Several uranium and vanadium mines in northeast San Juan County that have been idle for several years may soon resume operations, thanks to approvals received last week by Energy Fuels Inc. from the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and the U.S. Forest Service for the company to expand its operations.
Known as the La Sal Complex, the 11-mile stretch of properties includes the Energy Queen, Beaver/La Sal and Pandora/Snowball mines along with previously unmined tracts called Redd Block and Pine Ridge. The three mines have all previously produced uranium and vanadium.
“We are pleased that the BLM and USFS issued approvals for expansion of this project following a comprehensive multi-year analysis. This is particularly important, as the mines and properties comprising the La Sal Complex contain large quantities of uranium resources, along with significant high-grade vanadium resources,” said Mark Chalmers, president and CEO of Energy Fuels, of the approval. “We have recently seen vanadium prices increase significantly, and our nearby White Mesa Mill has a long history of producing uranium and vanadium from these mines.”
Energy Fuels owns and operates the White Mesa uranium mill six miles south of Blanding. It is the only conventional uranium mill operating in the United States.
“The environmental assessment (EA) prepared for the expansion of this project thoroughly considered all aspects of proposed operations, including environmental protection, transportation, cultural issues, jobs, economic benefits and environmental justice concerns,” Chalmers said. “This project is fully permitted and constructed and is currently on standby status, ready to resume mining operations within approximately six months of a production decision, with minimal capital required. We believe these approvals once again demonstrate that Energy Fuels is a responsible operator and an asset to the region.
“We also acknowledge and appreciate the hard work and professionalism of the BLM and USFS staff involved in the preparation of this EA,” Chalmers continued. “We are the largest private employer in San Juan County, including a major employer of Native Americans, and these approvals set the stage for our company to grow in the region in the future.”
The La Sal Complex, which includes significant existing surface and underground mining infrastructure, is located approximately 65 miles north of the White Mesa Mill. Material produced from the La Sal Complex will be processed at the mill, the company said.
From 2007 to 2013, 446,000 tons of mineralized material were mined from the La Sal Complex and processed at the White Mesa Mill. The mines shut down in the face of declining uranium and vanadium prices and the BLM and USFS approvals were needed to resume operation.
Energy Fuels is a Denver-based uranium mining company supplying uranium oxide to major nuclear utilities. In addition to numerous mining operations and the White Mesa Mill, the company operates the Nichols Ranch Processing Facility in Wyoming and the Alta Mesa Project in Texas.