Crossposted from https://slrpnk.net/post/38332896

A Colorado uranium company recently submitted a finalized operation plan to New Mexico officials, signaling that it — along with multiple other out-of-state companies — is increasingly serious about mining uranium in the state.

Energy Fuels, Inc. submitted a 273-page operations and “reclamation” plan earlier this month that details how it plans to extract uranium from more than 1,600 feet below the surface within the Cibola National Forest boundaries in McKinley County, then transport it to its mill in Blanding, Utah.

New Mexico Environmental Law Center Legal Director Eric Jantz told Source NM on Tuesday that the plan represents the company’s renewed intent to receive a permit following more than a decade on hiatus.

“We’re taking it seriously,” he said of the plan. “And we’re going to be doing what we can to make sure that this environmental review is done properly, and that community interests are protected.”