Mining regulators are being asked to hold a public hearing regarding a permit proposal that calls for changing the status of an idle uranium mine in western New Mexico.
The Mount Taylor mine has been on standby status for more than 20 years. The mine's owner, Rio Grande Resources, announced last month that it plans to ask regulators to change the status to active.
The New Mexico Environmental Law Center says the change in the company's plan is curious given that the market is soft and uranium mines in the U.S. are operating at less than one-third of their capacity.
The law center's clients have also been pushing state mining regulators to require reclamation or cleanup of the mine under the existing standby permit. They are also appealing that permit.
