Environmental assessment released for uranium mine

MONTROSE, Colo.—The Bureau of Land Management Uncompahgre Field Office received a 3809 Plan of Operations from Rimrock Exploration and Development, Inc. to open a new uranium mine called the J Birds Mine. The proposed mine site is located on Ray Mesa in Montrose County, where surface and mineral estate is managed by the BLM. The proposed site is approximately one mile from the Utah state line and five miles southwest of Paradox, Colorado.

The mine would be developed to extract uranium and vanadium from the Salt Wash Member of the Morrison Formation in the Uravan Mineral Belt. The small underground operation would employ two to three mine workers and produce approximately 20 tons of ore per day.

Two acres of initial disturbance is proposed, with approximately 7.5 acres of surface disturbance proposed over the life of the mine for the mine facilities, which includes the actual site, ventilation holes and waste rock area. Existing county roads in both Utah and Colorado would be used to access the proposed site.

In accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act, the Uncompahgre Field Office has prepared an Environmental Assessment for the proposed Plan of Operations. The purpose of the EA is to evaluate the impacts of the proposed mine upon the environment. The EA and Mine Plan are available for public review at http://www.blm.gov/co/st/en/BLM_Information/nepa/ufo.html, upon request from Lynn Lewis at (970) 240-5300, or at the Uncompahgre Field Office, located at 2465 S. Townsend Avenue in Montrose, Colorado 81401. Written comments should be sent to the Uncompahgre Field Office at the above address. The comment period ends December 15, 2006.

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