MINERS SEEK JACKPOT
Despite the
depressed market for uranium, Green Mountain Mining Venture hopes
to hit a jackpot in south central Wyoming. The companies
spearheading the operation, U.S. Energy and Kennecott Energy, have
asked the Bureau of Land Management for permission to construct,
operate and reclaim the Jackpot uranium mine on public land. The
mine sits on the flanks of Green Mountain, a popular recreation
site and important wildlife habitat, says Dan Heilig of the Wyoming
Outdoor Council. The council originally expressed concern over the
amount of groundwater the mining operation would use, but has since
met with the mining companies and together developed a plan for
monitoring groundwater levels to protect the mountain’s springs and
riparian areas. Because the companies plan to ship mine waste to
another non-operational open-pit mine instead of building a new pit
on Green Mountain, Heilig says, “There really won’t be much of a
footprint on the surface.” His group is still concerned about plans
for new roads to accommodate the constant flow of large trucks
taking ore to a nearby mill. In addition, some worry that the
project is doomed to bust given the weak uranium market. The BLM
released the final environmental impact statement for the project
Dec. 22 and will accept public comments until March 1. For a copy
of the EIS or for more information, contact Rawlins BLM official
Larry Kmoch at
307/324-7171.
This article appeared in the print edition of the magazine with the headline Miners seek jackpot.
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