Anfield Energy Nears Shootaring Canyon Mill Renewal in Utah 2026

Key Points

• Anfield Energy received draft copies of a proposed renewal of the radioactive materials licence and proposed groundwater discharge permit for its Shootaring Canyon Mill located in Garfield County, Utah.
• The documents were provided by Utah Department of Environmental Quality’s Division of Waste Management and Radiation Control (DWMRC) on 21 October 2026.
• The draft licence would allow the possession of natural uranium and 11e(2) by-product material in the mill with an annual production of yellowcake limited to 1,500 tons, or 3 million pounds.
• Anfield Energy would have to ensure financial surety and hold a valid groundwater discharge permit continuously.
• Anfield Energy expects that the documents will be made available for public notice towards the end of 2026 with the start of 45-day public comment period late in 2026 or early in 2027.
• The company plans to receive the renewed licence during Q2 2027 pending the regulatory process.
• The Shootaring Canyon Mill is one of only three licensed, permitted and constructed conventional uranium mills in the US, according to Anfield.
• Commenting on the development, Anfield Energy chief executive Corey Dias stated: “This is meaningful progress towards the reactivation of the mill.”

Anfield (Liverpool standard) October 28, 2026 – Energy has moved a step closer to restarting its Shootaring Canyon uranium mill after receiving draft copies of a proposed renewed radioactive materials licence and a proposed groundwater discharge permit from Utah’s environmental regulator.

As reported by Mining.com, the Vancouver-based company said on Tuesday that the Utah Department of Environmental Quality’s Division of Waste Management and Radiation Control provided the draft documents on 21 October 2026. The development concerns the Shootaring Canyon Mill, located in Garfield County and about 200 miles south of Salt Lake City.

The announcement was also carried by BNN Bloomberg, Nasdaq and MarketScreener, all drawing on Anfield’s company statement. Anfield said the documents are drafts and remain subject to change before any final regulatory decision.

Why Is the Shootaring Canyon Mill Important?

The Shootaring Canyon Mill is central to Anfield’s “hub-and-spoke” strategy, under which the company plans to process material from uranium projects across the western United States. According to Anfield, it is one of only three licensed, permitted and constructed conventional uranium mills in the country.

The facility’s potential restart is linked to the company’s broader portfolio of more than 20 uranium assets in the western United States. Its nearest project to production is the Velvet-Wood uranium and vanadium project in San Juan County, which the United States government selected for fast-tracked permitting.

Anfield says the proposed Velvet-Wood mine comprises two areas containing 4.6 million pounds of uranium oxide equivalent in the measured and indicated category, plus 552,000 pounds in the inferred category.

What Would the Draft Licence Allow?

As currently drafted, the proposed renewed radioactive materials licence would authorise Anfield to possess natural uranium and 11e.(2) by-product material at the Shootaring Canyon facility. It would also set an annual production ceiling of 1,500 tons of yellowcake, equivalent to 3 million pounds.

The draft licence would require the company to maintain financial surety and a valid groundwater discharge permit at all times. It would further establish a groundwater monitoring network, compliance monitoring and reporting requirements, and best available technology performance standards for the mill’s process ponds, South Cell and decontamination pad.

Anfield said it has submitted all materials requested by the Division in connection with its application. The company said those materials, along with additional responses to the Division’s queries, informed the draft licence and draft permit.

What Did Anfield’s Chief Executive Say?

Anfield chief executive Corey Dias described the receipt of both draft documents as an important stage in the mill’s reactivation. As reported by Mining.com, Dias said in a news release: “Receiving both the draft renewed license and draft groundwater discharge permit from DWMRC is meaningful progress on the Shootaring reactivation pathway and moves us one significant step closer to securing the renewed license.”

Dias said the company continues to remove legacy equipment from the mill under its existing licence to prepare the site for refurbishment. He said the company is targeting receipt of the renewed licence in the second quarter of 2027.

In a separate operational update published by Anfield, Dias said: “We are pleased with the continued momentum at the Shootaring Canyon Mill.” He said the completion of additional monitoring wells, the start of leach tank removal under the current licence, and detailed engineering work with PSE Engineering demonstrated the company’s “proactive and methodical approach to mill reactivation”.

Dias also stated: “Our goal remains to restore domestic conventional uranium and vanadium milling capacity in the United States.”

When Could the Public Comment Period Begin?

Anfield said it expects the draft documents to be ready for public notice and comment around the end of 2026. Based on its discussions with Division staff, the company anticipates that the 45-day public comment period could begin in late 2026 or early 2027.

The timing of that period will be determined by the Division and remains subject to change. Anfield said it is reviewing both documents and expects to discuss them further with Division staff in the coming weeks.

The licence renewal process began with an application dated 5 April 2024, according to Nasdaq’s report of the company announcement. Anfield’s wholly owned subsidiary, Anfield Resources Holding Corp., submitted that application.

What Happens Before the Mill Can Restart?

Receipt of the draft documents does not amount to final approval. The proposed licence and permit must still complete public notice, comment and any further regulatory review before a final decision is made.

Anfield said its reactivation plan is already under way, including site preparation and removal of legacy equipment under the mill’s existing licence. The company is targeting major refurbishment in the second quarter of 2027, subject to issuance of the renewed licence.

According to a summary of the company’s filing published by StockTitan, Anfield’s plans include a throughput capacity of 1,000 tons per day and a new vanadium circuit. Those plans remain dependent on regulatory approvals and the company’s refurbishment programme.

Background of the Development

The Shootaring Canyon Mill has been a longstanding part of Utah’s uranium infrastructure and is now positioned by Anfield as a potential domestic processing hub. The company’s application for renewal of the mill’s radioactive materials licence was dated 5 April 2024.

The latest development follows Anfield’s wider push to advance uranium and vanadium projects in the western United States. The company says Velvet-Wood, in San Juan County, is its closest asset to production and was selected by the US government for fast-tracked permitting. Anfield has also reported progress on monitoring wells, leach tank removal and engineering work at Shootaring as part of its preparation for a potential restart.

The draft approvals arrive amid renewed policy and commercial interest in domestic nuclear fuel supply chains. Anfield has framed the mill’s potential restart as a contribution to restoring US conventional uranium and vanadium milling capacity.

Prediction: How Could This Affect Investors and Utah Stakeholders?

For investors, the draft documents provide a measurable regulatory milestone, but they do not remove execution risk. The company’s stated timeline points to a potential renewed licence in the second quarter of 2027, while public consultation, final permit conditions, refurbishment costs and operational readiness could still affect the schedule.

For Utah stakeholders, including local residents, regulators and environmental groups, the expected 45-day comment period will provide a formal opportunity to review the proposed licence and groundwater discharge permit. The draft conditions on groundwater monitoring, financial surety and performance standards for process ponds, the South Cell and the decontamination pad are likely to be central areas of scrutiny.

For the wider US uranium sector, a final approval and successful restart would add processing capacity at a facility Anfield describes as one of only three licensed, permitted and constructed conventional uranium mills in the country. That could strengthen the company’s hub-and-spoke model, particularly if its Velvet-Wood project advances toward production as planned.