Longtime uranium entrepreneur George Glasier is back in business with a fresh proposal to develop a mine and mill in Utah’s Emery County. The projects would use new and efficient technologies for extracting ore from the ground and separating out the uranium and vanadium — systems that rely on water rather than the hazardous chemicals used in conventional processes.
But environmental activists are doubtful Glasier will secure necessary permits anytime soon, if ever.
A founder of Energy Fuels Inc., Glacier acquired some of that company’s properties to start a Canada-based company called Western Uranium & Vanadium Corp. in 2014.
In a news release issued Monday, Western unveiled its latest plans, saying it acquired land for the proposed mill with the support of state and local officials and initiated permitting processes. This mill would also be capable of processing cobalt, a critical element that is used in electric vehicles.
“We’ve got the probably the best uranium-vanadium properties in Colorado …