Denison Mines hopes to amend operations

Denison Mines has asked the Forest Service and BLM to approve a Plan of Operations Amendment (POA) at its La Sal Mines Complex in San Juan County. The POA proposes the construction of additional mine vents, access roads, ongoing exploration drilling, expansion of an existing development rock area and a compilation of earlier Plans of Operation.
Denison owns four underground uranium mines in the complex, the Pandora Mine, the La Sal Mine, the Snowball Mine and the Beaver Shaft Mine.
The Forest Service is proposing to allow the activities proposed by Denison on the Moab/Monticello Ranger District of the Manti-La Sal National Forest. Although the two federal agencies have conducted a joint environmental assessment, each will make a separate decision regarding activities on land it manages. The BLM and Forest Service conducted scoping on the project in January.
The proposed mining operations on Forest land are located on the south side of Pine Ridge approximately three miles east of La Sal. Up to 48 acres of surface disturbance on Forest Service land may occur under the proposed amendment. The mining company wants to install up to 14 mine vents on the Forest, continue exploration drilling, and construct access roads necessary to support these projects and continued mining for the next 20 years.
The La Sal Mines Complex has been in operation since the 1970s and was previously operated by Atlas Minerals Corporation and Umetco Minerals. Denison Mines is currently producing ore at the complex, rehabilitating existing workings, extending underground workings at Pandora and Beaver Shaft mines, reestablishing mine ventilation and improving surface facilities.
The proposed POA is available online at: http://www.fs.fed.us/r4/mantilasal/projects
The Forest Service invites the public to comment on its proposed action. The decision is subject to appeal. Those who commented on this project during the initial scoping period ending January 31, 2011 must do so again if they wish to have appeal eligibility on the Forest Service decision.
Written comments may be sent to or delivered to: Pamela Brown, Forest Supervisor, Manti-La Sal National Forest, 599 West Price River Drive, UT 84501; phone: (435) 636-3561, fax: (435) 637-4940; e-mail: comments-intermtn-manti-lasal-moab-monticello@fs.fed.us.
The opportunity to comment ends 30 days following the date of publication of the legal notice in the Sun Advocate.
For more information or detail, contact Joel Nowak, Team Leader, Monticello Ranger District, P.O. Box 820, 432 East Center St., Monticello, UT 84535; e-mail: joelnowak@fs.fed.us

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