{"id":550275,"date":"2026-05-28T11:11:10","date_gmt":"2026-05-28T16:11:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/?p=550275"},"modified":"2026-05-28T11:11:12","modified_gmt":"2026-05-28T16:11:12","slug":"source-new-mexico-uranium-mine-under-consideration-near-sacred-mount-taylor","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/2026\/05\/28\/source-new-mexico-uranium-mine-under-consideration-near-sacred-mount-taylor\/","title":{"rendered":"Source New Mexico: Uranium mine under consideration near sacred Mount Taylor"},"content":{"rendered":" \"Mount<\/a>
Mount Taylor seen from the Pueblo of Acoma in New Mexico. Photo: Will Keightley<\/a><\/figcaption>\r\n
Uranium company\u2019s finalized NM plan includes treating, dumping water into nearby river<\/div>\r\n
Din\u00e9 activist says Energy Fuels doesn\u2019t understand Mount Taylor\u2019s sacredness<\/div>\r\n
Thursday, May 28, 2026<\/div>\r\n
By Patrick Lohmann, Source New Mexico<\/a><\/div>\r\n

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A Colorado uranium company recently submitted a finalized operation plan to New Mexico officials, signaling that it \u2014 along with multiple other out-of-state companies \u2014 is increasingly serious about mining uranium in the state. <\/p>

Energy Fuels, Inc. submitted a 273-page operations<\/a> and \u201creclamation\u201d plan\u00a0 earlier this month that details how it plans to extract uranium from more than 1,600 feet below the surface within the Cibola National Forest boundaries in McKinley County, then transport it to its mill in Blanding, Utah<\/a>.

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New Mexico Environmental Law Center Legal Director Eric Jantz told Source NM on Tuesday that the plan represents the company\u2019s renewed intent to receive a permit following more than a decade on hiatus.<\/p>

\u201cWe\u2019re taking it seriously,\u201d he said of the plan. \u201cAnd we\u2019re going to be doing what we can to make sure that this environmental review is done properly, and that community interests are protected.\u201d<\/p>\r\n \r\n

The company\u2019s plan describes how it would pump groundwater from the mineshaft to access\u00a0 the uranium ore, then treat the water and release it into the nearby Rio San Jose. Jantz told Source NM that the \u201cdewatering\u201d of the mine is an immense technical undertaking and one that threatens to deplete the groundwater supply during a period of prolonged drought. <\/p>

\u201cIt\u2019s gonna deplete the water table in a significant radius around the proposed mine, and that water table won\u2019t recover for decades, if ever,\u201d he said. <\/p>

Energy Fuels officials did not respond to Source NM\u2019s emailed request for comment Tuesday.<\/p>\r\n\"Roca<\/a>

Energy Fuels, Inc. submitted a finalized operations plan in May 2026 for how it would mine uranium near Mount Taylor, including pumping out water to access uranium ore. Image: Roca Honda Mine Plan of Operations and
Mine Operations and Reclamation Plan, Revised May 4, 2026<\/a><\/figcaption>\r\n

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In addition to the \u201cdewatering,\u201d the proposed mine site lies within the boundaries of the Mount Taylor Traditional Cultural Property. Mount Taylor is sacred to several Indigenous tribes and pueblos in New Mexico, including the Navajo and Laguna peoples.<\/p>

Energy Fuels\u2019 operations plan notes that if its permit is approved, the company will take steps to preserve the \u201cviewshed\u201d of Mount Taylor in recognition of the sacred mountain and will, to the extent possible, \u201cprotect scenic values\u201d at the site. <\/p>

After reading that section of the plan, Din\u00e9 anti-nuclear advocate Leona Morgan told Source NM that Energy Fuels officials clearly do not understand the value of Mount Taylor to the Navajo people. <\/p>

\u201cIt\u2019s not just a visual aspect. It\u2019s not just to look at the mountain. It\u2019s for the integrity of the mountain itself,\u201d she said. \u201cWhen we\u2019re talking about sacred places and Mother Earth, these are our relatives. That\u2019s how we consider them. They themselves have rights and definitely should not be basically raped and pillaged, which is what mining is.\u201d<\/p>

The Roca Honda undertaking is one of two that Cibola National Forest officials deemed \u201cpriority projects<\/a>\u201d shortly after President Donald Trump began his second term and declared an energy \u201cemergency\u201d that sought to boost domestic production of oil, gas and uranium, among other resources.<\/p>

Laramide Resources, Inc., the company behind the other priority uranium mine, known as La Jara Mesa project, submitted its operations plan in January<\/a>. Following a groundswell of comments in opposition to the mine proposal, state officials agreed to hold a public hearing<\/a>. It has not yet been scheduled. <\/p>

In addition to their priority designation, the Federal Permitting Improvement Steering Council has identified both La Jara Mesa<\/a> and Roca Honda<\/a> as deserving of fast-tracked federal permits. <\/p>\r\n\r\n

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\u201cThis is a big deal in a number of senses,\u201d said Eric Jantz told Source New Mexico on Thursday.<\/p>\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/div>\n\t

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But both projects also require state permits<\/a> from the New Mexico Mining and Minerals Division before they can proceed any further. <\/p>

Now that Energy Fuels has submitted its plan to the state, the state will accept public comments until July 19, 2026, said Sidney Hill, public information officer for the state Energy, Minerals and Natural Resources Department, in an email Tuesday Source NM.<\/p>

Unlike the Jara Mesa plan, the state has not yet deemed the Roca Honda plan \u201cadministratively complete,\u201d Hill added. That means the company will likely have to submit additional information to proceed to the next step in the permitting process. <\/p>

Despite rising uranium prices and Trump\u2019s efforts to reduce the regulatory burden, Jantz said he remains skeptical that a new uranium venture in New Mexico would be profitable.<\/p>

Nonetheless, he said the public should take the company\u2019s plans seriously and weigh in at the next opportunity. <\/p>

\u201cGiven the heft of this document, I definitely think that it\u2019s really important for the public to have some shot at giving their opinion on this and providing additional technical perspectives,\u201d he said. <\/p>

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New exploration permit approved<\/h4>\t

The New Mexico Mining and Minerals Division also recently approved an exploratory uranium mine permit, according to a state database and public announcements. <\/p>

North Shore Uranium Ltd., a Canadian company, received approval for a Minimal Impact Exploration Operation Permit on May 21. The company plans to drill up to 26 holes for what it calls the Rio Puerco project about 40 miles east of Grants. <\/p>

The company intends to confirm the existence of uranium based on exploration data collected by uranium company Kerr McGee in the 1960s and 1970s, according to a news release. North Shore President and CEO Brooke Clements cited increasing global energy demand as the reason behind the New Mexico project. <\/p>

\u201cThe United States has indicated an intention to increase its domestic uranium supply, and we believe this supports advancing a project like Rio Puerco,\u201d Clements said in a statement.<\/a><\/p>

The exploratory drilling could occur as early as this month, according to the company. <\/p>

New Mexico Environmental Law Center Legal Director Eric Jantz told Source NM that the company\u2019s announcement and intent to drill \u201cillustrates how federal policies are creating a speculation frenzy.\u201d<\/p> <\/div>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\t\t<\/div> <\/div>\t

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