powertechexposed.com
Information about proposed uranium mining in
northern Colorado and Powertech Uranium Corp.
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POWERTECH vs C.A.R.D. Roundtable Discussion of the proposed Centennial uranium mining project Wednesday, July 8, 7:00 PM Nunn Community Center Gym 185 Lincoln Avenue, Nunn, Colorado Hosted by Mayor Jeffrey Pigue Moderated by CSU Professor Jeff Boulter
Hear Powertech officials make their case for uranium mining: ● How uranium mining will benefit Northern Colorado residents. ● How they can guarantee that leaching fluid containing radionuclides and heavy metals will not contaminate the Fox Hills aquifer, affecting landowners, farmers, ranchers, residents, and other groundwater users. ● Why we should trust that government regulations will protect us from spills, leaks, excursions, and other releases of contaminants. ● Why exposure to uranium is not that big a deal. ● How they plan to extract the millions of pounds of uranium located within Nunn's growth management area without conducting open pit mining.
Hear C.A.R.D. members discuss the risks from uranium mining: ● How no in-situ leach (ISL) uranium mining operation has been able to restore a groundwater aquifer to its pre-mining water quality. ● How ISL uranium mines in other states report numerous spills, leaks, and excursions of leaching fluid contaminated with elevated levels of radionuclides. ● How there is no long-term monitoring of groundwater for migration of contaminants following decommissioning of ISL uranium mines. ● How Powertech plans to dispose of radioactive mine wastewater by spraying it on Northern Colorado fields. ● How Powertech has left well boreholes uncapped and open to contamination of the aquifer from surface runoff and other sources. ● How long-term exposure to uranium and its decay products, including radium, leads to increased incidence of human disease. ● Why we cannot simply rely on federal and state regulations to protect the Fox Hills aquifer from contamination from ISL uranium mining. ● How Powertech is attempting to gut the provisions of Colorado House Bill 08-1161 that established more stringent standards for ISL uranium mining. |
Antelope Hill Blog
June 14, 2009 - The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission has identified five material deficiencies in Powertech's application for a license to conduct in-situ leach uranium mining at its Dewey-Burdock project near Edgemont, South Dakota.
Powertech submitted the license application on February 25, 2009, and NRC staff conducted an acceptance review that ended with a May 26 phone conference with Powertech informing the company of the problems.
According to an NRC notice, the material deficiencies in Powertech's application relate to hydrogeology/site characterization, waste disposal, well field locations and layout, protection of water resources, and operations information.
In a
May 28 letter to the NRC,
Powertech Vice-President Richard Blubaugh stated that "While Powertech
may not fully agree with NRC Staff's conclusions regarding the
nature of the identified issues, we would like to schedule a meeting
with NRC Staff as soon
as possible after June 9, 2009."
(According to NRC document NUREG-1569, "The applicant’s....failure to supply information requested by the staff to complete the review (10 CFR 2.108) is also grounds for denial of the application.")
NRC staff and Powertech attorneys and officials including Chairman Wallace Mays met on June 11 to discuss the problems with the application. Interested members of the public participated in the meeting via teleconference.
According to a participant and related news coverage, the meeting concluded with NRC staff declaring that the application was incomplete, and that if Powertech did not withdraw the application the NRC would send a rejection letter. Powertech is expected to respond in a week or two.
The problems with the application are numerous, and will likely take some time to correct. According to a participant who monitored the meeting, the deficiencies include:
- Inadequate characterization of the hydrology and geology of the site, and lack of information to support conclusions.
- Inadequate descriptions of where ISL mining would actually occur. Apparently, Powertech has not conducted enough exploratory drilling to identify all of the specific ore bodies it intends to mine.
- Insufficient detail regarding waste disposal methods. (For a letter from the Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality rejecting an overture from Powertech to pump wastewater across the state line for disposal in a deep injection well, go here.)
- Uncertainty regarding ISL mining in unconfined aquifers.
- Questions concerning aquifers that may serve as sources of drinking water.
The meeting participant said Powertech cited the high cost of exploration drilling and testing as a reason why additional information was not provided to the NRC.
Correcting the application's deficiencies will delay permitting of the project. Powertech has made permitting of Dewey-Burdock its number one priority after last year's passage of House Bill 08-1161 by the Colorado legislature and subsequent rulemaking delayed the submittal of permit applications for the Centennial project in northern Colorado. In addition, Powertech has so far been unable to obtain approvals for a final aquifer pump test needed to collect data for its Colorado and EPA applications.
