Uranium Energy Corp.'s Sweetwater Project became the first Wyoming mining operation to receive fast-track permitting status under President Donald Trump's latest mineral production initiative.
It’s a milestone for a company that’s re-energizing, going from semi-dormant operations to one of America's leading uranium producers in just 12 months.
The Federal Permitting Improvement Steering Council announced Aug. 1 that UEC's uranium facility in Wyoming's Great Divide Basin had been added to an expedited federal permitting timeline.
The company says it’s now on track to become the largest dual-feed uranium facility in the United States.
"We called them last week to check on it,” Donna Wichers, UEC's senior vice president of production growth, told Cowboy State Daily. “They said, ‘Well, you're on the short list.’
“And then all of a sudden … there was the press release that said we're on the list. So, we were extremely excited about that.”
The designation caps UEC's notable transformation, anchored by the $175 million acquisition of Rio Tinto's Wyoming uranium assets in September 2024.
The deal added the Sweetwater Processing Plant and about 175 million pounds of historic uranium resources across 108,000 acres.
"In my 46 years of operating experience in Wyoming, this is the first time that such a large portfolio of assets has been consolidated with one company," Wichers said.
Double Output
Called the Sweetwater project, it sits 40 miles northwest of Rawlins and features a 3,000-ton-per-day conventional uranium mill with licensed capacity of 4.1 million pounds per year.
"When they say dual-feed uranium facility, it means both ISR (in situ recovery) and conventional mining at the same time," Wichers explained. “It's already permitted for conventional mining operations. So that's why it's exciting because we could actually do both.”
For conventional uranium processing, only three mills exist in the U.S. Energy Fuels operates the White Mesa mill in Utah, while the non-functional Shootaring Canyon Mill — also in Utah — sits idle.
Sweetwater represents the third.
"It has been on standby for many years, but it will not take very much work to get it back up and running,” said Wichers.
The restart could double operational uranium processing capacity in the U.S., addressing critical supply chain vulnerabilities highlighted by Wyoming Republican U.S. Sen. John Barrasso’s Russian uranium import ban.
Jobs And Timeline
The project promises significant employment for Wyoming communities.
Wichers estimates 60-75 jobs for ISR operations at Sweetwater, plus additional Casper office positions, with any future conventional mining adding more.
"At Sweetwater, we anticipate for ISR operations, a staffing up to probably 60 to 75. And then we will probably add some more people to the Casper office," she said.
The mill, originally built around 1980, operated for only three years before shutting down. Now, with fast-track permitting, UEC hopes to restart production within two to three years.
"We're hoping that this will expedite the overall permitting process for Sweetwater," Wichers said, noting UEC has already established initial communication with BLM officials in Rawlins.
Strategic Asset
The Federal Permitting Improvement Steering Council, established in 2015 during the Obama administration, coordinates environmental reviews for critical infrastructure projects. Under Trump's March executive order, the council has prioritized domestic mineral production.
"We're excited to add Uranium Energy Corporation's Sweetwater Project to the permitting dashboard," said Permitting Council Executive Director Emily Domenech. "This uranium mine aligns with President Trump's executive order on expanding the mining sector, and can provide secure, domestic fuel for America's nuclear fleet."
Domenech added, “The uranium that this project can produce would be game-changing for our nation as we work to reduce our reliance on Russia and China, strengthen our national and economic security, and reestablish a robust domestic supply chain of nuclear fuel."
Other agencies, like the Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality and the Environmental Protection Agency, also will be involved in the permitting process, as UEC’s growth plans continue to take shape.
“Sweetwater will be UEC's third hub-and-spoke production platform, following operational advancements underway in Wyoming's Powder River Basin and South Texas,” said Amir Adnani, UEC president and CEO, in a prepared statement. “On completing this tack-on permitting initiative, Sweetwater will be the largest dual-feed uranium facility in the United States, licensed to process both conventional ore and ISR resin.”
David Madison can be reached at david@cowboystatedaily.com.
