(Reuters) -The U.S. Interior Department said on Monday it will fast-track environmental permitting for Anfield Energy’s proposed Velvet-Wood uranium mine project in Utah to boost President Donald Trump’s efforts to ramp up domestic energy production.
As a result, the project’s environmental review will be completed in just 14 days, the department said in a statement. Such studies typically take years because of the potential environmental effects of uranium mining.
“America is facing an alarming energy emergency because of the prior administration’s climate extremist policies. President Trump and his administration are responding with speed and strength to solve this crisis,” said Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum.
“The expedited mining project review represents exactly the kind of decisive action we need to secure our energy future,” he said.
If approved, the Velvet-Wood mine project in San Juan County would produce uranium, used in both nuclear energy and nuclear weapons production, as well as vanadium, a metal than can be used in batteries or to strengthen steel and other alloys.
The Interior Department said the project would be located at the site of a previous mining operation and lead to only three acres of new surface disturbance.
Anfield also owns the Shootaring Canyon uranium mill in Utah, which it intends to restart. That mill would convert uranium ore into uranium concentrate that could be used as a nuclear fuel.
Anfield said it was pleased by the Interior Department’s announcement.
“These efforts not only bring increased investor attention to the sector but will also help boost Anfield’s production prospects as one of very few companies with a near-term path to U.S. uranium production,” it said in a statement emailed to Reuters.
(Reporting by Nichola Groom; Writing by Richard Valdmanis; Editing by Rosalba O’Brien and Nick Zieminski)
