There is no potential environmental impact that would prevent the licencing of the proposed Dewey-Burdock uranium recovery project in South Dakota, the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has concluded in its final supplementary environmental impact statement.
The facility would use an in-situ recovery process to extract uranium from underground ore and convert it into yellowcake for use in the production of nuclear fuel.
A licence application was submitted on 10 August 2009 by Powertech Inc. for the construction, operation and eventual decommissioning of the facility.
In March 2013, the NRC approved the safety aspects of the licence application in a separate review.
The current statement is the final part of the NRC report, which analyses the potential environmental impact of the project and strategies to reduce or avoid any negative effects on the environment.
A review of the project’s potential impact on historic and cultural resources is still being carried out.
Later this year, the NRC atomic safety and licencing board will organise a hearing for people who have raised concerns about the project.