White Mesa residents to hold 10th annual rally and walk against uranium mill
Organizers call for closure and cleanup of the Energy Fuels mill, while the company says it operates responsibly under regulatory oversight.
Based on reporting by The Times-Independent (Moab). Read the original story →
White Mesa community members will hold their 10th annual rally and spiritual walk Saturday, Oct. 17, to protest the nearby Energy Fuels uranium mill and call for its closure and cleanup, the Times-Independent of Moab reported. [1]
The public is invited to gather at 11 a.m. at the White Mesa Ute Community Center south of Blanding. A rally will precede a walk of about five miles along Highway 191 to the mill turnoff. White Mesa Concerned Community and the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe's Environmental Programs Department sponsor the event. [1]
Organizers cite long-standing concerns about community health, air, water and culturally significant sites near the mill. "Our children need clean water to drink and clean air to breathe," said Yolanda Badback, a cofounder of White Mesa Concerned Community. Bradley Angel of Greenaction for Health and Environmental Justice said in an email that residents worry about uranium-hauling trucks passing through their community and oppose additional waste impoundments. Organizers say expanded impoundments would threaten culturally significant sites. [1]
Energy Fuels said in written responses that it takes concerns about water, air, health and cultural resources seriously. The company said the mill complies with applicable regulations, undergoes ongoing environmental monitoring and supports domestic energy and critical mineral supplies. It said additional impoundments are mainly intended for rare-earth processing and that its license and state and federal laws require protection of archaeological resources and Native American graves. [1]
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This story was written by AI from the report by The Times-Independent (Moab), which has the full story. How we write stories.