ACanadian mining firm Uranium Energy Corp. (UEC) has submitted a plan of operations to the U.S. Bureau of Land Management to drill 127 exploration holes for uranium in the Chama Valley of northern New Mexico, an area sacred to several Pueblo tribes.
The proposal covers 3,400 acres of public land about 40 miles north of Santa Fe. UEC says the area contains high-grade uranium deposits that could supply domestic nuclear reactors. 'This is a strategic resource for American energy independence,' said UEC CEO Amir Adnani.
But the All Pueblo Council of Governors passed a resolution opposing the project, citing contamination from historic uranium mining that has left a legacy of cancer and birth defects in the region. 'We have been poisoned before. We will not allow it to happen again,' said Laguna Pueblo Governor Wilfred Herrera.
Regulatory review underway
The BLM has opened a 60-day public comment period and will prepare an Environmental Assessment. However, the Trump administration's 2025 executive order expediting domestic mineral production could accelerate approval.
Environmental groups note that groundwater in the Chama Valley feeds the Rio Grande, a drinking water source for 1 million people. 'Uranium mining is never safe, especially not in a watershed,' said Tannis Fox of the Western Environmental Law Center.
We have been poisoned before. We will not allow it to happen again. This land is not a sacrifice zone.
If approved, drilling could begin as early as 2027. The company says it would use modern in-situ recovery methods that minimize surface disturbance, but opponents remain unconvinced.
