Honestly, if you drive through San Juan County, Utah, you might miss it. Most people do. Tucked away in the Lisbon Valley, about 10 miles south of La Sal, lies a patch of ground that has suddenly become the focal point of a massive national tug-of-war over energy. It's called the Velvet Wood uranium mine, and depending on who you talk to, it’s either the savior of American energy independence or a fast-tracked environmental gamble.
The site isn't new. Far from it.
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Back in the late '70s and early '80s, the Velvet mine was a workhorse. It churned out roughly 4 million pounds of uranium and another 5 million pounds of vanadium before the market basically fell off a cliff in 1984. For decades, it sat quiet. Reclaimed. A memory of the Cold War uranium boom. But 2025 changed everything for this dusty corner of Utah.
The 14-Day "Emergency" Greenlight
Last year, the federal government did something that made environmental lawyers' heads spin. Under an emergency declaration aimed at "reinvigorating the nuclear industrial base," the Department of the Interior approved the Velvet-Wood mine expansion in record time.
Usually, an environmental review takes a year. Sometimes three.
This one? It took 14 days.
The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) basically hit the hyper-drive button. On May 23, 2025, they signed off on a plan by Anfield Energy to reopen the old Velvet portal and tap into the adjacent Wood mineralization. Proponents, like Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, argued this was "mineral security in action." They want to stop relying on Russia and China for the fuel that powers 20% of the U.S. grid.
But critics are, predictably, furious. They say you can't possibly vet the risks to groundwater and local ecology in two weeks. It's a "fast-track to a wasteland," according to some activists who picketed the site last summer.
Why This Mine Is Different
You've got to understand the geology here to get why Anfield is so excited. Most of the big mines in Lisbon Valley hit the Chinle Formation. Velvet Wood is different—it’s tapping into the Cutler Formation.
The ore is high-grade. We’re talking about an estimated 4.6 million pounds of uranium still sitting down there, mixed with a healthy dose of vanadium. Vanadium is the "secret sauce" here; it's used for high-strength steel and those massive flow batteries everyone says we need for the green energy transition.
Anfield’s CEO, Corey Dias, has been pretty vocal about the "hub-and-spoke" model. The plan is simple:
- Pull the ore out of Velvet Wood.
- Truck it over to the Shootaring Canyon Mill (which they also own).
- Process it into yellowcake.
It sounds like a straightforward business plan, but the logistics are a nightmare. The ore has to travel past Bears Ears National Monument and cross tribal lands. For the Navajo Nation and the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe, this isn't just "business"—it’s a reminder of a toxic legacy that never really went away.
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The Reality on the Ground in 2026
If you go to the site today, you won’t see a futuristic tech hub. It’s a construction zone.
Following the groundbreaking in November 2025, the crews have been busy dewatering the old shafts. There are about 50 million gallons of water sitting in those tunnels that need to be treated and managed. They’re also rebuilding the roads. Heavy equipment is a constant presence now, and the company expects to start actual production by the second half of 2026.
They’re promising around 100 jobs for San Juan County. In a place where the economy often feels like it's stuck in neutral, that’s a big deal. But those jobs come with the weight of history.
What Most People Get Wrong
People tend to think of these mines as massive open pits. Velvet Wood is an underground mine. Anfield claims the new surface disturbance will only be about three acres. They're trying to use as much of the old 1980s footprint as possible to keep the "environmental footprint" small.
Is it enough to satisfy the protesters? Probably not.
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The legal battles are just warming up. Several environmental groups have already filed appeals, arguing the BLM skipped the "hard look" required by the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA).
What This Means for You
If you're an investor or just someone worried about the power bill, the Velvet Wood uranium mine is a bellwether. If it succeeds, it proves the government can actually fast-track "critical minerals" without getting stuck in a ten-year litigation loop. If it gets tied up in court for the next decade, it’s a sign that the "American nuclear renaissance" might be a lot slower than promised.
Actionable Insights for Following the Velvet Wood Project:
- Watch the Courts: The next six months are critical for the NEPA appeals. If a judge grants an injunction, construction stops.
- Monitor the Mill: The mine is useless without the Shootaring Canyon Mill. Keep an eye on the Radioactive Materials License amendments for that facility; that’s the real bottleneck.
- Check the Spot Price: Uranium prices have been volatile. Anfield’s 2023 Economic Assessment was based on certain price points; if the market dips, the "emergency" might look a lot less profitable.
- Local Impact: If you're in southeastern Utah, watch the truck routes. The planned path through San Juan County is where the most friction with local communities will happen.
The story of Velvet Wood isn't just about rocks in the ground. It’s about how much we’re willing to trade for energy security, and whether or not 14 days is ever enough time to decide the future of a landscape.