Presumably, Powertech has been counting on progress with its Dewey-Burdock permit applications to convince investors to provide more venture capital. Since the company has yet to file its March 31 fiscal year-end financial statements with Canadian securities regulators, its cash position is unclear. The NRC's non-acceptance of Powertech's application for Dewey Burdock will undoubtedly be seen as bad news by investors.
JW
May 16, 2009 (Updated June 28, 2009) - The photo below shows a Powertech drill rig on Section 33, north of Weld County Road 110 between county roads 17 and 19. The site is about 7 miles northeast of Wellington. The drilling is authorized under a state Notice of Intent to Conduct Prospecting (P-2008-043). According to Powertech, the wells being drilled on Section 33 will be used to conduct an aquifer pump test to collect data for mine permit applications.
During the proposed pump test, water would be continuously pumped from the target aquifer to the surface for up to six days. About 170,000 gallons of water would be removed and stored for later disposal. Water levels in observation wells would be measured for drawdown, providing data on how much water can be transmitted horizontally through the aquifer, labeled the A2 Sand by Powertech. Observation wells in overlying and underlying aquifers would be monitored to determine whether the ore-bearing aquifer is confined or whether vertical leakage during mining is possible.
Pump tests are required to determine if in-situ leach mining is economically feasible and whether ISL mining is likely to contaminate other aquifers. The data are also used to design optimum wellfield configurations.
The purpose of the tanker trucks in the photo is unknown, although they may contain fluid for hydraulic fracturing of the wells. A hydrofracturing truck from The Well Improvement Company Inc., a Fort Collins firm, was seen leaving Section 33 on the day the photo was taken (May 5, 2009). Hydraulic fracturing is a form of "well stimulation" commonly used in the oil and gas industry to increase fluid flow into wells. A fracture fluid is injected under extremely high pressure to create or expand cracks in the underground rock formation. Sand or ceramic beads are added to the fracture fluid to prop open the resulting cracks. These "proppants" have a higher permeability than the surrounding rock formation and provide a conduit for fluids to flow to or from the well.
It is unclear whether Powertech is conducting hydrofracturing on these wells since little public information is available on the proposed pump test and related drilling.
(Note: On May 29, 2009, I received an email from a Wyoming driller who observed that the activity in the photo above could not include hydraulic fracturing because the well was still being drilled and because several more water trucks would be required to provide the required volume of fracture fluid. It should be noted that there are other Powertech wells on this section of land, and also that the Well Improvement Company Inc. has developed a "scaled-down version of the oil field techniques" that uses only 2,000 gallons of fluid.)
In fact, the company has not sought or received approval from the Colorado Division of Reclamation, Mining and Safety (DRMS) for the pump test. Only a brief discussion of the proposed pump test was included in Powertech's March 4, 2009 submittal to the DRMS requesting approval of a second modification to NOI P-2008-043.
In its letter, Powertech simply announced that it would be conducting a pump test. The purpose of the submittal was to seek approval for disposal of the pump test water in an unlined infiltration pit. Since the pump test would be conducted in a part of the aquifer containing uranium deposits, the wastewater would have elevated levels of uranium and radium.
Because this wastewater might migrate into the shallow, higher-quality Laramie Formation aquifer, there are concerns about this disposal method. Concerned landowners and members of the public as well as Weld County officials submitted comments to the DRMS questioning the wisdom of this proposal. In response, the DRMS requested additional technical information from Powertech and directed the company to respond to the concerns of landowners and county officials.
Powertech's reaction was to withdraw the infiltration pit proposal and complain that the DRMS is not authorized to accept and respond to comments by local governments and the public regarding prospecting activities.
Powertech is now proposing that it would store the pump test wastewater in metal tanks and then inject it back into the A2 formation aquifer. Under federal regulations, Powertech would have to obtain a Class V Underground Injection Control permit from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
According to Valois Shea from the EPA's Region 8 office in Denver, Powertech has already submitted a Class V permit application. If the application is deemed complete, the EPA will review the application and prepare a draft permit (if it chooses not to deny.) The draft permit and a "Statement of Basis" will be released and public notice will be given. After a 30-day public comment period, a public hearing will be held. The hearing may take place in Nunn, Wellington, or Greeley, and could happen as early as July.
The EPA must review and respond to public comments. If the application is approved, a final permit is drafted and issued along with the administrative record. The permit is effective in 30 days unless appealed and stayed.
Presumably, Powertech must still submit an application to the DRMS for an NOI modification for injection of the wastewater. Whether the DRMS must approve the pump test itself is an open question.
