“End Nuclear Insanity Before Nuclear Insanity Ends Humanity” ~llaw
Aug 03, 2025
On My Mind Today
(I am way behind schedule today, so I will offer this bit of personal data about my time in the nuclear world) . . .
The Lucky Mc site — including a twice daily one-way 45-mile commute from the town of Riverton, Wyoming, to the minesite and back, is the place, in the late 1960s, where I first began my career in administration in the nuclear world of mining, milling, and selling uranium fuel to the government-owned and operated Tennessee Valley Authority, and soon after to nuclear power plants overseas and the newly authorized nuclear plants in the USA coming online for the first time in the United States. The company was owned by Utah International Inc. in San Francisco, — where I spent a lot of time — and over the years the company eventually merged with General Electric in 1976, later becoming known as Pathfinder Mines Corporation. I resigned from General Electric in the spring of 1980 for personal reasons with concerns about the nuclear industry. ~llaw
Pathfinder – Lucky Mc (Gas Hills North)
1.0 General Site Information
Site Location:Gas Hills Mining District, WYFormer NRC License No.:SUA-672NRC Docket No.:40-2259Agreement State Contact:Brandi O’Brien307-777-6435NRC Agreement State Site Monitor:Duncan WhiteDuncan.White@nrc.govNRC Site Monitor:Thomas LancasterThomas.Lancaster@nrc.gov
2.0 Site Description
The Lucky Mc site is located in west central Wyoming in the Gas Hills region in Fremont County, Wyoming. The site is about 45 miles southeast of Riverton, Wyoming (Figure 1).
Figure 1. Lucky Mc Uranium Mill Site Location Map
3.0 Site History
Uranium milling began at this site in 1958 and continued through 1988 with a total of 12 million tons of ore processed. The mill utilized a conventional acid leach process. The facility area included approximately 56 acres for the mill, 241 acres for the post-reclamation tailings piles, 1,276 acres for the disposal site, and 6 tailings ponds (Figure 2). The mill was demolished and placed in the outslope of the No. 2 Tailings Dam, with a clay-radon barrier placed over the material. The mill area includes approximately 56 acres. The site has three solid tailings impoundments and three tailings solution ponds. The post-reclamation tailings piles cover approximately 241 acres.
Figure 2. Lucky Mc Site Layout Source: U.S. Department of Energy. “Long-Term Surveillance Plan for the Gas Hills North UMTRCA Title II Disposal Site, Fremont County, Wyoming.” Grand Junction, Colorado: U.S. Department of Energy. 2009.
The Construction Completion Report was submitted to the NRC on April 21, 2005. NRC staff approved the Construction Completion Report in October 2006. NRC staff approved an amendment request to remove two offsite wells (AL-8 and AL-9) from the approved groundwater monitoring network. The license amendment was issued 6/2008. In February 2009, NRC staff received for review, the DOE Long-Term Surveillance Plan (LTSP) for the Gas Hills North Site (Pathfinder-Lucky Mc) dated January 2009. The LTSP explains how DOE will fulfill requirements as the long term custodian of the Gas Hills North Site, including inspecting, monitoring, conducting maintenance, fulfilling annual and other reporting requirements, and maintaining records pertaining to the site.
Tailings Management and Disposal
The former tailings system consisted of a series of earthen embankments across Reid Draw, extending over 2 miles down the draw (Figure 2). The upper portion of the tailings system included Tailings Ponds 1, 2, and 2A, which were located immediately north of the former mill and contained all of the solid tailings generated at the site. Further downgradient and north of the solid tailings pond were three solution ponds (Tailings Ponds 3, 3A, and 4) that held the barren solution (recoverable uranium had been removed) that was generally not recycled through the mill. This solution had low pH (2.0–3.0) and contained high concentrations of dissolved solids (including various heavy metals) and radionuclides such as thorium-230 and radium-226. In addition, a temporary pond was used as a pump back treatment system for receiving solutions from excursion well cleanup and groundwater sweep, surface water runoff, and solution water for construction and dust control within the cells. On December 20, 2002, alternate concentration limits were approved for the Lucky Mc site, and all mill tailings reclamation was completed on December 14, 2004.
