Uranimum mining in works

By JoAn Bjarko
North Forty News

A company's interest in mining uranium in northwest Weld County has landowners concerned because their homes are sitting atop the mineral rights that they don't own.

Powertech (USA) Inc. in October notified several Nunn area residents that the company had purchased uranium mineral rights and proposed to mine them with in-situ, or in-place leaching, which is also called solution mining.

On April 26, Powertech Uranium Corp. officials met with Weld County representatives of the planning and health departments to discuss how to navigate the county's land use system with a goal of gaining approval of a site-specific development plan.

Planning Manager Kim Ogle said it was a preliminary meeting and that Powertech does not plan to make an application until late 2008 or early 2009.

"We suggested they get their state and federal permits up front," Ogle said, noting that the county and other agencies will have lots of questions.

Trevor Jiricek, director of environmental health for Weld County, said to his knowledge in-situ mining is a new process to Colorado. "At all levels, we need to do some education," he said.

According to the Mining Journal, there are four main types of mining: dredging, surface mining, underground mining and in-situ mining. Solution mining involves the injection of water down drill holes into soluble deposits and pumping the mineral-rich solution back to the surface.

The Powertech officials told the county they hope to start extracting uranium by summer 2010, Jiricek said. Multiple state and federal permits will be required, as well as a land-use permit from Weld County, he added.

A land-use permit, which would "connect the dots with all these other permits," would need to win approval from the five-member board of commissioners.

Ogle said people with questions or general inquiries may e-mail him at kogle@co.weld.co.us.

Residents concerned about the mining project will meet May 2, 6 p.m., at the Nunn Town Hall. Questions may be sent to nunnglow@yahoo.com. Information is also available at www.nunnglow.com.