permit to mine, page-5

Thanx for you patience/


Uranerz Energy
An Introduction to the ISR Uranium Mine Permitting Process in Wyoming

In Wyoming there are two major permits/licenses required for the commencement of In-Situ Recovery (ISR) uranium mining: 1) the federal Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) Source Material License and 2) the Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality (WDEQ) Permit to Mine. These two items allow for the construction of an ISR uranium operation and ultimately the commencement of uranium production. (Refer to chart at the bottom for more information)

For the NRC, the Source Material License is comprised of two parts; a technical review that results in a Safety Evaluation Report (SER) and an environmental review which produces an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS). The EIS is in two parts: the Generic EIS, and the Supplemental EIS.

In order to receive the WDEQ Permit to Mine, a technical review of the project must be approved and an Aquifer Exemption must be granted.

In addition to the two major permit/licenses there are two semi-major permits required from the WDEQ. These are: 1) Deep Disposal Well permit and 2) an Air Quality permit. The Air Quality permit is required along with the Permit to Mine to begin construction of the ISR uranium facility. The Deep Disposal Well permit is not needed for construction, but is necessary for the commencement of operations for the ISR uranium facility.

For the Deep Disposal Well permit and the Aquifer Exemption permit, the federal Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is also involved. The EPA reviews the applications for the Deep Disposal Wells and Aquifer Exemption and gives their approval of the permits, but the issuing authority is the WDEQ since they have primacy with the EPA for Wyoming.

Nichols Ranch project (ISL)
> View deposit data

NRC releases final Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement for Nichols Ranch uranium in situ leach project; no major environmental impacts found: On Jan. 24, 2011, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission announced that it has determined there are no major environmental impacts that would preclude licensing the Nichols Ranch uranium recovery project proposed for Johnson and Campbell counties in Wyoming.
> Download NRC release Jan. 24, 2011 external link (PDF)
> Federal Register: January 28, 2011 (Volume 76, Number 19) p. 5216 (download full text external link)
> Download Environmental Impact Statement for the Nichols Ranch ISR Project in Campbell and Johnson Counties, Wyoming: Supplement to the Generic Environmental Impact Statement for In-Situ Leach Uranium Milling Facilities - Final Report (NUREG-1910, Supplement 2) external link

On Jan. 4, 2011, Uranerz Energy announced that the State of Wyoming, Department of Environmental Quality, has issued the commercial Permit to Mine (Permit Number 778) for the Company's Nichols Ranch In-Situ Recovery Uranium Project. On the federal level, Uranerz will need the final Materials License from the United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission before construction can commence.

On Nov. 23, 2010, Uranerz Energy announced that the United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission has issued in draft form the Materials License Number SUA-1597 to the Company on its Nichols Ranch In-Situ Recovery Project.
> Download Draft License Nov. 16, 2010 external link (ADAMS Acc. No. ML102560347)

EPA raises concern over planned deep disposal wells for Wyoming uranium in situ leach projects: view here

On Dec. 4, 2009, NRC released the draft Supplement to the Generic Environmental Impact Statement (GEIS NUREG-1910 external link) for the Nichols Ranch ISR Project for comment. Comments are invited by March 3, 2010 (Comment period extended).
> View NRC release Jan. 29, 2010 external link
> Federal Register: February 5, 2010 (Volume 75, Number 24) p. 6066-6067 (download full text external link)
> View NRC release Dec. 11, 2009 external link
> Federal Register: December 11, 2009 (Volume 74, Number 237) p. 65808-65810 (download full text external link)
> Download NUREG-1910 Supp 2 DFC, Environmental Impact Statement for the Nichols Ranch ISR Project in Campbell and Johnson Counties, Wyoming, Supplement to the Generic Environmental Impact Statement for In-Situ Leach Uranium Milling Facilities external link (21.4MB PDF, ADAMS Acc. No. ML093340536)

On Oct. 23, 2009, Uranerz Energy Corporation announced that the Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality ("WDEQ") � Air Quality Division external link has approved and issued the air quality permit for the Company's Nichols Ranch ISR Uranium Project. The WDEQ � Air Quality Division has issued Permit No. CT-8644 in the form of a Permit to Construct the Nichols Ranch Uranium ISR Project which includes the Nichols Ranch Central Processing facility and the Hank Satellite plant.
This is the first operational permit for the construction of the Nichols Ranch Uranium ISR Project to be issued to Uranerz by the State of Wyoming. The WDEQ Permit to Mine and the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Source Material License must also be obtained prior to initiating construction activities on site.

On July 28, 2009, NRC released a Notice of Intent To Prepare a Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (SEIS) to the Generic Environmental Impact Statement for In-Situ Leach Uranium Milling Facilities (ISR GEIS) for a new source material license for the Nichols Ranch ISR Project.
Federal Register: August 5, 2009 (Volume 74, Number 149) p. 39116-39117 (download full text external link)
> View Nichols Ranch Site - Application In Review external link (NRC)

On June 16, 2008, NRC issued a Notice of License Application Request of Uranerz Energy Corporation Nichols Ranch In Situ Uranium Recovery Project, Casper, Wyoming, Opportunity To Request a Hearing and Order Imposing Procedures for Access to Sensitive Unclassified Non-Safeguards Information (SUNSI) for Contention Preparation.
A request for a hearing must be filed by August 15, 2008.

Federal Register: June 16, 2008 (Volume 73, Number 116) p. 34052-34056 (download full text external link)

On Feb. 1, 2008, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission announced that the application from Uranerz Energy Corporation to construct and operate an in-situ leach (ISL) uranium recovery facility at their Nichols Ranch Site in Campbell and Johnson Counties, Wyo., is available on the agency's Web site for public viewing.
> View NRC release Feb. 1, 2008 external link

On Dec. 19, 2007, Uranerz Energy Corporation announced that it has submitted applications to the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission and the Land Quality Division of the Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality for licenses and permits to construct and operate in-situ leach uranium facilities on its Nichols Ranch and Hank projects located in the central Powder River Basin of Wyoming.
> Download application documents external link (ADAMS Acc. No. ML080080594)

On July 6, 2006, NRC held a pre-licensing meeting with Uranerz Energy Corporation to discuss potential uranium recovery applications for its Nichols Ranch uranium in-situ leach project.
Uranerz Energy Corporation ("Uranerz") is planning to construct and operate a uranium in situ recovery (ISR) facility with the name Nichols Ranch ISR Project that incorporates two production units; the Nichols Ranch ISR Main Unit consisting of a complete processing facility and in situ recovery mine, and the Hank ISR Satellite Unit consisting of an ion exchange facility and an in situ recovery mine. The Nichols Ranch Unit processing facility will have the capacity to produce approximately 750,000 pounds of dry yellow cake product (288 t U) per year. It is planned that approximately half of this amount will originate from the Nichols Ranch ore body while the remaining half will be produced from the Hank ore body.
Uranerz is planning to submit the license application in the second quarter of 2007 and start operation in 2009.

That approval process took about4yrs.(not what I would call 'quick')
PEN lodged the 'application to mine' in late 2010