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A water-rights request for a proposed uranium mill near the city of Green River has been rejected by the Utah state engineer.
But that March 29 decision doesn't mean that the project has stalled, according to a county official who is preparing a site for the Mancos Resources Inc. mill. Emery County Economic Development Director Mike McCandless said Monday that Mancos Resources probably can get the water it needs elsewhere for dust suppression, crusher operations and leach tanks.
"From what we know about the project," McCandless said, "this decision is not going to have a significant impact one way or another on their decision."
Mancos representative Steve Glass declined to comment.
The company applied three years ago for permission to use 800 acre-feet of water from the Green River. It originally planned to begin processing 1,200 tons of uranium ore per day beginning next year.
It secured a tentative agreement two years ago with Emery County to use a 640-acre lot in a new industrial park being developed north of where State Route 6 and Interstate 70 intersect. The proposed Blue Castle nuclear power plant would be a neighbor.
In rejecting the water request, state Engineer Kent L. Jones noted Mancos appeared to meet some of the requirements for a water-rights change but failed to provide additional information on financial and technical questions, which were requested in February.
"The applicant has not provided sufficient information to support a finding that the applicant has the financial ability to pursue this application in a timely manner," Jones wrote in the order.
Several official protests had been made against the proposal, including those by rancher Tim Vetere, the environmental groups Living Rivers, Redrock Forests, the Moab Green Party and the Green River Canal Co.
Sarah Fields, who has been following developments on the mill proposal for Moab-based Uranium Watch, noted Mancos had lost its Canadian partner in the project, BlueRock Ltd. She said she was pleased the state engineer required financial information before signing off on the water rights.
"I'm happy they took that route," she said. "I think any applicants should have to document they have the financial wherewithal to undertake a project for which they have requested water."