Uranium Watch: Utah Bulletin March 2009


Uranium Watch — Utah Bulletin Vol. 3 \| No. 2 \| March 2O1O ◊ BLM and Forest Service to Develop Environmental Assessment for Denison Mines La Sal Mining Operation The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and the Forest Service are in the process of developing a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for a cooperative effort to develop an Environmental Assessment (EA) for Denison Mines Corporation's La Sal Mine Complex in San Juan County. The Complex consists of the Pandora, La Sal and Snowball Mines and the Beaver Shaft, which is on private land. All four mines are connected underground. The EA will have to address cumulative impacts of uranium mining and recovery in the area. The agencies are waiting for Denison Mines to respond to requests for additional information, so that the agencies can determine that the application is complete and can be noticed on the BLM's Environmental Notification Bulletin Board (ENBB): <https://www.blm.gov/ut/enbb/index.php>. Additionally, Denison has submitted the amended Plan of Operations to the Utah Division of Oil, Gas, and Mining on December 14, 2009. Denison will submit an amended Notice of Intent for the Pandora Mine and La Sal Complex (La Sal, Snowball, and Beaver Shaft) at future time. The amended Plan of Operations Amendment: <http://www.uraniumwatch.org/pandoramine/dm_po_amendment.091214.pdf>. (This is a very large file: 165.6 MB.) The POA and other Pandora and La Sal Complex documents can be accessed at: <http://www.ogm.utah.gov/fs/mineralsfilesbypermit.php?M0370012> and <http://www.ogm.utah.gov/fs/mineralsfilesbypermit.php?M0370026> More information about Denison's plans, the EA process, and the DOGM approval process will be in the April Uranium Watch Utah Bulletin. ◊ Utah Division of Oil, Gas and Mining Sets up Web Access to Mining Records The Utah Division of Oil, Gas and Mining (DOGM) has established a web page for the public to be able to read and download current and past mine permit records. Not all of the thousand of records have been posted, but many current records are available. To access the DOGM records: 1. Go to Public Information Center with Mineral Files by Permit, which lists mines by County: <http://www.ogm.utah.gov/fs/mineralsfilesbypermitinfo.php> There are two sets of County alphabetical listings on this master list. If you do not find a mine on the first part of the list, scroll further down, and the alphabetical list starts over and additional mines are listed for each County. Mines in each County are listed by number, not alphabetically. 2. Click on the mine name. If there are no records listed, none have been posted. 3. Click on a document field to bring up document. A user name and password form appears. Enter ogmguest for both user name and password. If you indicate to save the password, it will not be necessary to provide the user name and password each time. 4. To access the mine permit files from DOGM Home Page, link to Mining Program, then link to Minerals Regulatory Program, and to Access to Electronic Version of Minerals Files (Public Information Center). ◊ Supplemental Testimony on Water for Nuclear Reactor in Green River On March 1, 2010, parties to the protest of the withdrawal of water from the Green River for the proposed Blue Castle Project nuclear power station filed additional testimony. The Kane and San Juan County Water Conservancy Districts proposed changes that would allow the withdrawal of 53,600 acre-feet of water per year for the proposed reactor. The Districts leased the water to Blue Castle Holdings Inc. (BCH) in 2007. The testimony supplemented the hearings held by the Utah Division of Water Rights in Green River on January 12. There are major concerns—everything from the economic viability of the project to the impacts of the withdrawal on threatened and endangered fish species. Requests were made to the State Engineer to withhold any determination until the Bureau of Reclamation completes a two-year Colorado River Basin Study. The Director of the Utah Division of Water Resources and testimony from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service made similar requests. Uranium Watch (UW) provided studies that show an increased incidence of infant mortality and childhood leukemia in the vicinity of some nuclear power plants in the U.S. and Germany. • Hearing Audio, Transcript, Testimon, Supplemental Testimony • DWR Water Right Protest Documents: • Additional Blue Castle Project Information ◊ Donate Online or Send Check to Support Uranium Watch Uranium Watch is a 501(c)(3) non-profit under the fiscal sponsorship of Living Rivers (www.livingrivers.org). Donations are tax deductible and greatly appreciated. Make checks out to Uranium Watch and mail to Uranium Watch, P.O. Box 344, Moab, Utah 84532. Or, Donate Online.
Uranium Watch • 435-210-0166 • 76 S Main #7 • PO Box 344 • Moab, Utah 84532