JW
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The Future for Northern Colorado?
Radiation warning sign outside of Crow Butte in-situ leach uranium mining facility, located near Crawford, Nebraska. Crow Butte is owned by Cameco Corp., a Canadian company. Photo courtesy of the Lakota Media Project of Owe Aku.
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U.S. Dept. of Energy plans to sell 50 million pounds of excess uranium in next ten years
Yearly sales to exceed total amount of uranium mined in U.S. in 2007; political "full-court press" by uranium mining industry fails to stop DOE action; Powertech backs group opposed to DOE plans, touts U.S energy independence while agreeing to sell uranium to Belgian firm; Powertech chairman contracts to sell uranium to government of India
Posted January 7, 2009
Powertech pays brother-in-law of South Dakota governor to promote Dewey Burdock ISL uranium mine
Governor Mike Rounds claims he didn't know
Posted December 7, 2008
Atomic Energy Act may prohibit a foreign company from operating ISL mines
Nuclear Regulatory Commission to make determination in Nebraska mine license renewal case; national security issues to be considered; decision could affect Powertech and the Centennial Project
Posted November 26, 2008, Updated November 28, 2008
Powertech releases financial statements, delays Centennial Project permitting
Posted November 22, 2008, Updated/Corrected November 25, 2008
Uranium price crash begins to take its toll
Posted November 14, 2008
Report by hydrogeologist finds Texas in-situ uranium mines have been unable to restore ground water aquifers to premining water quality
Posted October 24, 2008, Updated March 30, 2009
Powertech and other uranium stocks headed lower due to hedge fund sell-offs and credit crisis
Posted October 12, 2008
"Most comprehensive report ever compiled" on ISL uranium mine restoration shows water is worse than before mining started at most mines
Posted September 23, 2008
RESOLUTION REDUX: Governing bodies of Fort Collins, Greeley, Wellington, Timnath, and Ault come out forcefully against in-situ leach and open pit uranium mining in northern Colorado
For the first time, five local government resolutions are published in one place
Posted September 21, 2008
Why I created powertechexposed.com
This site is dedicated to uncovering the facts surrounding Powertech Uranium Corp.'s proposal to mine uranium in Weld County, Colorado. Furthermore, its purpose is to protect the health, environment, property, and livelihoods of residents, landowners, and business owners by petitioning elected officials and government agencies on this matter of heightened public concern.
My family and I live on the prairie between the towns of Wellington and Nunn, Colorado. Our land is about two miles west of the area that Powertech wants to mine. Our water, and all our neighbors' water, comes from wells drilled into the Laramie-Fox Hills aquifer.
After reviewing the history of uranium mining by the in situ leach and open pit methods, my opinion is that this project would likely contaminate the groundwater aquifer used by hundreds of well owners, disperse windblown radioactive dust over the Fort Collins/Wellington/Nunn/Ault area, and negatively impact the real estate market and general economic prosperity of this part of northern Colorado.
Powertech proposes to mine on at least twelve sections of land, roughly 7,000 acres, located between the City of Fort Collins and the towns of Wellington, Nunn, and Ault. One of the mining areas is six miles from the city limits of Fort Collins, and much of the mining area is located within the proposed growth management area of the town of Nunn.
The proposed project is generally referred to as the Centennial Project. In fact, it is two projects: The "Indian Springs" project consists of the seven northern sections where in situ leach mining is proposed. The "Centennial" project includes the five southern sections of land slated for sand and gravel mining followed by conventional open-pit uranium mining.
At the July 19, 2007 open house in Nunn, Powertech representatives suggested the company is considering an untested alternative to open-pit mining on the southern sections - flooding the area to saturate the shallow uranium deposits, followed by "modified" in situ leaching. Powertech officials admit that this flooding process has never been attempted.
The Canadian corporation, incorporated in 1984 as Ararat Oil & Minerals Inc., has for most of its existence been a manufacturer of boilers and water heaters. In May 2006, control of the publicly-traded shell corporation was transferred to the current goup of managers who announced that the company was now in the uranium mining business. However, Powertech has never mined uranium, has never realized revenue from mining uranium, and has never obtained a permit to conduct uranium mining.
It has, however, raised more than $23 million in Europe and Canada by promoting and selling penny stock to investors. The promotion of Powertech has been orchestrated from its head office in Centennial, Colorado and its corporate office in Vancouver, British Columbia. The Vancouver address has been shared by at least six other Canadian penny stock firms in the recent past.
