Jul 30 2015
AUC LLC is pleased to report that the Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality, Land Quality Division, has issued AUC a Permit to Mine for the company's Reno Creek Uranium ISR Project in Campbell County, Wyoming.
The Permit to Mine is the second major permit received by AUC for the Reno Creek Project. The Permit to Mine approves AUC's plans to mine and process uranium using the In Situ Recovery process, with a licensed facility capacity of up to two million pounds per year of U3O8 yellowcake product. The Permit to Mine affirms that the mining and processing operations, groundwater restoration, and final reclamation can be accomplished with no significant environmental consequences.
AUC is also pleased to report that on July 21, 2015 AUC exercised its option to purchase the site of the proposed Central Processing Plant (the "CPP"). The site consists of 40 acres of grassland, located approximately 1/4 mile from Wyoming Highway 387. Power, natural gas, and all weather roads abut the CPP site. The property contains an industrial building that can be used as part of the CPP. The property also contains an existing private water well.
The WDEQ Water Quality Division advised that the US EPA has not finalized AUC's Class III Aquifer Exemption for the wellfields at Reno Creek. WDEQ advised AUC that the "EPA has indicated that the requested aquifer exemption will not become final until the existing private well is properly plugged and abandoned." The identified private well on the CPP site is located approximately 650 feet upgradient from the proposed aquifer exemption boundary. In light of the advice from WDEQ WQD, AUC has started the plugging and abandonment process. On completion WDEQ and EPA will be notified that the requirement has been satisfied.
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission is currently reviewing AUC's application and is in the process of preparing a Source Materials License and a Draft Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement, which will be published for public comment.