Friday, December 04, 2009

Colorado On Cusp Of Approving First New Uranium Mill Since Cold War

With all of the focus on global warming/climate change and the need to find reliable energy sources that can produce power in sufficient quantities to meet existing and predicted demand, nuclear power is seeing something of a resurgence. Some countries, like China, are looking at nuclear power in a serious way and are in the midst of acquiring sources for uranium to power all the power plants they expect to build in the coming decade.

The US is also looking at nuclear power, but opposition remains steadfast. In Colorado, a private corporation is one permit away from being able to break ground on the first new uranium mill since the Cold War. It would produce uranium for power plants the world over, and given that prices for uranium per pound are currently $46 and expected to rise to over $70 within a few years, it's a good bet.

There are four mills currently in the US, although one is not actively producing uranium because of the recovery costs.

I've detailed some of the issues in the past and have included two books on the subject in my reading lists, Uranium: War, Energy and the Rock That Shaped the World and Atomic Awakening.

Yet, we've got noted experts like Daryl Hannah opposed to a power source that would produce zero emissions and would be capable of leading to a revolution in powering our national economy.

The US remains the world's largest consumer of uranium, while Russia is the largest producer.

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