Attorney General Raúl Torrez Files Petition to Intervene in Crownpoint Licensing Matter to Protect New Mexico’s Groundwater

NuFuels, Inc. (NuFuels), which is a subsidiary of Laramide Resources, is seeking to restart uranium mining and processing at two locations in McKinley, County–Crownpoint and Church Rock.

Source: N.M. Department of Justice

Albuquerque, NM— New Mexico Attorney General Raúl Torrez today announced that the New Mexico Department of Justice (NMDOJ) has filed a petition to intervene in a licensing renewal matter before the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) that could restart uranium mining and processing at Crownpoint and Church Rock, New Mexico.

“Protecting the groundwater that we rely on for drinking, bathing, and household and agricultural use is a very real priority for every New Mexican,” said Attorney General Raúl Torrez. “Any new uranium mining in our state must be carried out to the highest environmental standards to ensure that our water supply is protected for all New Mexicans. Crownpoint and Church Rock are already burdened by the environmental impacts of historic uranium mining and clean up from previous operations. We have an obligation to break this cycle of toxic environmental impact.”

NuFuels, Inc. (NuFuels), which is a subsidiary of Laramide Resources, is seeking to restart uranium mining and processing at two locations in McKinley, County–Crownpoint and Church Rock. NuFuels holds the only NRC license for uranium mining in New Mexico and under the renewed license intends to produce three million pounds of triuranium octoxide (commonly known as “yellowcake”) each year for up to twenty years. Unlike historic mining in the area, NuFuels plans to use “in situ recovery” methods (also called in situ leaching or solution mining) at the Crownpoint Uranium Project, which is located on four sites spanning Bureau of Land Management, Navajo Nation, and private lands.

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In its petition to intervene, the NMDOJ argued to the NRC that NuFuels’ license application must demonstrate that long-term remediation from in situ recovery mining is technically and scientifically feasible. Specifically, the NMDOJ argued that NuFuels must:

• Comply with New Mexico’s high water-quality standards and state permitting processes.
• Show they have the financial capital to cover future costs including remediation and cleanup.
• Explain more completely how it will abide by and comply with all relevant federal, state, and tribal laws, regulations, and agreements.

The NMDOJ also highlighted in its petition that NuFuels is relying on an environmental justice impact analysis that is over 25 years old and it has failed to adequately explain the impact of historic mine workings on the flow of groundwater through the Westwater Canyon aquifer and the efficacy of monitoring wells.

Copy of the petition to intervene before the NRC