Uranium Watch — Utah Bulletin

Vol. 3 | No. 2 | March 2O1O

◊ BLM and Forest Service to Develop Environmental Assessment for Denison Mines La Sal Mining Operation

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and the Forest Service are in the process of developing a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for a cooperative effort to develop an Environmental Assessment (EA) for Denison Mines Corporation's La Sal Mine Complex in San Juan County. The Complex consists of the Pandora, La Sal and Snowball Mines and the Beaver Shaft, which is on private land. All four mines are connected underground. The EA will have to address cumulative impacts of uranium mining and recovery in the area. The agencies are waiting for Denison Mines to respond to requests for additional information, so that the agencies can determine that the application is complete and can be noticed on the BLM's Environmental Notification Bulletin Board (ENBB): <https://www.blm.gov/ut/enbb/index.php>.

Additionally, Denison has submitted the amended Plan of Operations to the Utah Division of Oil, Gas, and Mining on December 14, 2009. Denison will submit an amended Notice of Intent for the Pandora Mine and La Sal Complex (La Sal, Snowball, and Beaver Shaft) at future time. The amended Plan of Operations Amendment:

<http://www.uraniumwatch.org/pandoramine/dm_po_amendment.091214.pdf>.
(This is a very large file: 165.6 MB.)

The POA and other Pandora and La Sal Complex documents can be accessed at:
<http://www.ogm.utah.gov/fs/mineralsfilesbypermit.php?M0370012> and
<http://www.ogm.utah.gov/fs/mineralsfilesbypermit.php?M0370026>

More information about Denison's plans, the EA process, and the DOGM approval process will be in the April Uranium Watch Utah Bulletin.

◊ Utah Division of Oil, Gas and Mining Sets up Web Access to Mining Records

The Utah Division of Oil, Gas and Mining (DOGM) has established a web page for the public to be able to read and download current and past mine permit records. Not all of the thousand of records have been posted, but many current records are available. To access the DOGM records:

1. Go to Public Information Center with Mineral Files by Permit, which lists mines by County:
<http://www.ogm.utah.gov/fs/mineralsfilesbypermitinfo.php>
There are two sets of County alphabetical listings on this master list. If you do not find a mine on the first part of the list, scroll further down, and the alphabetical list starts over and additional mines are listed for each County. Mines in each County are listed by number, not alphabetically.

2. Click on the mine name. If there are no records listed, none have been posted.

3. Click on a document field to bring up document. A user name and password form appears. Enter ogmguest for both user name and password. If you indicate to save the password, it will not be necessary to provide the user name and password each time.

4. To access the mine permit files from DOGM Home Page, link to Mining Program, then link to Minerals Regulatory Program, and to Access to Electronic Version of Minerals Files (Public Information Center).

◊ Supplemental Testimony on Water for Nuclear Reactor in Green River

On March 1, 2010, parties to the protest of the withdrawal of water from the Green River for the proposed Blue Castle Project nuclear power station filed additional testimony. The Kane and San Juan County Water Conservancy Districts proposed changes that would allow the withdrawal of 53,600 acre-feet of water per year for the proposed reactor. The Districts leased the water to Blue Castle Holdings Inc. (BCH) in 2007.

The testimony supplemented the hearings held by the Utah Division of Water Rights in Green River on January 12. There are major concerns—everything from the economic viability of the project to the impacts of the withdrawal on threatened and endangered fish species. Requests were made to the State Engineer to withhold any determination until the Bureau of Reclamation completes a two-year Colorado River Basin Study. The Director of the Utah Division of Water Resources and testimony from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service made similar requests.

Uranium Watch (UW) provided studies that show an increased incidence of infant mortality and childhood leukemia in the vicinity of some nuclear power plants in the U.S. and Germany.

• Hearing Audio, Transcript, Testimon, Supplemental Testimony
• DWR Water Right Protest Documents:
• Additional Blue Castle Project Information

◊ Donate Online or Send Check to Support Uranium Watch

Uranium Watch is a 501(c)(3) non-profit under the fiscal sponsorship of Living Rivers (www.livingrivers.org). Donations are tax deductible and greatly appreciated. Make checks out to Uranium Watch and mail to Uranium Watch, P.O. Box 344, Moab, Utah 84532. Or, Donate Online.

Uranium Watch • 435-210-0166 • 76 S Main #7 • PO Box 344 • Moab, Utah 84532