A rapid 14-day environmental review has seen a new uranium mine approved in Utah. The endorsement is part of a refreshed Trump administration process to fast-track permissions for energy and mining projects.
The Velvet-Wood uranium project received a green light on Friday. It is owned and operated by the Canadian company Anfield Energy.
The approval tick comes 11 days after the Interior Department ordered the Bureau of Land Management to review the mine’s environmental impacts within two weeks, as opposed to the prior timeline of months or years.
The dynamic new approach has been expected since President Donald Trump declared a national energy emergency back in January and reversed previous mining restrictions embraced by his Democrat predecessor.
From talk of acquiring Greenland and its vast mineral wealth to prodding Ukraine for minerals in exchange for help fending off Russia’s invasion, Trump has made the raw materials that drive modern life a pillar of his policies – foreign and domestic.
“This approval marks a turning point in how we secure America’s mineral future,” said Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum in a statement as seen by the Salt Lake Tribune.
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“By streamlining the review process for critical mineral projects like Velvet-Wood, we’re reducing dependence on foreign adversaries and ensuring our military, medical and energy sectors have the resources they need to thrive.
“This is mineral security in action.”
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