The White Mesa Mill in San Juan County is seeking permits to import radioactive waste from Estonia, a northern European country with a population less than half that of the state of Utah.
The mill, located near the Ute Mountain town of White Mesa, is the only operational uranium mill in the United States. Since there have not been any active uranium mines in Utah since 2012, the mill currently processes ore and radioactive waste from out of state. As a consequence, the White Mesa Mill has changed its business model from processing ore to becoming a de facto radioactive waste disposal site.
The Trump administration is trying to jump-start domestic uranium mining in the Bears Ears and Grand Canyon areas.
This is an excerpt from our July Environews column. View the full article here.