The ore from Velvet-Wood will be processed at the nearby Shootaring Canyon uranium mill (pictured).
The US Department of the Interior will complete an environmental review of the Velvet-Wood uranium and vanadium mine in Utah in just 14 days, using newly established emergency procedures tied to a national energy emergency declared by President Donald Trump earlier this year.
The Bureau of Land Management, an agency under the Interior Department, will fast-track the permitting process for the mine, owned by TSX-V-listed Anfield Energy, as part of a broader push to boost domestic energy production and reduce dependence on foreign imports.
“America is facing an alarming energy emergency because of the prior administration’s climate extremist policies,” Interior Secretary Doug Burgum said in a statement Monday. “President Trump and his administration are responding with speed and strength to solve this crisis. The expedited mining project review represents exactly the kind of decisive action we need to secure our energy future.”
If approved, the project, located in San Juan county, would extract uranium and vanadium from underground workings accessed via the historic Velvet mine. The plan proposes only three acres of new surface disturbance, using existing infrastructure to limit environmental impact. The ore would be processed at Anfield Energy’s nearby Shootaring Canyon uranium mill, which the company plans to restart.
Uranium and vanadium are largely imported into the US, with uranium supplies in 2023 coming almost entirely from foreign producers, mainly Russia, Kazakhstan, and Uzbekistan. In 2024, the country met nearly half of its vanadium demand through imports, with global production dominated by China, Russia, South Africa, and Brazil.
The accelerated review will invoke emergency authority under key environmental statutes, including the National Environmental Policy Act, the National Historic Preservation Act, and the Endangered Species Act. Officials said the procedures are designed to remove bureaucratic barriers without abandoning regulatory oversight.
“Today’s actions will greatly accelerate the permitting review of the Velvet-Wood,” said acting Assistant Secretary for Land and Minerals Management Adam Suess. “By fast-tracking the review process for the project, we are driving American Energy Dominance and ensuring our nation’s energy security.”
The Velvet-Wood review marks the first project to move through the Interior’s newly formalized emergency pathway, which the department said is now available to other companies seeking fast-tracked approvals. 