In Datil, New Mexico, a community of just 50 residents drew enough people to fill the elementary school gym. As Source NM reported, locals pressed county leaders over a uranium exploration plan they fear could threaten a local aquifer.
Here's what to know
The size of NovaCore Exploration Inc.'s proposal is a major reason residents and environmental groups are alarmed, per the publication.
If mining were later approved, its Ane Uranium Exploration Project would span more than 15,000 acres of claims. Before that stage, the company filed a July 2 application seeking permission to drill as many as 37 boreholes about 15 miles northwest of Datil, according to Source NM.
Local activist Kathy Knapp said about 70 people showed up to oppose the proposal, which reflects a striking turnout in a town that Census records list at 50 residents.
The outlet reported that concern about possible contamination of the underground aquifer was a key point raised by Commissioner Buster Green.
"We're trying to get as much information as we can, so that we make good decisions, and also so that we can explain to the constituents of the county exactly what is going to be happening out there," Green told Source NM.
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More background
Regulators say the proposal is still at an early point in the process. State Mining and Minerals Division Program Director DJ Ennis told the publication that the application was deemed complete and has now entered technical review, including a determination over whether it qualifies as a "minimal impact" exploration project.
To fall into that category, a project can disturb no more than 10 acres, cannot endanger water sources, and cannot rely on toxic chemicals such as mercury or cyanide. Source NM noted that if NovaCore's plan is found to meet those conditions, a public hearing would not be required.
The prospect of no hearing has only heightened local concern.
"It's the highest risk for contamination [in] exploratory mining you could ever do," New Mexico Wild Gila grassroots organizer Luke Koenig told the outlet. "Not requiring a public comment period is just, I think, enraging the community."
Supporters of uranium development often argue that exploration can create jobs and strengthen domestic mineral and energy supply chains. But in places like Datil, opponents say any potential economic benefit has to be weighed against the lasting cost of groundwater pollution.
What's being done?
Calls for tougher scrutiny are coming even as state officials stress how preliminary the proposal remains. Ennis told Source NM that regulators are still a long way off.
"It is not a proposed mine site," Ennis explained. "It is a proposed exploration."
Even so, the state has the discretion to hold a hearing, and Source NM reported environmental groups are pushing for both a fuller environmental assessment and a public process.
For its part, NovaCore told the paper earlier it wants to be a "good neighbor" as it investigates whether uranium described in a 1981 research paper exists in the area.
Green was determined to hold them to that commitment.
"We're limited in Catron County," he offered to Source NM. "A lot of times, with federal and state government, it doesn't seem like they've given us due diligence. They feel like they can come in and ride roughshod on us and do whatever they're going to do."
Where can I learn more?
What's happening in Datil echoes fights playing out across the West, where communities are pushing back on industrial projects they believe could put water, land, and public health at risk. In each case, local meetings, citizen monitoring, and calls for tougher review have played a big role in what happens next.
• In Arizona, residents say South32's fast-tracked mining project is putting their communities at risk.
• In Arizona, community scientists are tracking waterway pollution and vegetation near a major mine.
• In Tyler, Texas, residents filled City Hall until commissioners rejected a downtown Bitcoin mine.
• In northern Colorado, dam builders hit delays after uranium is found in reservoir rocks.
Those battles help explain why Datil residents want a say before exploratory work moves any further. They also show how worries about water can become the deciding issue long before any mine is approved.
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