Lander Field Office
| Contacts: | Sarah Beckwith | |||
| 307-347-5207 |
BLM Hosts Gas Hills Uranium Mining Meeting
The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Lander Field Office and its cooperating agencies will meet to discuss the proposed Gas Hills uranium project on Tues., March 29 from 8:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. in the Washakie Room at the Rothwell Training Center in Lander.
Agencies that have been invited to participate include Fremont and Natrona county commissioners, local conservation districts, the State of Wyoming and federal agencies including the Environmental Protection Agency. Members of the public are invited to observe the proceedings and will be given the opportunity to comment and ask questions at the end of the meeting.
The purpose of the meeting is to identify alternative mining methods and strategies for analysis. Cameco proposes to conduct in situ recovery (ISR) uranium exploration and development in the Gas Hills Unit, approximately 50 miles east of Riverton and 85 miles west of Casper. The project area includes 7,940 acres of federal surface, 161 acres of state and 394 acres of private lands. The total subsurface federal mineral estate is 8,006 acres. Uranium has been mined from this area since the early 1950s.
The BLM initially sought public comments and held open houses to discuss the proposed project in fall 2010 and will now begin to prepare an environmental impact statement (EIS) to analyze Cameco’s proposed project. Project information and documents can be viewed at: http://www.blm.gov/wy/st/en/info/NEPA/lfodocs/gashills.html.
To reach the Rothwell Training Center, turn east on Leedy Blvd. from Hwy. 789 north of Lander. Turn left at the first street then right into the parking lot. The Rothwell Training Center is across 1st Ave. from the parking lot.
For more information, please contact Kristin Yannone, BLM Project Leader, at 307-332-8400.
The BLM manages more than 245 million acres of public land, the most of any Federal agency. This land, known as the National System of Public Lands, is primarily located in 12 Western states, including Alaska. The BLM also administers 700 million acres of sub-surface mineral estate throughout the nation. In Fiscal Year (FY) 2011, recreational and other activities on BLM-managed land contributed more than $130 billion to the U.S. economy and supported more than 600,000 American jobs. The Bureau is also one of a handful of agencies that collects more revenue than it spends. In FY 2012, nearly $5.7 billion will be generated on lands managed by the BLM, which operates on a $1.1 billion budget. The BLM's multiple-use mission is to sustain the health and productivity of the public lands for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations. The Bureau accomplishes this by managing such activities as outdoor recreation, livestock grazing, mineral development, and energy production, and by conserving natural, historical, cultural, and other resources on public lands.
Lander Field Office 1335 Main Street Lander, WY 82520