The US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has issued an operating license to Uranium One Americas for the Moore Ranch in situ uranium recovery (ISR) facility in the Powder River Basin, Wyoming, US.
The NRC’s review of the application includes an environmental review published on 27 August as a supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (EIS), which referenced the agency’s Generic EIS for in situ leach uranium recovery facilities.
The review also includes a Safety Evaluation Report, which concluded the proposed facility can operate safely, including management of radiological and chemical hazards, groundwater protection, and eventual cleanup and decommissioning.
The license grant is an evidence of the NRC’s revised permitting policy for ISR mining operations in western US, designed to support an efficient and consistent approach to reviewing site-specific license applications for ISR facilities as well as to improve the efficiency of the regulatory bodies’ environmental reviews of these ISR applications.
The pro-active approach of Peninsula’s licensing team in combination with the streamlined regulatory process being implemented for ISR operations in the US bodes well for the timely approval of the company’s applications.