Shutdown After Uranium-Tainted Water Spills at Wyoming Mine
CHEYENNE, Wyo. (AP) — A Wyoming uranium mine halted some operations following two spills of water tainted with the radioactive element.
U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission documents show the spills happened at Ur-Energy's Lost Creek mine 70 miles northeast of Rock Springs.
A more than 200,000-gallon spill Aug. 18 is among the biggest on record in Wyoming, the top uranium-producing state. A 10,000-gallon spill Tuesday prompted Littleton, Colorado-based Ur-Energy to partially halt operations.
Federal and state regulators said Friday there is no public health or safety risk because the spills remained on site and contained relatively low levels of uranium.
Lost Creek is an in-situ mine where the nuclear fuel is dissolved underground and pumped to the surface by a network of wells. Ur-Energy officials did not return messages seeking comment.