enCore wins EPA backing to advance Dewey Burdock permitting

[Redator]

A major roadblock was cleared for enCore Energy’s (NASDAQ, TSXV: EU) Dewey Burdock in-situ recovery (ISR) uranium project in South Dakota after the US Environmental Protection Agency waived off a petition by local communities challenging its permitting decisions.

In a press release issued on Wednesday, the company said the EPA environmental appeals board has dismissed a petition for review filed by the Oglala Sioux Tribe, Black Hills Clean Water Alliance and NDN Collective against its issuance of the project’s Class III and Class V underground injection control (UIC) permits, which are essential to the ISR operation.

This decision, says enCore, allows the Dewey Burdock project to advance through federal permitting with the intent to commence state permitting activities in 2025, accelerating its development ahead of schedule.

The project, which seeks to tap into nearly 25 million lb. of uranium oxide (U₃O₈) in resources, has been tied up in regulatory review and litigation for more than a decade, including challenges before both the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) and the EPA. The latest petition concerns alleged violations of the Safe Drinking Water Act, the Administrative Procedure Act and the National Historic Preservation Act, which the EPA denies.

With the EPA ruling, the Dewey Burdock project now has all major federal authorizations to proceed with permitting, including the NRC source materials license (2014) and EPA UIC permits (2020), which the company says are final and effective.

“This decision by the EAB affirms the validity of the permits and the integrity of the regulatory process following years of administrative and judicial review. The Dewey Burdock project is part of enCore’s US production pipeline, and today’s decision provides the certainty needed to continue advancing toward development,” stated Robert Willette, acting CEO of enCore Energy.

With its permitting status solidified, enCore Energy’s share price shot up 3.4% to $2.60 on the NASDAQ by midday, giving the Texas-based uranium producer a market capitalization of $483.6 million.

Fast-tracked project

The EPA decision comes weeks after Dewey Burdock was added to the FAST-41 program, which the Trump administration is using to fast-track federal permitting for key critical minerals projects in the US.

A preliminary economic assessment assumes that the permitting and licensing would be complete by the third quarter of 2026. However, engineering work is anticipated to commence in early 2026, and construction of the central processing plant would start a year after that.

Once in operation, the plant is expected to process 1 million lb. of uranium per year, recovering more than 14 million lb. over its life.