In a significant development aimed at enhancing domestic mineral production, the U.S. Department of the Interior has approved the Velvet-Wood uranium and vanadium mine in San Juan County, Utah. This project is the first to be sanctioned under a newly expedited 14-day environmental review process, initiated following a national energy emergency declared by President Donald J. Trump.
“This approval marks a turning point in how we secure America's mineral future," stated Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum. He emphasized that streamlining the review process for critical mineral projects like Velvet-Wood reduces dependence on foreign adversaries and ensures resources for military, medical, and energy sectors.
The Bureau of Land Management completed the final environmental assessment, granting Anfield Energy permission to restart operations at the old Velvet Mine and develop nearby Wood mineralization. The project will cause only three acres of new surface disturbance.
The Velvet-Wood initiative is expected to create jobs and infrastructure in the area while reopening and expanding an existing underground mine. Restoration of land post-mining is also planned. Most operations will occur underground, focusing on known mineral deposits from previous activities.
Uranium plays a crucial role in powering civilian nuclear plants, supporting medical treatments, and fueling U.S. Navy submarines and aircraft carriers. Vanadium is used to strengthen steel and in titanium alloys for commercial and military aircraft.
Currently, the U.S. relies heavily on foreign sources for these minerals. In 2023, 99% of uranium used by U.S. nuclear power plants was imported from countries such as Russia, Kazakhstan, and Uzbekistan. In 2024, nearly half of vanadium used domestically was imported, with most global production originating from China, Russia, South Africa, and Brazil.
President Trump’s national energy emergency declaration highlighted concerns over inadequate domestic energy resource development: “Our Nation’s current inadequate development of domestic energy resources [including both uranium and vanadium] leaves us vulnerable to hostile foreign actors and poses an imminent and growing threat to the United States’ prosperity and national security.”
Anfield Energy also plans to reopen the Shootaring Canyon uranium mill south of Hanksville, Utah—one of only three licensed uranium mills in the U.S.—to convert uranium ore into concentrate, reducing reliance on imports.
The Bureau of Land Management oversees critical mineral extraction on federally managed public lands needed for technologies like data centers and defense applications while authorizing traditional energy source development such as oil, gas, and coal. Through responsible management practices including permitting and environmental oversight, BLM aims to ensure a stable supply of essential resources while reducing foreign dependency.
