enCore Energy secures key federal ruling for Dewey Burdock uranium project

Validation of underground injection permits by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency strengthens Dewey Burdock’s regulatory position and paves the way for state permitting expected in 2025.

Share:

Gain full professional access to energynews.pro from 4.90$/month.
Designed for decision-makers, with no long-term commitment.

Over 30,000 articles published since 2021.
150 new market analyses every week to decode global energy trends.

Monthly Digital PRO PASS

Immediate Access
4.90$/month*

No commitment – cancel anytime, activation in 2 minutes.

*Special launch offer: 1st month at the indicated price, then 14.90 $/month, no long-term commitment.

Annual Digital PRO Pass

Full Annual Access
99$/year*

To access all of energynews.pro without any limits

*Introductory annual price for year one, automatically renewed at 149.00 $/year from the second year.

The Dewey Burdock uranium project, wholly owned by enCore Energy Corp., has reached a significant milestone in its development process in the United States. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced the full dismissal of a petition filed against the issuance of Class III and Class V underground injection control permits, required for in-situ recovery (ISR) uranium operations planned in South Dakota.

A rejected petition after years of litigation

The decision was issued by the EPA’s Environmental Appeals Board (EAB), which determined that the entire permitting process complied with legal and procedural requirements. The petitioners — the Oglala Sioux Tribe, Black Hills Clean Water Alliance and NDN Collective — had alleged violations of several statutes, including the Safe Drinking Water Act, the Administrative Procedure Act and the National Historic Preservation Act.

After review, the EAB concluded that EPA Region 8’s decisions were based on a complete administrative record and contained no procedural errors. The ruling ends more than a decade of legal challenges also involving the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), which granted a source material licence in 2014, now under timely renewal.

Strategic validation for the Dewey Burdock project

The Dewey Burdock project, located in Custer and Fall River counties, is designed to extract uranium from underground sandstone formations using ISR technology. This process involves injecting a chemical-free water solution into the ore body to dissolve uranium minerals in place, then pumping the solution to a central processing plant. The operation will include wellfields, a central processing unit, supporting infrastructure and environmental protection systems.

Acceleration enabled by the Fast-41 Program

On August 28, the project was approved for inclusion in the Fast-41 Program, a federal infrastructure permitting initiative coordinated by the Federal Permitting Improvement Steering Council. The programme allows for accelerated federal approvals, in line with a presidential executive order aimed at increasing domestic production of critical minerals. The project is expected to begin the state permitting process in 2025, with a development timeline ahead of initial projections.

Duke Energy adds a large nuclear reactor project to its 2025 plan for the Carolinas, anticipating electricity demand more than twice previous forecasts.
EDF has selected Arabelle Solutions to supply two complete turbine islands for the Sizewell C nuclear power plant, strengthening their industrial cooperation initiated at Hinkley Point C.
The Italian government has approved a bill granting the executive authority to regulate the return of nuclear energy, in line with European carbon neutrality and energy security targets for 2050.
Framatome and the French Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission have commissioned a specialised industrial line in Jeumont for the manufacturing of nuclear components used in French Navy vessels.
Italian company Terra Innovatum is advancing the commercialisation of its SOLO micro-reactor, with two new partnerships and $42.5mn in funding as part of a merger with a listed company.
The Nurlikum Mining joint venture enters a new industrial phase with the launch of the South Djengeldi project, targeting annual production of 500 tonnes of uranium over ten years in Uzbekistan.
The containment structure over Chernobyl’s destroyed reactor lost power after a Russian strike, as Zaporizhzhia remains cut off from external electricity for over a week.
Uranium deliveries to U.S. civilian operators rose 8% in 2024, while the average price climbed to its highest level since 2012, according to the latest available data.
The Vice-Chairman of Russia’s Security Council believes more countries will develop nuclear weapons and generative AI technologies as a result of increasing public sector efforts.
An international tribunal ruled in favour of French company Orano against the State of Niger, which had blocked the sale of uranium extracted from the Arlit mine since taking control of the site in 2023.
US-based Oklo and Sweden’s Blykalla join forces to coordinate supply chains and regulatory data sharing to accelerate the commercial deployment of their metal-cooled small modular reactors.
EDF plans a massive €25bn ($26.5bn) investment to modernise its nuclear fleet, focusing on reactor lifetime extension and preparing for new nuclear projects in France.
The French Energy Regulatory Commission set the full nuclear cost at €60.3/MWh by 2026, outlining the taxation thresholds applicable under the market reform scheduled for 2026.
The Ministry of Energy will initiate talks with developers of small nuclear reactors after signing a cooperation agreement with the United States to conduct preliminary studies on their deployment.
The restart of the Flamanville EPR reactor, initially scheduled for 1 October, has been delayed by more than two weeks due to a maintenance operation on the primary circuit.
The International Atomic Energy Agency says known natural uranium reserves will meet global nuclear power plant demand for the rest of the century, despite price pressures.
Site selection for Kazakhstan’s first nuclear power plant enters an advanced technical phase, with more than 100 experts mobilised by Rosatom to conduct complex geological and seismic analyses.
The ICSID arbitral tribunal ordered Niger to suspend any sale of uranium produced by SOMAÏR, ruling that this material falls under Orano’s contractual rights, amid a dispute with the State that has lasted for several months.
US-based TNC has entered into a strategic agreement with Nucor Corporation to expand gigawatt-scale nuclear capacity in line with federal targets of 400 GW by 2050.
Framatome and Italian agency ENEA have signed an agreement to design nuclear reactors capable of powering future human settlements on the Moon, amid growing European ambitions in space.