Jim Woodward
Wellington, Colorado, USA
Proposed Uranium Mining Next to Fort Collins, Colorado
One of Powertech's proposed open pit uranium mine sites is 6 miles northeast of Fort Collins' city limits, 6 miles due east of the Fort Collins Soccer Club Complex, 4 miles northeast of Cobb Lake, 5 miles due east of the Colorado State University Agricultural Research, Development and Education Center, 6 miles northeast of the Anheuser Busch Brewery, 2 miles north of Black Hollow Reservoir, 8 miles northeast of the Fort Collins Country Club and Long Pond, and 9 miles northeast of Lindenmeier Lake. (large map)
Thank you
Thanks to the friends, neighbors, public officials, anonymous sources, Powertech employees and contractors, and others who provide inspiration, ideas, and content for this site - your contributions are greatly appreciated.
Quote:
"Located just 10 miles from
the booming college town of Fort Collins, the proposed Centennial mine
is unusual for a North American uranium project in that it’s close to a
population center. Most of the mines worked in the 1950s and ‘60s
were in southwestern Colorado, a region of
mesas, deep river canyons, and few people." from
"The Uranium Boom Hits Western U.S."
by Richard Martin, energytribune.com. Energy Tribune is a
website providing news and analysis to investors in energy stocks.
Posted May 26, 2008
Site updated July 2, 2009
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Updated June 30, 2009
Administrative Record for Class V Underground Injection Control permit applied for by Powertech for disposal of wastewater produced by proposed aquifer pump test northeast of Weld County Roads 17 and 110 - U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region 8 - as of June 15, 2009 Note: Documents include Powertech's permit application and cover letter, the EPA's draft permit and cover letter, Statement of Basis, public notice, and Powertech's 2007 technical report on the Centennial Project.
News Release - "Powertech to amend Dewey-Burdock NRC license application" - Powertech Uranium Corp. - June 16, 2009 (PDF 118 KB) Note: The Powertech spin machine is running full bore in this news release about its deficient NRC permit application for the Dewey-Burdock project in South Dakota. During an initial review, the NRC found several substantial "material deficiencies" that relate to the central question of whether the proposed mining may contaminate ground water. Powertech downplays the deficiencies by characterizing them as "five areas out of literally 100s of issues", and that Powertech simply needs to "clarify" the issues. Powertech also asserts that it is voluntarily withdrawing the application to amend it. In fact, NRC staff was clear that the agency would reject the application if it was not withdrawn. (See the June 14 blog entry for more details.)
Opinion guest column - "In-situ mining remediation not as reliable as you think" by Howard Williams, Greeley Tribune - May 21, 2009 Note: Mr. Williams gives an overview of the 2008 report by hydrogeologist Bruce Darling on 27 Texas in-situ leach uranium mines where groundwater restoration standards were relaxed by Texas environmental officials after mine operators were unable to return elevated levels of uranium and other heavy metals back to baseline pre-mining levels. As Williams points out, five of these mines are cited on Powertech's website as examples of ISL operations that successfully cleaned up the aquifers. For a posting on Dr. Darling's report and Powertech's claims, go here.
News story - "State writing in-situ mining regulations" by JoAn Bjarko, The Wellington newspaper (Wellington, Colorado) - June 10, 2009 (PDF 217 KB) (HTML) Note: This article is about the Colorado Division of Reclamation, Mining and Safety's recently-started rulemaking process for House Bill 08-1161 and related legislation. For the first time, Powertech CEO Richard Clement says the company will not apply for mining permits for the Centennial Project until the rulemaking is completed. It is unlikely that the rulemaking process will be completed before the end of the year, and it could easily extend into 2010.
Opinion column - "Best propaganda may determine uranium debate" by Erik Rush, Fort Collins Coloradoan - May 20, 2009 Note: Mr. Rush, a conservative, discusses the fact that many conservatives, including farmers, ranchers, and hunters, are concerned about the environment. He does not take a position on the Centennial Project and expresses skepticism about the information coming from both Powertech and project opponents.
Special Use Permit Application - Pinon Ridge Mill Facility, Montrose County, Colorado - Energy Fuels Resources Corporation - April 14, 2009 (PDF 429 KB) Note: Powertech CEO Richard Clement has asserted in several public forums that his company would never ship Colorado uranium overseas because transactions between U.S. operations and foreign entities are done using "book transfers", and the uranium never leaves the U.S. This land use application is for a proposed uranium mill in Montrose County. In Section 4.4.1, the company discusses trucking yellowcake to a Texas port and then transporting it by ship to conversion plants in Europe. Powertech has signed an option agreement to sell uranium to a Belgian firm, and Chairman Wallace Mays has a side agreement to sell uranium to the government of India.
