NM uranium mine proposals receive Trump priority designation
A federal council recently placed two proposed uranium mines in New Mexico on a select list of mining projects nationwide to receive streamlined federal permitting consideration, a designation the project's owner says results from President Donald Trump's push to accelerate nuclear energy production.
The Jara Mesa and Crownpoint-Churchrock mine projects are now two of six mining projects nationwide to get what's known as the 'FAST-41' designation, established under the Fixing America's Surface Transportation Act.
The designation means the projects will receive 'focused, hands-on permitting support' that aims to improve coordination and efficiency among federal agencies, according to the federal Permitting Council. The council notes, however, the designation doesn't change any law or regulation, environmental or otherwise, required for federal permitting.
Long-stalled NM uranium mines now 'priority projects' at Cibola Forest, leader tells employees
As a result of the change, three of six mining projects nationwide to receive the designation are in New Mexico, as the Grants Precision project was added in early May. The other three projects on the list are in Arizona, California and Colorado.
The permitting website shows both projects were added to the list May 30, and, last week, Laramide Resources, the company trying to build the mine in McKinley County, touted the mines' inclusion as part of Trump's domestic energy agenda.
'As momentum builds around a new era for nuclear power, it is important to recognize that uranium is the fundamental starting point of the entire fuel cycle,' Laramide CEO Marc Henderson said in a June 2 news release.
The statement cited a May 23 Trump executive order supporting the acceleration of nuclear development in the United States.
In addition to the FAST-41 designation, the Jara Mesa is one of two proposed uranium in the Mount Taylor Ranger District of the Cibola National Forest that forest leaders have deemed 'priority projects,' as Source New Mexico reported in March.
The Jara Mesa mine's proximity to Mount Taylor, a sacred mountain to the Navajo Nation and several pueblos in New Mexico, is one reason anti-nuclear opponents have forcefully pushed back against the mine for more than a decade. They also cite the legacy of the uranium mining industry in New Mexico, which has left decades of radioactive and cancer-causing waste in its wake.
New Mexico delegation, radiation victims renew call for compensation
In addition to the Jara Mesa Mine, the Crownpoint-Church Rock mine was also added to the FAST-41 list in late May. Laramide Resources touted the project as 'one of the largest undeveloped uranium deposits in the U.S.,' which 'has the potential to play a central role in securing a domestic supply of this critical mineral.'
A regulator with the state's Mining and Minerals Division recently told Source New Mexico that, even though the federal government is seeking to streamline its approval of the uranium projects, the state will take its time for a review. He also said no project can legally move forward without a state permit, even though the mines lie largely on federal land.
An environmental lawyer in New Mexico also told Source that the Trump administration's efforts to gut federal environmental impact reviews is likely illegal and would be subject to litigation if he tried to cut them in New Mexico.
The Laramide statement says while the FAST-41 designation helps its goal of breaking ground in what would be the first new uranium mine in New Mexico in more than 50 years, 'continued policy support will be essential to overcome the longstanding regulatory and permitting challenges that have constrained U.S. uranium production.'
Trump's push for Southwest uranium will face stiff state review
The other uranium mine proposal near Mount Taylor, known as Roca Honda, does not appear on the FAST-41 list. But it is on a list of 'transparency' projects, one of about 20 selected by the federal Permitting Council to improve the public's understanding of how the projects are progressing.
Because of the designations, the public gleans a clearer sense of when the federal permits might be granted: For La Jara Mesa, permitting is expected to be approved in March 2028; for Roca Honda, it's November of 2027.
The permitting website does not provide an estimate of when Crownpoint-Churchrock mine might receive a federal permit.
