HomeMy WebLinkAbout2007-108-12/04/2007-EXPRESSING COUNCILS OPPOSITION TO THE MINING OF URANIUM IN THE VICINITY OF NUNN, COLORADO RESOLUTION 2007-108
OF THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF FORT COLLINS
EXPRESSING COUNCIL'S OPPOSITION TO THE
MINING OF URANIUM IN THE VICINITY OF NUNN, COLORADO
WHEREAS, Canadian company PowerTech Uranium Corporation ("PowerTech") is
considering a uranium mining operation across nearly 6000 acres of land in the vicinity of Nunn,
Colorado,about 11 miles northeast of Fort Collins,known as the Centennial Project(the"Project");
and
WHEREAS, Powertech has indicated that it will start the permitting process for the Project
in mid-2008; and
WHEREAS,Powertech proposes to extract the uranium in-situ,meaning that uranium will
be dissolved out of porous sands located deep underground and brought to the surface for processing;
and
WHEREAS, Powertech has not ruled out extracting some uranium using open-pit mining
techniques; and
WHEREAS,in-situ uranium mining is a newer method of mining uranium,and research has
shown that the environmental impacts and threats to public health and safety posed b the process
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are significant; and
WHEREAS, in-situ leaching mining holds inherent risks, including but not limited to the
possible contamination of groundwater and degradation of natural groundwater conditions through
the groundwater restoration process utilized after completion of the leaching operations; and
WHEREAS,because the mining operations involved in the in-situ process and the potential
damage caused by such process occur below the surface, early detection of such problems may not
be possible; and
WHEREAS, the Project will be located in an area near Fort Collins which is experiencing
rapid population growth; and
WHEREAS, the City Council believes that the Colorado North Front Range and, in
particular,the site presently under consideration by PowerTech is not a suitable location for uranium
mining, both because the level of risk to the environment and to the health and safety of area
residents that is presented by uranium mining cannot be determined with any degree of certainty and
because the presence of such an operation in the proposed location will almost certainly have a
detrimental effect on the image and economic well-being of the City; and
WHEREAS,for those reasons,the City Council is strongly opposed to the Project and wishes
to convey its concerns and position of opposition to those county,state and federal agencies that may
review the Project.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF FORT
COLLINS as follows:
Sectionl. That the Council hereby expresses its strong opposition to in-situ, open pit,
and leach mining projects such as the proposed Centennial Project and urges all county, state and
federal agencies involved in the permitting process for such projects to recognize that locating such
projects along the North Front Range and in close proximity to the City of Fort Collins is ill advised
because it may well be injurious to the health, safety and/or welfare of the residents in the area and
do irreparable harm to the economic and environmental well-being of the City of Fort Collins.
Section 2. That for the foregoing reasons,the Council further urges such agencies to deny
any and all permits applications for such projects.
Passed and adopted at a regular meeting of the Co f the City of Fort C pins this 4th
day of December, A.D. 2007.
Mayo
ATTEST:
City Clerk