Azarga Uranium Corp. (“Azarga Uranium” or the “Company”) is pleased to announce that the Atomic Safety and Licensing Board (the “ASLB”) has issued an order granting the United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission (the “NRC”) Staff’s motion to set a schedule for summary disposition of the final contention for the Company’s Dewey Burdock In-Situ Recovery Uranium Project (the “Dewey Burdock Project”) NRC License. Summary disposition motions in favor of resolving the final contention, which pertains to the identification and protection of historic and cultural resources for the purposes of compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act (“NEPA”), must be filed by 17 August 2018. The Company anticipates that the NRC Staff will file a summary disposition motion in favor of resolving the final remaining contention in accordance with this timeline. The Company plans to fully support the NRC Staff in resolving the only remaining contention and anticipates filing its response supporting the NRC Staff motion by 31 August 2018, in accordance with the timeline mandated by the ASLB.
Blake Steele, President and CEO, stated: “the ASLB decision provides the NRC Staff and the Company with an opportunity to resolve the only remaining contention for the Company’s Dewey Burdock NRC License in an expedited manner. The Company plans to fully support the NRC Staff in resolving this contention and is pleased with the timeline established by the ASLB.”
The United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia (the “DC Circuit Court”) has also issued an order with respect to the appeal filed by the Oglala Sioux Tribe on certain items pertaining to the Company’s NRC License. The DC Circuit Court order dismissed the majority of the rulings challenged by the Oglala Sioux Tribe, due to lack of jurisdiction; however, the DC Circuit Court remanded the decision to keep the Company’s NRC License in effect to the NRC Commission due to the unresolved NEPA contention.
Mr. Steele further stated: “the Company’s NRC License for the Dewey Burdock Project continues to remain in good standing. We are pleased that the DC Circuit Court decision dismissed the majority of the challenges and are seeking direction from the NRC Commission as to what action, if any, they will take as a result of the DC Circuit Court decision. That said, the matter raised by the DC Circuit Court decision will remedy itself on resolution of the outstanding NEPA contention. Thus, the Company remains focused on working with the NRC Staff and other stakeholders to ensure that the only remaining contention, which pertains to NEPA, is resolved in a timely manner. As previously stated, the Company is pleased with the ASLB decision that sets an August 2018 deadline for filing dispositive and supportive motions aimed at resolving the final contention.”
Source: Azarga Uranium Corp.