Canadian uranium firm says lack of outreach in northern New Mexico a ‘mistake,’ vows future candor 

Leaders of the Canadian company seeking to conduct uranium exploration in the Carson National Forest said recently that it was a mistake to seek federal approval for the project without first consulting affected communities.

In recent days, visitors to the website homepage for Gamma Resources, Ltd., which is based in Vancouver, have been greeted with a pop-up window titled “A Message to the Communities of Northern New Mexico.” The message then acknowledges that the company’s proposal, which it has dubbed the Mesa Arc Project, has elicited widespread opposition since Source NM first reported on the company’s federal permit request in March. 

“We know the Mesa Arc Project has raised real questions — and we should have introduced ourselves before our permits became public. That was our mistake, and we’re working to correct it,” the statement from Gamma Resources President Connor Messler reads. 

The pending permit request to Carson National Forest officials sought permission to dig up to 12 boreholes up to 500 feet deep near Canjilon. The company also told potential investors that it believed, based on historical estimates the exploration aimed to verify, that nearly 3 million pounds of triuranium octoxide, commonly known as “yellowcake” uranium, existed in the area it seeks to drill.

The company’s statement further acknowledges New Mexico residents’ history with uranium mining, which has caused widespread environmental and public health impacts, particularly among Indigenous communities in northwest New Mexico.   

“We recognize that many families and communities continue to carry the legacy of past uranium development, in their health, their land, and their memory,” it says, also noting the importance of the Chama watershed.

Earlier this month, members of New Mexico’s congressional delegation introduced a bill that, if enacted, would prohibit all forms of uranium mining through much of Rio Arriba County, including in the Santa Fe and Carson national forests.

The company’s statement moreover describes its permit request as an “early-stage exploration project” aimed at collecting data, not a mining operation, and said any “forward-looking statements” the company makes to prospective investors about the existence of minerals is inherently speculation. 

“No mining operation has been proposed, planned, or approved. We are at the earliest possible stage of geological study,” the company said.

Messler told Source NM in an emailed statement Monday afternoon that the company decided to issue the statement after seeing the way news of its permit application was received through northern New Mexico.

“We recognize that our initial approach, while consistent with industry standards, generated concern within a community that we hope to become a part of,” he said.

New Mexico delegation introduces bill to ban uranium mining in Chama Watershed

Norman Vigil, chair of the Upper Chama Soil and Water Conservation District, said he saw the company’s statement for the first time Monday. He told Source NM that he felt “relieved” to see the company make an overture to communities in areas near the proposed mine site, but also noted that the company is still pursuing the project that has prompted protests and pushback from local governments. 

“I think it bought us time. It doesn’t remove the concern about what the proposals are,” Vigil said of the statement. “It didn’t say they wouldn’t mine. They’re just not planning on mining now. It’s an exploration.”

Vigil said he remains concerned that uranium mining in Canjilon will forever contaminate the Chama watershed, which feeds into the Rio Chama and ultimately the Rio Grande. 

The district Vigil oversees passed a resolution condemning the proposal, as did the Rio Arriba County Commission. 

The company’s permit request before the Carson National Forest remains pending. The company must also receive a permit from the Mining and Minerals Division at the New Mexico Earth, Minerals and Natural Resources Department. As of Monday, the company had not yet submitted an application, according to a state database. 

The company’s statement says additional information about next steps will be made public within the next 30 days and committed to establishing dedicated communication channels for the public.

“We know that trust is earned through actions, not words. We are committed to engaging respectfully, providing accurate information, listening carefully, and participating transparently throughout every phase of this process,” the statement reads.