FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
SALT LAKE CITY, UT — The Grand Canyon Trust and the Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance are challenging the Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM) recent decision authorizing Energy Fuels Resources (USA) Inc. to expand the Daneros uranium mine, located about three miles from the original boundary of Bears Ears National Monument. The appeal aims to prevent surface water and groundwater contamination and to force the BLM to conduct a more in-depth environmental review. The BLM has until mid-October to respond to the appeal.
The BLM approval would allow Energy Fuels to expand the Daneros Mine to more than 10 times its current size, from 4.5 acres to 46 acres, increase uranium ore production from 100,000 tons to half a million tons, and extend the life of the mine from seven to 20 years. The BLM decision also greenlights the expansion of the mine’s waste-rock, uranium ore, and low-grade ore storage sites twentyfold and allows Energy Fuels to construct up to eight new ventilation shafts and associated access roads anywhere in a nearly 1,200-acre area around the mine. Uranium ore recovered at the mine would be trucked through Bears Ears National Monument to the company’s White Mesa Mill. The BLM contends the mine expansion would not have a significant effect on the environment.
“The Daneros Mine expansion is controversial,” said Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance Wildlands Attorney Luke Henry. “That’s based on the well-documented, sordid legacy of uranium mining and milling on western public lands, replete with instances of ignoring harmful impacts and failing to notify the public of known sources of contamination. BLM needs to study the matter in-depth in an environmental impact statement.”
“We’re challenging BLM’s approval of the mine expansion under two bedrock environmental laws,” said Grand Canyon Trust Staff Attorney Aaron Paul. “Our claims aim to prevent the pollution of surface water and groundwater in part by requiring stricter reclamation standards and requiring additional monitoring and response procedures.”
“BLM analyzed just two alternatives — keeping things as they are, and the expansion as proposed by Energy Fuels,” Paul continued. “The agency failed to do any analysis of whether the market could justify the mine expansion and instead gave Energy Fuels a blank check it may not cash. That could end up delaying the cleanup of the existing mine for two decades or more.”
“The doorstep of Bears Ears and Natural Bridges national monuments is no place for an expanded uranium mine — this place is too rich in cultural, historic, and scientific resources to imperil with more poisonous mining,” said Grand Canyon Trust Utah Wildlands Director Tim Peterson. “Uranium companies ought to be taking responsibility for their toxic legacy and cleaning up these sites, not increasing contamination risk for future generations.”
Photos
Images of the Daneros Mine are available for media use here. Please contact Tim Peterson for high-resolution versions.
Background
The Daneros Mine is an underground uranium mine located on public lands in southeast Utah about three miles from the original boundary of Bears Ears National Monument, about eight miles from Natural Bridges National Monument, and about 12 miles from Glen Canyon National Recreation Area.
The mine began operations in 2009. In the next three years, more than 100,000 tons of uranium ore was hauled out and trucked about 60 miles east to the White Mesa Mill near the White Mesa Ute Mountain Ute community. In late 2012, uranium prices plummeted and the mine was idled; it has remained on standby ever since.
In late 2013, Energy Fuels Resources (USA) Inc. proposed to vastly expand the mine. Throughout the BLM’s review of the expansion proposal, the Trust, SUWA, Native American tribes, and numerous members of the public raised concerns about the mine expansion. In February 2018, the BLM approved the mine expansion.
Uranium ore recovered at the mine would be trucked to and processed at the White Mesa uranium mill near the Ute Mountain Ute community of White Mesa, passing through Bears Ears National Monument and skirting the south side of Natural Bridges National Monument. As many as 15 ore trucks would go back and forth each day on steep and narrow roads. During busy periods, the mine could run nonstop, broadcasting dust and noise from exhaust fans, generators, trucks, and other activity sullying an especially dark night sky.
