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Uranium Watch, a nuclear industry watchdog group based in Moab, is keeping tabs on the evolving agreements between the U.S. Bureau of Land Management, Manti-La Sal National Forest and Denison Mines Corp. for the proposed expansion of the La Sal Mines Complex in southeastern Utah.
The complex currently includes uranium mines that are connected underground — the Pandora, Beaver Shaft, La Sal and Snowball Mines. While ore is being removed from only the Pandora and Beaver Shaft, the company plans to use the La Sal Mine portal in the future, according to Uranium Watch's latest update.
"The comment period for the proposed expansion of the uranium mines in La Sal is an opportunity for the citizens of the La Sal and southeast Utah to bring up the questions and issues they have about the mining of uranium next to an elementary school and small rural community," said Sarah Fields, Uranium Watch's executive director. She noted that the complex's initial environmental assessment, created in 1981, was "limited." "The Environmental Assessment process will be the first time citizens can ask for an evaluation of the impacts from the radioactive emissions from the mines."
The BLM and Forest Service have announced a public meeting to discuss the plan of operations amendment at 7:30 p.m.Thursday, at the La Sal Community Center.
They've also set a Jan. 31 deadline for public comments. —
More online:
O To learn more, visit › http://www.blm.gov/ut/st/en/fo/moab.html.