Exploratory uranium drilling underway near Bears Ears National Monument
SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4) — Exploratory drilling operations for uranium are underway in southeastern Utah, a stone’s throw from Bears Ears National Monument. In response, one local conservation group is asking why the drilling was allowed so close to the protected area.
Two Canadian companies, both based in Vancouver, are behind the operations. Last year, Atomic Minerals Corporation entered into an agreement with Kraken Energy to develop 324 mining claims on more than 6,000 acres of public land in San Juan County.
This area, known as the Harts Point Uranium Property, is on the other side of the road that marks the Bears Ears National Monument’s eastern boundary. The land is located between Moab and Monticello.
Last week, Kraken announced it mobilized Phase I of its drilling program, which would bring two exploratory drill pads to the Harts Point property. The company secured a permit to drill with the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), which oversees the land.
In a statement, Kraken CEO Matthew Schwab said the Harts Point property was “perfectly situated” due to its proximity to historical uranium production and infrastructure connecting it to the White Mesa uranium processing facility, located roughly 40 miles to the south.
Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance (SUWA), a nonprofit conservation group, said they believe the BLM gave Kraken the go-ahead on drilling without conducting a proper, critical look at the operation.
“We believe they have failed here,” said Hanna Larsen, staff attorney with SUWA. “We don’t believe they have prevented unnecessary and undue degradation in the way they are supposed to.”
ABC4 reached out to the BLM for comment, and the bureau said that Kraken’s plan to drill two exploratory holes was authorized under the 1872 mining law, which declared all valuable mineral deposits in land belonging to the United States to be free and open to exploration and purchase.
Chief among SUWA’s concerns is how close the mining operation is to Bears Ears National Monument, a 1.3 million acre expanse that contains iconic Utah landscapes, such as Indian Creek, which attracts rock climbers and hikers from across the globe.
“This area is very pristine and beautiful, and both culturally and environmentally significant,” Larsen said.
SUWA also cited concern for habitat for the Mexican spotted owl, which is listed as a threatened species in the U.S.
Sam Hodson, a geology professor at Brigham Young University, said the Harts Point property is located in an area where oil and gas drilling operations from decades ago found elevated levels of uranium, suggesting significant uranium deposits in the host rock.
“They are looking at those old results, and with the recent surge in uranium prices, I think they’re interested in going back and making it economic,” he said.
Uranium prices recently surged to their highest level in 12 years, the Financial Times reports. The demand comes as governments across the globe are seeking clean energy solutions, especially as the Russian invasion of Ukraine has driven up energy prices in Europe.
According to Bloomberg Law, the owners of left-for-dead uranium mines are jumpstarting operations to cash in on the demand for nuclear fuel. This is happening in several other states as well, including Wyoming, Texas, and Arizona.
ABC4 reached out to Atomic Minerals Corporation and Kraken Energy for comment but did not hear back in time for publication.
For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to ABC4 Utah.