The United States Forest Service oversees the La Jara Mesa project, whilehe Nuclear Regulatory Commission is listed as the agency overseeing the Crownpoint-Churchrock and Grants Precision project.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
7 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Nexus card applications no longer accepting 'X' gender marker
Canadians who apply for a new or renewed Nexus card can no longer select an "X" gender marker on their applications, and instead must choose either "M" or "F." The Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) confirmed the change in a statement on Tuesday, saying it followed U.S. President Donald Trump's executive order in January that the U.S. will only recognize male or female on documents such as visas and passports. The corresponding changes by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) also changed the application process for Nexus cards, the CBSA said in an email to CBC News. The change went into effect in February, it said. The Nexus program, run jointly by the CBSA and CBP, allows card holders to fast-track through customs and security lines at airports and land crossings. While many use the cards for cross-border travel, some use them primarily for shorter wait times while travelling within Canada. The CBSA says there were more than 1.8 million program members in April 2024, "with the majority of members being Canadian." WATCH | Transgender people in the U.S. say they're worried: The agency says Canadians who currently have a valid Nexus card with an "X" will still have the document recognized, but they will no longer be able to choose "X" when it comes time to renew or replace their cards. Trump's executive order declared federal agencies will only recognize "two sexes, male and female," which "are not changeable and are grounded in fundamental and incontrovertible reality." The presidential order said passports and other forms of government-issued identification must reflect the sex assigned at birth. The website for the U.S. Bureau of Consular Affairs, the agency that issues passports, said it will "only issue passports with an 'M' or 'F' sex marker that match the customer's biological sex at birth" and will no longer use the "X" marker for nonbinary people, citing Trump's order. Canada began recognizing the "X" marker on passports for those who don't identify as male or female in 2019. About 3,600 Canadians had the marker on their passports as of 2021, according to the federal government. The CBSA says Canadians with an "X" marker on their passport can continue to use it to apply for a Nexus card, even though that marker cannot be used on the card itself. Statistics Canada data shows there are more than 100,000 transgender or non-binary people across the country. The Canadian government website warns people with gender-neutral passports they "may face entry restrictions into some countries that do not recognize your gender." LISTEN | Advocacy group on what Canadians should know for travel:
New York Post
8 minutes ago
- New York Post
Trump envoy Witkoff urged to take tough approach with Putin in make-or-break meeting to end Ukraine war before sanctions
WASHINGTON — The Trump administration is giving Russian President Vladimir Putin one more chance to show he's serious about ending his 41-month-old invasion of Ukraine. As more than six months have passed with no diplomatic progress, well-placed sources tell The Post special envoy Steve Witkoff has been encouraged to take a sterner approach with Moscow's leader ahead of Wednesday's make-or-break meeting — in line with President Trump's recent expressions of disgust at Putin's continued attacks on Ukrainian civilians. Whether Witkoff will take that advice remains unclear. Advertisement 3 President Trump is giving Russian President Vladimir Putin one last chance to end the Russian invasion of Ukraine that started over 3 years ago. via REUTERS A spokesperson for the special envoy declined to comment on the record for this story. Meanwhile, the White House national security team responsible for the Ukraine war held multiple meetings on Tuesday, trying to work out how Washington might best persuade Russia to silence its guns, according to people familiar with the matter. Advertisement Trump himself said Tuesday he would wait to see how the sitdown went before making a final decision on whether to enact secondary sanctions and slapping more tariffs on countries that provide Russia with its main source of income: oil purchases. 'We have a meeting with Russia tomorrow, we're going to see what happens. We'll make a determination at that time,' said the president, before denying that he had promised to set the additional rates at 100% — as he appeared to suggest last month. 'I never said a percentage, but we'll be doing quite a bit of that. We'll see what happens over the next fairly short period of time.' 3 U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff will allegedly take a sterner approach in the crucial make-or-break meeting on Wednesday in an effort for the war in Ukraine to end for good. Getty Images Advertisement A source familiar with discussions insisted that sanctions are not inevitable when Trump's deadline is reached Friday, saying the administration is 'pushing hard for a deal. That's always the president's preferred outcome.' As part of his prep, Witkoff has been briefed on the historical motivations behind Putin's war on Ukraine — namely his desire to reconstitute as much of the former Soviet Union as possible, according to a US official. Last month, as Trump's rhetoric toward Moscow began to toughen, Special Presidential Envoy to Ukraine retired Gen. Keith Kellogg said that the president 'now realizes that Putin is not a business partner.' 3 President Trump said he'll see if tomorrow's sit-down will be effective before making a final decision on whether he'll slap more tariffs on Russia. REUTERS Advertisement The commander in chief — so often praised for his businesslike, transactional approach to politics — is up against a ruler who represents the opposite of that approach. That's why the earlier, more cordial approach — complete with Witkoff jovially greeting Putin at the Kremlin — did not work, according to one source. Subsequent offers of reduced sanctions and off-ramps for Russia to end its war were also not enough to persuade Moscow to change its calculus. Russia, for its part, is hoping for more of the same. Witkoff's Wednesday trip comes at the behest of the Kremlin, which invited the envoy after Trump threatened to levy the secondary sanctions. Meanwhile, as Trump's words toward Putin have grown increasingly harsh, Kremlin thought leaders have been denigrating the US president on X. Russian philosopher and Putin confidant Alexander Dugin declared Monday that Trump was crazy, an about-face from a year ago, when Dugin — nicknamed 'Putin's brain' for his purported heavy influence on the Russian leader — endorsed Trump for president in 2024. 'I come to very sad conclusion: Donald Trump is totally mad. It is the shame. We loved him,' Dugin posted to X. Last week, ex-Russian president and current deputy chair of the Kremlin's security council Dmitry Medvedev also blasted Trump for threatening sanctions.
The Hill
8 minutes ago
- The Hill
Trump Creates Task Force For 2028 Olympics In LA, Predicts USA Victories And Gold Medals
President Trump on Tuesday signed an executive order establishing a task force to oversee the 2028 Summer Olympics, which will be held in Los Angeles.