Notification of excursion at Monitor Well IM-8, Smith Ranch-Highland ISL uranium operation, Glenrock, Wyoming - Cameco Resources - April 21, 2009 (PDF 193 KB) Note: An excursion is an escape of leaching fluid from the mining zone. There have been four reported excursions at the Smith Ranch-Highland in-situ uranium mine since November 2008 (well numbers: CM-15, IM-10, IM-14, and IM-8). Since there is no secondary monitor well system, there is no way to determine how far the leaching fluid may have migrated. It is unknown if these monitor wells are still on excursion status or if the releases have been corrected.
Proposed amendments to the Colorado Mineral Rules and Regulations for Hard Rock, Metal, and Designated Mining Operations (rulemaking to implement House Bill 08-1161, Senate Bill 08-228, and Senate Bill 08-169) - Colorado Division of Reclamation, Mining and Safety - May 22, 2009 (PDF 397 KB) Note: This is the first publicly-released draft of proposed rules to implement HB-1161. It was developed by DRMS staff as well as attorneys from the Colorado Attorney General's office. For more information on the rulemaking process, go to the DRMS' rulemaking page.
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| POWERTECH URANIUM CORP. | |
| Stock price (CAD) | $0.46 (6/23/09) |
| Stock price (USD) | $0.40 (6/23/09) |
| Market capitalization | $22,227,365 USD |
| Uranium mined since inception | none |
| Mining permits held | none |
| Mining permits applied for - CO | none |
| Mining permits applied for - SD | 2 |
| Operating revenue since inception | $0.00 |
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URANIUM PRICES (USD) |
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| Uranium spot price | $54.00 per pound (6/22/09 - source) |
| Uranium long-term price | $70.00 per pound (source) |
| Weighted-average uranium price paid by US civilian nuclear power plant operators in 2008 | $45.88 per pound (source) |
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The company is listed on the Canadian TSX Exchange under the symbol PWE (PWE-T)and on the Frankfurt Exchange under the symbol P8A (P8A.F). It is quoted on the OTC Bulletin Board and the Pink Sheets under the symbol PWURF. Powertech is not listed on a U.S. stock exchange.
TORONTO STOCK EXCHANGE (TSX) PWE-T share price: $0.46 CAD (June 23, 2009 - Down 3.16% from previous day) Volume: 14,800 52-wk. intra-day high: $1.40 CAD (7/2/08) 52-wk. intra-day low: $0.17 CAD (10/23/08) All-time high: $4.45 CAD (3/23/07) Shares outstanding: 55,429,020 Market cap: $25,497,349 CAD $1.00 CAD = $0.87 US (6/23/09)
Data from TSX Group
FRANKFURT STOCK EXCHANGE - OPEN MARKET P8A.F share price: €0.28 EUR (June 23, 2009) €1.00 Euro = $1.41 US (6/23/09)
1-year P8A (euros) Data from Deutsche Börse Group |
Spot price of U3O8 yellowcake as of June 22, 2009:
$54.00 per pound (Up 1.9% from previous week)
Source: www.uxc.com
Uranium does not trade on an open market like other commodities. Buyers and sellers negotiate contracts privately. Prices are published by independent market consultants Ux Consulting and TradeTech.
Will the Belgians throw good money after bad? (Apparently so.)
On June 4, 2008, Belgian firm Synatom invested $9 million CAD in Powertech Uranium Corp. Six million shares of stock were issued at $1.50 CAD per share. The value of Synatom's stake has dropped to $2.76 million CAD as of June 23, 2009. Synatom's investment has fallen 69% for an unrealized loss of $6.24 million CAD.
See story:
Powertech sells off part of company to European multinational corporation - Canadian firm to get $9 million cash injection from Societe Belge De Combustibles Nucleaires Synatom SA, a subsidiary of Electrabel/SUEZ Group
Posted June 3, 2008
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When uranium mining goes wrong
Is this the future of northwestern Weld County?
Source: http://www.epa.gov/region09/waste/sfund/navajo-nation/contaminated-water.html
The No Uranium Song - written and performed by Russ Hopkins. Order your CD here. Download an MP3 for $1.00 here. All proceeds to benefit C.A.R.D. in the fight against uranium mining in northern Colorado.
Note to Powertech's attorneys:
The First Amendment to the US Constitution: Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.