State leaders have nothing but praise for the Trump administration’s decision to significantly shorten the environmental review process of a southeastern Utah uranium project.
Earlier this week, the Department of the Interior announced it was fast-tracking the permitting process for Anfield Energy Inc.’s plans to reopen the Velvet-Wood uranium mine in San Juan County.
The environmental assessment for the project must be completed by the Bureau of Land Management in just 14 days — as opposed to the prior timeline of months or years.
“We’re excited to see the Department of the Interior highlight a Utah project as one of the first to benefit from a faster, more efficient permitting process,” said Gov. Spencer Cox in a statement.
“For years, we’ve called for commonsense reforms that make it easier to build without sacrificing environmental stewardship. There’s no reason permitting can’t be both timely and responsible — and we’re hopeful this project will prove just that.”
In January, President Donald Trump issued an executive order announcing a “national energy emergency,” which was followed by Interior Secretary Doug Burgum’s move to shorten environmental reviews.
The Velvet-Wood mine, near Utah’s Lisbon Valley, will produce both uranium and vanadium.
The former can be processed into fuel for nuclear reactors, while the latter is commonly used in steel alloys.
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This article is published through the Utah News Collaborative, a partnership of news organizations in Utah that aims to inform readers across the state.
