BLM approves uranium mining plan in southwest Wyoming

The Bureau of Land Management has approved a suburban Denver company's plan for uranium mining in southwest Wyoming.

The decision on Ur-Energy Inc.'s proposed Lost Creek mine could be appealed, but the company said Friday it plans to start construction this month.

The approved plan involves in-situ mining, in which an oxidizing solution is injected underground to dissolve the mineral, and the solution is pumped to the surface through hundreds of wells. The plan approved by the BLM calls for the solution to be dried into solid yellowcake on site, reducing transportation-related impacts on the air and wildlife.