4.0 Current NRC actions/status
NRC currently has no actions for the site until the CRR is submitted by the State of Wyoming.
5.0 Expected Transition to DOE for LTS&M
2025 (See DOE LM Site Management Guide, June 2022)
Page Last Reviewed/Updated Friday, October 28, 2022
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TODAY’S ALL NUCLEAR WORLD’S NEWS, Sunday, (08/03/2025)
All Things Nuclear
NEWS
Analysis: For Trump, Russia’s nuclear saber-rattling may be a useful distraction | CNN
CNN
There’s something faintly undignified about a president of the United States being goaded by a minor Russian official into making nuclear threats …
Putin Bombs Bridge Linking City To Entire Neighbourhood: Reply To Trump Nuclear …
YouTube
… all the News for the Global Indian under one umbrella. We break down … Man Dies, Sees the Future, Told 10 Things He Must Change (NDE).
Everything you need to know in four minutes as Trump deploys nuclear submarines – MSN
MSN
Security analysts have reacted with some concern to Trump’s comments, fearing he is stoking tension with Russia over the issue (Photo: Jorge …
Nuclear Power
NEWS
Trump’s Nuclear Energy Overhaul Sparks Alarms Over Safety | OilPrice.com
Oil Price
Trump has announced plans to quadruple U.S. nuclear power by 2050, pushing for rapid approval of new reactors and slashing regulatory barriers.
Collapse of nuclear power to threaten climate goals – ISEP
ISEP
A steep decline in nuclear power would have major implications in achieving climate targets, the International Energy Agency (IEA) warned in a report …
OPINION: Yucca’s Ghost: Mothers for Nuclear brings its sunny power argument to town
The Nevada Independent
Fears of nuclear energy are wildly exaggerated, they said, making a reference to the lovably bumbling power plant worker Homer Simpson.
Nuclear Power Emergencies
NEWS
IAEA recorded explosions near the Zaporizhzhia NPP: what is known about the threat
112.ua
Accidents and Emergencies … Inspectors received information from the staff of the nuclear power plant about shelling and drone strikes on the facility …
Nuclear War Threats
NEWS
Analysis: For Trump, Russia’s nuclear saber-rattling may be a useful distraction | CNN
CNN
… war” – not between Russia and Ukraine, but “with his own country … And while the seemingly flippant use of nuclear threats by both nations …
Why is Trump moving nuclear submarines after spat with Medvedev? – Al Jazeera
Al Jazeera
“Each new ultimatum is a threat and a step towards war. Not between … nuclear threats that the West began to consider them to be just words.
Ukraine urges Trump admin to ‘strangle’ Russian economy amid nuclear tensions
ABC News – The Walt Disney Company
… threat and a step towards war. Not between Russia and Ukraine, but with his own country.” Medvedev’s comments prompted Trump to then order two nuclear …
Nuclear War
NEWS
Trump orders nuclear submarines moved after Russian ‘provocative statements’ | Reuters
Reuters
WASHINGTON, Aug 1 (Reuters) – U.S. President Donald Trump on Friday said he had ordered two nuclear submarines to be positioned in “the …
The US attacks on Iran have backfired horribly – but a path to peace is still possible
The Guardian
Executions by a vengeful regime in Tehran are soaring. The west must pursue a different strategy, says Guardian foreign affairs commentator Simon …
Trump says two US Navy subs are moving following comments by an ex-Russian president … – CNN
CNN
US President Donald Trump said Friday he was ordering two US Navy nuclear submarines to “appropriate regions,” in response to remarks by Dmitry …
Yellowstone Caldera
NEWS
No, animals are not leaving Yellowstone National Park. (Don’t believe everything online.)
Yahoo
Yellowstone Caldera Chronicles is a weekly column written by scientists and collaborators of the Yellowstone Volcano Observatory. SUBSCRIBE: GET …
Indonesia’s Mount Lewotobi Laki-Laki erupts, ash column reaches 10 kilometres – YouTube
YouTube
An Indonesian volcano spewed a 10 kilometre molten plume of ash … What Happens if the Yellowstone Volcano Erupts? Mastering Knowledge•2.6 …