Press Article: Urgent Concerns Over Potential Uranium Mine in Utah’s Lisbon Valley
A proposed uranium mine in southeastern Utah’s Lisbon Valley, a region long exploited for its extractive resources, is raising alarms over environmental and public health risks. The Velvet-Wood Mine, initially conceived in the early 1970s and now owned by Anfield Energy Corporation, has gained the attention of regulators under expedited permitting processes instituted by the Trump administration. This move, described as an "energy emergency," allows for environmental reviews to be compressed into just 28 days.
Local residents and environmental advocates express concerns that the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) approved the mine’s operating plan after a mere 11-day assessment, effectively sidelining meaningful public input and essential tribal consultations. The mine’s history is fraught with contamination, exemplified by abandoned uranium mines and a reclaimed mill leaching radioactive materials into groundwater. Anfield’s plans could result in the discharge of up to 500,000 gallons of contaminated water daily into nearby waterways, heightening fears of a public health crisis.
Critics argue that this accelerated review process fails to meet the National Environmental Policy Act’s requirements. As the Lisbon Valley faces this new phase of industrial exploitation, conservationists continue to urge for sustainable solutions that respect both the land and local communities.
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