Comment: Some history of how a uranium mill regulations and procedures! Pure poison to our love ones! No to uranium mining and milling!
by Sarah Fields Moab Times Independent
At the Jan. 3, Grand Water and Sewer Service Agency (GWSSA) meeting, Gregory L. Hunt, a representative of Mancos Resources Inc. (Mancos) of Cortez, Colo., requested that Mancos be granted an option to lease water from the Colorado and Green rivers.
The water rights are currently granted to the Grand County Water Conservancy District (GCWCD), and GCWCD and GWSSA are interested in putting the rights to a "beneficial" use so that the rights will not be lost. Mr. Hunt was accompanied by Mancos's consultant, Mark Page, who also serves as a consultant to the GWSSA on water rights issues.
During the meeting it came out that Mancos was interested in the water for a uranium mill to be constructed in Emery County. The issue was tabled and will likely be considered at the GWSSA meeting of Thursday, Feb. 7. The public will be able to make comments at the beginning of the meeting.
The site for the proposed uranium mill is land near the intersection of I-70 and U.S. 6 (about seven miles west of the town of Green River) that Emery County wishes to develop as an industrial park.
A uranium mill would also have to go through permit processes with the Utah Division of Radiation Control, Division of Water Quality, and Division of Air Quality. Should such a proposal go forward, it would take several years to complete the various site access and operational authorizations. There are no guarantees.
In order to operate a uranium mill, Mancos would need access to a supply of uranium ore.
According to the Utah Division of Oil, Gas, and Mining, Mancos currently does not operate or propose to operate a uranium mine in Utah.
The only mine in the area that is near operational status belongs to Denison Mines Corp., the owner of the White Mesa Uranium Mill. Mancos is not a publicly traded company that files with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and does not have a website, so information about its resources and plans are not available to investors and the public.
There are many concerns.
Mark Page is a consult for GWSSA and is also a consultant for Mancos. The appropriateness of this dual relationship should be looked at.
Mancos Resources does not appear to be a uranium mining or milling company, and there is a serious question of whether they have the resources and expertise available to develop and operate a mill. Surely, a company that proposes to lease water for a uranium mill should be required to demonstrate that they have all of the necessary resources to actually implement such a proposal. GWSSA should not be involved in speculative enterprises.
It is doubtful that water that is leased for the operation of a uranium mill could realistically return to Grand County until the mill is reclaimed. It would be very unwise for Grand County to lease water rights for 30 years or more, as proposed by Mancos, when that water may be needed in the county before the water could be returned.
Grand County has until 2018 to preserve its Green and Colorado river water rights by putting them to beneficial use. It would be premature and irresponsible to lease the water without first establishing an application process, with clear guidelines and criteria, and without knowing the resources available to Mancos to carry out their project.
Read more:
http://www.moabtimes.com/view/full_story/70632/article-Water-lease-for-uranium-mill-proposal-is-premature--irresponsible-?
