium Mill.
On October 24, 2002, Plateau Resources requested a change in its License status from operational to reclamation. > See details
On May 3, 2002, the NRC renewed the Shootaring Canyon mill license for a ten-year term until 2012.
By letter dated Feb. 1, 2001 "Due to uranium market conditions being very soft Plateau Resources Ltd. (PRL) requests that the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) terminate active review of the tailings management and 11 e(2) byproduct plans" for its Shootaring Canyon mill site.
U.S. Energy affiliate Plateau Resources has proposed to relocate the Atlas uranium mill tailings from Moab, Utah, over almost 200 miles to the site of its mothballed Shootaring Canyon uranium mill near Ticaboo, Utah. Plateau Resources has requested from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission an amendment to their Shootaring Canyon license that would allow the company to accept the Atlas waste tailings. (Deseret News April 24, 2000)
By letter dated March 22, 2000, Plateau Resources, Ltd. is requesting permission from the U.S. NRC to dispose of offsite 11e.(2) byproduct material in the Shootaring Canyon Uranium Mill tailings facility. This material "will be similar to mill tailings" but will have been generated at other facilities licensed by the NRC or facilities where the government has classified the material as 11e.(2) byproduct material, as defined in the Atomic Energy Act of 1954 (U.S. Code Title 42, Sec. 2014):
"(e) The term ''byproduct material'' means (1) any radioactive material (except special nuclear material) yielded in or made radioactive by exposure to the radiation incident to the process of producing or utilizing special nuclear material, and (2) the tailings or wastes produced by the extraction or concentration of uranium or thorium from any ore processed primarily for its source material content."
| for any radionuclide of the | Average Concentration | Maximum Concentration |
| U-238 series | 500 pCi/g (18.5 Bq/g) | 2,000 pCi/g (74 Bq/g) *) |
| Th-232 series | 300 pCi/g (11.1 Bq/g) | 6,000 pCi/g (222 Bq/g) |
A U-238 concentration of 500 pCi/g corresponds to 0.15 wt-%, a conc. of 2,000 pCi/g to 0.6 wt-%.
Currently, the Shootaring Canyon Uranium Mill tailings facility contains only 20,000 cy (15,300 m3) of tailings and is licensed to contain approximately 2,100,000 cy (1,600,000 m3).
(Plateau Resources' request is available through ADAMS )
In Federal Register May 25, 2000 (Volume 65, Number 102)] p. 33850-33851, NRC published a notice of receipt of the aforementioned request from Plateau Resources and a notice of opportunity for a hearing: download full text.
On March 9, 2000, the U.S. NRC issued a Finding of No Significant Impact for the reclamation plan of US Energy/Plateau Resources' Shootaring Canyon uranium mill near Ticaboo, Utah.
> View Notice in Federal Register March 9, 2000 (Vol. 65, No. 47) p. 12593-12594
On March 19, 1999, US Energy/Plateau Resources received final approval from the Utah Department of Environmental Quality for its Shootaring Canyon uranium mill.
US Energy/Plateau Resources is seeking a new groundwater protection permit for the restart of its Shootaring Canyon uranium mill near Ticaboo, Utah. The mill has been "on standby" since 1982. The Utah Department of Environmental Quality in December 1998 proposed to issue the permit with the condition that U.S. Energy upgrade the clay and synthetic liners in its tailings pond and install additional ground water monitoring wells. [The Salt Lake Tribune Jan. 21, 1999]
US Energy/Plateau Resources plans to restart its
Shootaring Canyon uranium mill near Ticaboo, Utah, in 1997,
initially using stockpiled ore [The Salt Lake Tribune Oct 31,
1996, March 27, 1997]. A "Final finding of no significant
impact; notice of opportunity for hearing" was issued by
U.S. NRC on April 21, 1997, see Federal Register April 28, 1997 (Vol.62, No. 81), p.22977-22978 .
International Uranium Corp.received a renewed license for continued operation of its White Mesa mill, Utah on May 9, 1997.
The ore produced at IUC's Sunday
Mine Complex will be stockpiled at the White Mesa Mill until
mid 1998 when the mill's current alternate feed run will be
completed. The mill has been processing alternate feed sources since June 1997, and by mid 1998 will have produced 725,000
pounds of uranium and several hundred thousand pounds of
tantalum/niobium concentrates. The mill will then switch over to
processing mined ore. (IUC Dec. 8, 1997)
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