New Uranium Mining Projects - USA  

http://www.wise-uranium.org/upusa.html

Arizona

Arizona 1 mine

Denison Mines Corp. is planning on restarting operations at Arizona 1 in 2007 to complete the shaft and begin mining in 2008. (Denison March 20, 2007)
On June 14, 2006, International Uranium Corp. announced it will review and revise the engineering estimates for the fully permitted Arizona 1 Mine in the Arizona Strip district with development scheduled to begin early 2007 and production beginning in late summer 2007.

Anderson mine , Yavapai County

On August 9, 2007, NRC is holding a teleconference to discuss regulatory issues related to a potential conventional uranium mill near the Anderson Mine in Western Arizona.
> Download Meeting Notice, July 25, 2007 external link (ADAMS ML072050014)

Anderson Mining Company of Wickenburg, AZ, is proposing a conventional uranium mill near the Anderson Mine in Western Arizona. On July 17, 2007, NRC is holding a teleconference to discuss related regulatory issues.
> Download NRC Meeting Notice, July 17, 2007 external link (ADAMS ML071980098)

Concentric Energy Corp. external link is planning to develop the Anderson mine and build a uranium mill on site. A pre-licensing meeting was held by the NRC on June 6, 2006.
> Download NRC Meeting Notice, May 23, 2007 external link (ADAMS ML061430096)
> Download Report of Meeting, July 18, 2006 external link (ADAMS ML061940482)
According to Concentric Energy Corp., former site owner Unocal was planning a huge open pit mine with 38-to-1 strip ratio. They intended to mine 500 million tons of waste rock and leave a huge hole. Such an operation would be most difficult to permit now. However, the property were well suited to be mined by use of conventional coal mining techniques and in-situ leaching of pillars and low-grade material.

Colorado

Florida

General

Mosaic Co., CF Industries considering uranium extraction from phosphate rock

Mosaic Co. external link, Plymouth, MN, and CF Industries Holdings Inc. external link, Long Grove, Ill., the two largest U.S. producers of phosphate fertilizer, said they are considering projects to extract and sell uranium amid surging prices for nuclear fuel. Mosaic may decide in six months whether to build a facility in Florida for extracting uranium from phosphate rock, a spokesman said. CF Industries also is reviewing plans for a possible uranium-extraction project, said a spokesman. (Star Tribune Apr. 16, 2007)

IMC-Agrico considering restart of uranium by-product production from phosphates, New Wales, Florida

IMC-Agrico external link is reported to be looking into restarting by-product uranium production (from phosphates) from its New Wales, Florida, facility early next year. [UI News Briefing 96/23]
(this news seems to be obsolete, look here )

Uranium recovery facility project at CF Industries' Plant City Phosphate Complex

CF Industries to build uranium recovery facility at its Plant City Phosphate Complex

As a result of the recent price run-up for uranium, CF Industries has decided it is economically feasible to build a uranium extraction facility at its Plant City Phosphate Complex. The new facility will be able to produce about 900,000 pounds [346 t U] of uranium a year. CF expects uranium extraction to begin in three to four years. The company estimates it will cost about $200 million to build the new facility. CF prepares to begin seeking state and county permits to build and operate the extraction facility (The Tampa Tribune Sep. 6, 2007)

CF Industries to study feasibility of uranium recovery facility at Plant City Phosphate Complex

CF Industries Holdings external link said that it will explore the feasibility of building a uranium recovery facility at its Plant City Phosphate Complex, with production possible within three to four years. Illinois-based CF Industries, which operates a phosphate mine in Hardee County that ships material to its Plant City operation about 12 miles north of the city, jointly agreed to the feasibility project with Connecticut-based Nukem Inc. external link, a global trader of uranium. The two companies are seeking long-term contracts with U.S. electric utilities to supply about 900,000 pounds of a uranium compound [346 t U] annually, CF Industries said in a news release. If the uranium extraction project were economically feasible, the two companies would obtain financing and permits and proceed with engineering plans, the release stated. Uranium shows up in 50 to 200 parts per million in phosphate-laden earth, and rising uranium prices in recent months have created the additional market to extract uranium from phosphate, which generally is used for fertilizer. (The Tampa Tribune July 31, 2007)

Michigan

Nevada

New Mexico

South Dakota

General

Uranium mining in South Dakota is being opposed by Defenders of the Black Hills external link and ACTion for the Environment.

