Public comment opens for Strata amendment

The public comment period has now opened for Strata Energy’s request to change practices at its Lance Projects in-situ uranium mine near Oshoto. The company hopes to switch over to an acidic lixiviant that it believes would vastly improve recovery rates.

The Department of Environmental Quality, Division of Air Quality has provided notice that it proposes to approve the request to install and operate either one or two sulfuric acid storage tanks able to hold a total of 52,000 gallons.

The request was initially submitted over a year ago. Strata explained at the time that its permit to mine only authorizes the use of alkaline and oxidant solutions, but the ore deposit has not proven particularly amenable to these solutions since recovery began in December 2015.

Strata performed a series of bench-scale tests in late 2017 that showed significantly more uranium could be recovered using low concentrations of sulfuric acid. Strata was given permission to perform a small-scale field trial as part of the DEQ’s consideration of the amendment request and preliminary data appears to show positive results.

The DEQ analysis of the amendment request, the permit application and the public notice will be available online at openair.wyo.gov throughout the public comment period. Use facility ID F024065 and permit number P0026078 to search under permits.

Written comments should be directed to Nancy Vehr, Administrator, Division of Air Quality, Department of Environmental Quality, 200 West 17th St., Cheyenne, Wyoming 82002 or by fax (307) 635-1784. Please reference A0008653 in the comment.

Comments cannot be submitted by email. All comments must be received by 5 p.m. on July 29 and a public hearing may then be scheduled if the DEQ believes there is sufficient interest or an aggrieved party requests one.