The Bureau of Land Management Grand Junction Field Office Thursday released the Environmental Assessment (EA) for the proposed uranium mine on public lands located west of Gateway.

The public will have until June 20 to review and offer comments on the document.

Energy Fuels Resources seeks to reopen two reclaimed underground mines, the Urantah Decline and Packrat Mine, combining the mines into one operation called the Whirlwind Mine.

The mines are located on unpatented claims in both Mesa County, and Grand County, Utah.

“We received 14 comments that were considered in developing this EA, and it’s taken a significant amount of time to analyze the impacts of full-scale ore extraction,” said Field Manager Catherine Robertson.

“I think we’ve done a thorough job on the EA, but public review will help us make improvements where they might be needed.”

The BLM’s role in the approval process, as the administrator of public lands, is only part of a complex planning process for Energy Fuels Resources.

The company was also required to submit a Mesa County Conditional Use Application, which is similar in content to the Plan of Operations submitted to the BLM.

This application was evaluated and approved earlier this year by the county. The 112(d) Permit Application, also similar in content to the plan of operations and required of the company, was submitted to the Colorado Division of Reclamation, Mining and Safety and approved by the state in February 2008.

The EA and associated documents may be viewed online at www.blm.gov/co (select Grand Junction on interactive map). Comments specific to the BLM’s EA may be submitted electronically to gjfo_mail@blm.gov, or by mail to BLM Whirlwind Mine EA, 2815 H Road, Grand Junction, CO 81506.

To facilitate a successful planning effort, BLM requests that you make comments as specific as possible and include suggested changes, sources, methodologies, and reference to a section or page number. For more information, call BLM Geologist Scott Gerwe at (970) 244-3077.