Tribal judge excludes uranium company from Pine Ridge reservation

On October 29, 2007, Oglala Sioux Tribe (OST) Chief Judge Lisa Adams issued an exclusion order to remove the Native American Energy Group external link (N.A.E.G.) from the Pine Ridge reservation, declaring that the company has been trespassing on tribal lands. The finding gave NAEG 30 days to vacate the reservation.
The Judge also noted that N.A.E.G. ignored a tribal resolution that accepted the OST Environmental Technical Team's recommendation that the Tribe not enter into any working relationship with N.A.E.G. Further, the order stated that OST Member, Eileen Janis, failed to inform N.A.E.G. about OST ordinances prohibiting exploration and mining for uranium. (Owe Aku International Human Rights and Justice Program, Nov. 9, 2007)

Judge denies temporary stop of uranium exploration in Fall River County (South Dakota)

A request by two environmental groups to temporarily stop uranium exploration in Fall River County has been denied. Circuit Judge Jack Delaney says the opponents have not shown how continued drilling will cause environmental harm. Powertech Uranium Corporation external link is drilling 155 exploratory holes north of Edgemont. About 40 holes have been drilled already. (AP June 20, 2007)

Lawsuit challenges uranium exploration permit in Black Hills

A state-issued permit allowing exploratory drilling for uranium in the Black Hills of southwest South Dakota is being challenged in court. An Indian treaty rights group called Defenders of the Black Hills external link says the state Board of Minerals and Environment improperly granted the exploration permit to Powertech Uranium Corp. external link
Powertech plans to drill 155 exploration holes northwest of Edgemont, which is about 10 miles from the Wyoming border. (Casper Star-Tribune March 29, 2007)

Dewey/Burdock property (ISL)

Powertech Uranium Corp. apparently plans to mine the Dewey/Burdock uranium deposit by the acid in-situ leach technique (see ADAMS ML072920192 external link). This would be the first commercial ISL site to be mined with acid in the United States. Groundwater restoration after acidic in-situ leaching is even more challenging than after carbonate in-situ leaching.

On August 22, 2007, NRC held a public hearing with Powertech Uranium Corp. to discuss the Pre-operational Environmental Baseline Program at the Dewey-Burdock ISL Project.
> Download Meeting Notice Aug. 8, 2007 external link (ADAMS ML072200166)

(project dropped by IUC in fiscal 2000)

Texas

Utah

Virginia

General

Uranium mining in Virginia is being opposed by Southside Concerned Citizens (SCC) external link.

Concern about possibility of ending uranium mining moratorium in Virginia

The renewed prospect of uranium mining in Virginia's Piedmont has been raised by a state energy plan being developed by the Kaine administration under a General Assembly mandate.
Uranium mining has been barred in Virginia by a 25-year-old moratorium. A proposal to mine a large uranium deposit near Chatham in Pittsylvania County in the early 1980s generated controversy and led to the moratorium. Opponents were concerned that radioactive milling waste, a result of processing, would pollute the environment.
The possibility of lifting that ban has alarmed folks at the Southern Environmental Law Center external link (SELC) in Charlottesville. (Richmond Times-Dispatch Aug. 31, 2007)

Download Virginia Energy Plan 2007 external link (Virginia Department of Mines, Minerals and Energy)
View Uranium Mining in Virginia external link (SELC)

Coles Hill deposit, Pittsylvania County

View deposit info
View Virginia Uranium Ltd.'s SEDAR Profile external link · SEDAR Documents external link

On Dec. 18, 2007, exploration drilling on the Coles Hill deposit has started, in spite of the moratorium against uranium mining in Virginia still being in place. (Danville Register & Bee Dec. 19, 2007)

On Nov. 27, 2007, the Virginia Department of Mines, Minerals and Energy (DMME) issued an exploration permit to Virginia Uranium Inc.
>View related documents external link (DMME)

Wyoming

Contact:

WISE Uranium Project
Peter Diehl,
Am Schwedenteich 4, 01477
Arnsdorf , Germany
e-mail: uranium@t-online.de
http://www.wise-uranium.org

 

 

 

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