URANIUM WATCH

A Uranium Mining
and Milling
Information
and Action Project

Moab, Utah

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Site Index

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. 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.
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 . . . .

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HOW TO LOCATE LICENSING 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 Docket Number in the Docket Number box.
4. Sort by Document Date in Descending order.  Some document packages are undated and are found at of beginning of 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 July 2, 2008