From The Denver Post (Bruce Finley):
The proposed Piñon Ridge mill awaits approval by the Colorado Department of Health and Environment. Montrose County commissioners, after 25 hours of hearings, last month issued a local permit. Federal environmental regulators will leave the decision to the state. Energy Fuels executives are preparing to submit a 12-volume application to state health regulators, triggering a technical review.
Here’s the post from October 4 announcing the county’s approval.
From the Grand Junction Sentinel (Dennis Webb):
The Rifle City Council on Wednesday agreed to let Laramie Energy II build two additional drilling pads in the Beaver Creek drainage, where the council last year issued a watershed permit for five Laramie pads, pipelines and associated facilities.
Beaver Creek, south of Rifle, is the city’s best and oldest water supply, said council member Alan Lambert. He said protecting it from Laramie’s operations has been a concern for council members, but Laramie has gone far to address those concerns.
Key steps have included putting in the monitoring system and relocating Beaver Creek Road away from the creek to provide a buffer from possible spills.
From The Pueblo Chieftain (Chris Woodka):
There has been more precipitation this year, so far, than any year since 1990, as measured at the official National Weather Service station at the Pueblo Memorial Airport. In fact, 2009 is on pace to be at least the seventh wettest year on record with more than 15 inches of precipitation so far. The rain has come in bands of storms sweeping across the Rockies onto the Plains since late spring after an abnormally dry April…
This year the runoff peaked three times, creating steady high flows rather than sudden high rushes. The dry years earlier this decade – only 3.94 inches fell in 2002 – left a water deficit that is still be being refilled. Statistically, the average precipitation for this time of year is 11.28 inches. The 15.5 inches Pueblo has received so far this year is almost 6 inches greater than last year’s total at this time. Pueblo averages 12.39 inches per year, with about an inch coming in the final two months.