Every fall, protest marchers march to the entrance of the White Mesa uranium mill in southeastern Utah to raise awareness of the dangers of uranium mining and milling . (Jim Mimiaga/The Journal)
Plant owner Energy Fuels announces $1 million community foundation for education, health and economic programs for Native Americans
The Ute Mountain Ute Tribe and environmental groups will hold a protest and spiritual march on October 22 at 11 a.m. at the White Mesa Community Center south of Blanding, Utah to voice their opposition to a uranium plant.
The annual rally takes place against Energy Fuel’s White Mesa Mill, which is outside the boundaries of the Ute Mountain Ute Reservation in southeastern Utah. The mill is not affiliated with the tribe.
Rally participants walk 3 miles on US Highway 191 from the community center to the factory entrance. Shuttles and support are provided. Law enforcement contributes to road safety.
“They are bringing toxic waste, radioactive waste, from all over the United States to the White Mesa plant,” Yolanda Badback of the White Mesa Concerned Community said in a press release. “In the past, some have rolled over. I can smell the windmill from my house when it spins. We are the closest community. If there is a spill or an accident, it is our children who take the school bus on these roads with the trucks every morning. That’s why we stand up and say: enough is enough. We want to keep our home and our children safe.
Reports on the plant’s environmental concerns are available at Grand Canyon Trust website.
Friday at 2 p.m. at the White Mesa Community Center, the Ute Mountain Tribe Environmental Department will present how to get involved in a citizen science project to monitor the health and environmental impacts of pollution. The workshop is part of the White Mesa Community Health Outreach Project.
At 4:00 p.m. there will be a presentation on concerns about the impacts of uranium mills on air, land, health and cultural resources. A community dinner and live music will follow.
The White Mesa Community Center, located on US Highway 191, 6 miles south of Blanding.
The 2022 Rally and Spirit Walk is co-sponsored by the Bears Ears Intertribal Coalition, Ute Mountain Tribe, Concerned Community of White Mesa, Greenaction for Health and Environmental Justice, Uranium Watch, Indigenous Environmental Network, Grand Canyon Trust, Multicultural Alliance for a Safe Environment, Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance, Living Rivers, HEAL Utah, SLC Air Protectors, Utah Chapter of the Sierra Club, Great Old Broads for Wilderness, National Parks Conservation Association, PANDOS.
Mill defends operations as safe
The White Mesa plant is the only operating conventional uranium plant in the United States. She had a mixture of supporters and detractors during her lifetime.
The tribe and environmental groups have long opposed the plant, citing concerns over water and air quality. Blanding and Monticello support the factory for its jobs and tax revenue.
The mill, owned by Energy Fuelsdefended its operations as environmentally friendly and as an economic engine and provider of jobs.
Energy Fuels has recently expanded its business to process rare earths essential for the manufacture of technical devices and batteries for electric cars. It also receives radioactive waste from cleanup sites in the United States and other countries. Processed uranium is used for fuel rods in nuclear power plants.
Rare earth elements are loaded onto a truck for export from the White Mesa plant in southeastern Utah. Energy Fuels began processing the ore to extract minerals used in electronics and electric cars. (Courtesy of Energy Fuels)
In April, the EPA took action against the plant for draining a water cover over a waste containment pond the agency said was needed. The mill agreed to fill it. In July, another waste containment cell containing uranium tailings was found to lose part of its water cover. The company said the lack of water resulted from evaporation due to the hot weather and efforts were being made to fill it completely.
The Clean Air Act requires a water cover over containment cells containing solid uranium tailings to prevent carcinogenic radon emissions.
Energy Fuels has declared its intention to completely cover the waste containment cells with water. Company officials had argued that one of the cells did not contain solid uranium tailings and therefore did not require a water cover. The company claimed it had permission from the EPA to drain the water from this cell, but agreed to fill it with the water cover.
Last fall, Energy Fuels announced the creation of the San Juan County Clean Energy Foundation, designed to benefit the communities surrounding its White Mesa plant in southeast Utah. On October 20, Energy Fuels announced the appointment of the Foundation’s first advisory board and the launch of its new website at www.sanjuancountycleanenergy.org.
Energy Fuels deposited its first $1 million into the Clean Energy Foundation in 2021 and plans to provide ongoing annual funding equal to 1% of the plant’s future revenue, according to a press release. The fund will be distributed for community projects and programs.
“We are delighted and appreciate those who have agreed to serve on our inaugural advisory board, it is an impressive group,” Mark Chalmers, CEO of Energy Fuels, said in the statement. “These advisory members live in the area and can weigh in and help prioritize community needs. We believe San Juan County deserves to share in the benefits of the mill’s clean energy future. The council will help us make an impact and improve the lives of members of our community.
Foundation funds will support programs focused on education, the environment, health/wellness, economic advancement, and Native American initiatives. The Foundation has already met the needs of a number of sponsors through donations to the community.
Advisory Board members are: Adriann Shumway Goodwine, Dashelle Holliday, Jenn Keith, Anthony Lott, Lauana Morris and Robert Turk.