EPA approves Wyoming uranium mining project
The Environmental Protection Agency approved a request May 1 from the Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality to allow the expansion of uranium mining in Sweetwater County, Wyoming.
The approval will allow projects to proceed in the Battle Springs Formation, an aquifer located throughout the Great Divide basin in south-central Wyoming. Working with the WDEQ, EPA determined that the aquifer, which contains uranium, is not a current and will not serve as a future source of drinking water. The decision will allow Lost Creek ISR, LLC, to expand its underground mining operations.
The Underground Injection Control, or UIC, program prohibits the injection of fluids into aquifers like Battle Springs unless EPA exempts the portion containing commercially producible minerals, including uranium, that can be dissolved and extracted. The WDEQ issued a Class III injection well permit for this project and EPA approved the aquifer exemption.
Class III wells are used to inject fluids to dissolve and extract minerals. Production wells, which bring mining fluids to the surface, are not regulated under the UIC program, according to the EPA. About 165 mining sites with approximately 18,500 Class III wells operate across the nation.
“The WDEQ is pleased that EPA has concurred with Wyoming’s assessment and conclusion that the aquifer exemption is protective of drinking water sources and consistent with state and federal law,” said Todd Parfitt, WDEQ director. “This action will allow for the responsible development of uranium resources while ensuring drinking water sources are protected.”
“Today’s decision will enable responsible energy development of critical uranium resources while protecting the groundwater of communities in Wyoming and create blue-collar jobs along the way,” said Cyrus Western, EPA regional administrator. “This is what the Trump administration is about—restoring American energy dominance while ensuring clean air and water. We’re moving quickly, working with states and delivering results.”
U.S. Sens. John Barrasso and Cynthia Lummis both voiced their approval for the project that benefits the state and country.
“This is a win for uranium production in Wyoming,” Barrasso said. “Nuclear power is clean and reliable and creates good-paying jobs. Expanding uranium mining in the Battle Springs Formation will help ensure Wyoming continues to lead the United States in uranium production.”
