This is the first project in the US approved under the department’s accelerated review process.
“By streamlining the review process for critical mineral projects such as velvet wood, we reduce dependence on foreign enemies and ensure that the military, healthcare and energy sectors have the resources they need to thrive.
The Trump administration has had an advantage in domestic energy generation. President Donald Trump has ordered the agency to accelerate domestic energy projects, focusing on nuclear energy, through multiple memorandums and executive orders.
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The US’s current inadequate development of domestic energy resources has made the nation “vulnerable to hostile foreign actors” and raised a “immediate, growing threat” to the country’s national security and prosperity, the president’s actions said.
With the final environmental assessment completed, Anfield Energy, which operates the Velvetwood mine, has all the necessary approvals from the DOI to resume operations.
The Velvet-Wood project “will bring new jobs and infrastructure to the area, reopen and expand existing underground mines, and restore the land once mining is complete,” Doi said. “Most of the work will be carried out underground, targeting known mineral deposits remaining from previous operations.”
Currently, the US relies heavily on foreign imports to meet the demand for uranium and vanadium.
Imports account for 99% of the uranium concentrates used by US nuclear generators in 2023, according to a January 30 statement from the Energy Information Administration (EIA).
According to the EIA, the US had incentives and favorable trade policies to promote domestic uranium production until the 1980s. However, production plunged sharply after policy ended in the 1980s.
Regarding Vanadium, almost half of US consumption last year was explained by imports, according to DOI.
Nuclear Energy Push
The project’s accelerated permit process attracted criticism from activist groups.
In a statement on April 24, the Sierra Club, an environmental advocacy group, criticized the DOI policy, saying the reduction in permitting time was “troublingly short.”
“These optional time limits provide a complete review of risks that are not possible for potentially dangerous projects,” said Athan Manuel, director of the Lands Protection Program at Sierra Club.
“Tinsel reviews mean that the true dangers of a project can only be known when thousands of people are dangerously contaminated.”
Group president Rich Nolan said the US has the second-longest timeline around the world for providing mines online for 29 years.
This long-term timeline has weakened America’s mining competitiveness and pushed the country into “surprising” dependence on mineral imports, he said.
“The current situation regarding US permits is not a starter, and our tedious process has been a long-standing enabler of China’s global mineral domination,” added Nolan.
“This streamlined process will enable us to better compete with China, advance responsible projects, supply responsibly sourced materials to our supply chain, ensuring we meet the materials and energy needs of modern life.”
Orders require rapid tracking of new licenses for nuclear power plants and reactors.
The Nuclear Regulation Authority has been instructed to complete its license review within 18 months, streamline regulations, allow processes, and provide federal land for reactor development projects.
