Mine profile
White Mesa Mill: location, owner, status and timeline (2026)
Processing / manufacturing (operating) Utah
White Mesa Mill, near Blanding in San Juan County, Utah, is Energy Fuels' uranium mill and one of two US sites with commercial rare earth separation, which it does by processing monazite sand. Its Phase 1 circuit can handle up to 10,000 t/yr of monazite and make up to 1,000 t/yr of NdPr oxide, and construction on a heavy rare earth expansion began on Jul 29, 2026.
Verified through Oct 1, 2026
Status and timeline Report a correction All US rare earth mines
Where is White Mesa Mill?
White Mesa Mill is on US Route 191 between Blanding and the White Mesa community in San Juan County, Utah, near Bears Ears National Monument. It is a processing plant, not a mine: it receives ore, monazite and other feeds by truck from elsewhere.
The site sits next to White Mesa, a satellite community of the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe. It has five tailings cells on about 284 acres, according to an Aug 2026 public radio report, and is the largest employer in San Juan County. The company says it employs about 150 people at full operation, while the same report counted about 105 workers.
The mill makes four kinds of product from separate circuits: uranium concentrate from natural ore, vanadium from some ores, rare earth oxides from monazite, and recovered metals from alternate feed materials that include imported radioactive waste.
Who owns White Mesa Mill?
Energy Fuels (NYSE American: UUUU; TSX: EFR) owns and operates White Mesa Mill through its subsidiary Energy Fuels Resources (USA) Inc. The company is based in Lakewood, Colorado and has used the mill for uranium for decades before adding rare earths in 2021.
The mill is licensed under Utah Radioactive Materials License UT1900479, regulated by the state's Division of Waste Management and Radiation Control as an NRC Agreement State. See Energy Fuels: what it does, projects, funding and status and NRC and Agreement State licensing.
What is the status and timeline of White Mesa Mill?
White Mesa Mill is in "Processing (operating)": it separates rare earths commercially at Phase 1 scale and began building a heavy rare earth expansion on Jul 29, 2026. The expansion's terbium and dysprosium circuits are due by the end of 2027 and its samarium, europium and gadolinium circuits by the end of 2028.
- 1980
White Mesa Mill is built near Blanding, Utah, for uranium.
- 2021
The mill begins processing monazite and signs a supply agreement with Chemours. The Ute Mountain Ute Tribe passes a resolution asking that the mill cease.
- 2023 to 2024
The Phase 1 separation circuit is installed and commissioned.
- Nov 2025
Energy Fuels files a license amendment application to expand rare earth processing.
- Dec 2025
A South Korean magnet maker qualifies White Mesa dysprosium oxide.
- Mar 2026
The mill produces its first kilogram of terbium oxide at 99.9% purity.
- May 18, 2026
Utah regulators hold a community meeting at White Mesa on the license amendment.
- Jun 2026
The Office of Strategic Capital announces a conditional $725M loan commitment to Energy Fuels.
- Jul 29, 2026
Construction begins on the heavy rare earth expansion.
Next milestones
- Q4 2026 or early 2027
The next uranium mill run is planned.
- End of 2027
The terbium and dysprosium circuits of the heavy rare earth expansion are due (commissioning as early as Q4 2027).
- End of 2028
The samarium, europium and gadolinium circuits are due, depending on market needs.
- By mid-2029
The Phase 2 circuit is expected to be complete, subject to licensing, financing, feed and a final investment decision.
What rare earth circuits does White Mesa Mill have?
White Mesa Mill has a Phase 1 circuit that processes monazite into NdPr oxide, with a rated capacity of up to 10,000 t/yr of monazite and up to 1,000 t/yr of NdPr oxide. A heavy rare earth expansion and a larger Phase 2 are planned.
Monazite is a by-product of heavy-mineral-sand mining, so the mill depends on feed from outside. The current supplier is Chemours, with about 500 t a year from Florida and Georgia, and Energy Fuels plans larger volumes from Donald in Australia, Toliara in Madagascar and Bahia in Brazil.
Only one other US site separates rare earths commercially: Mountain Pass, which mines its own ore. White Mesa's NRC-licensed capability to process uranium- and thorium-bearing monazite is the reason most sand producers cannot do this themselves.
| Stage | Capacity or output | Timing | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Phase 1A (light rare earths) | Up to 10,000 t/yr monazite; up to 1,000 t/yr NdPr oxide | Commissioned 2024 | Operating; 500 t of monazite yielded 38 t of NdPr product in the first run |
| Heavy rare earth pilot | First kilogram of terbium oxide at 99.9% (Mar 2026); about 29 kg of dysprosium oxide through 2025 | 2025 to 2026 | Pilot scale; dysprosium oxide qualified by a South Korean magnet maker (Dec 2025) |
| Heavy rare earth expansion | Up to about 120 t/yr Dy, 20 t/yr Tb, 140 t/yr Sm, 20 t/yr Eu and 140 t/yr Gd oxides, with carbonate by-products; about $104M (10-Q) | Terbium and dysprosium circuits by end of 2027 (commissioning as early as Q4 2027); samarium, europium and gadolinium by end of 2028 | Construction began Jul 29, 2026 |
| Phase 2 | About 60,000 t/yr monazite; 6,000 t/yr NdPr, 240 t/yr Dy and 66 t/yr Tb for $410M (bankable study, Jan 2026) | Completion expected by mid-2029, subject to licensing, financing, feed and a final investment decision (10-Q) | Planned; needs a Utah license amendment; not under construction |
The heavy rare earth expansion is described as sized to process monazite from the Donald project in Australia. Earlier company statements and some summaries gave mid-2027 for commercial dysprosium and terbium; the Q2 2026 10-Q, the latest filing, says the circuits are due by the end of 2027. The 10-Q also gives about 288 t/yr of dysprosium oxide and 80 t/yr of terbium oxide for Phase 1 and Phase 2 together, which does not match the larger expansion, so each project's own figure is shown.
What license changes and community concerns affect White Mesa Mill?
Energy Fuels applied in Nov 2025 for a license amendment to expand rare earth processing with new buildings, roads and two new holding cells north of the mill. Utah asked for more information in Apr 2026, and the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe and White Mesa residents raised health and groundwater concerns.
A May 18, 2026 community meeting at White Mesa heard concerns about emergency notification, past communication failures, groundwater, cultural resources and whether residents would have a meaningful say. The state said it had not decided and was in early review, and that a formal comment period would follow once Energy Fuels submits details of the two cells.
The tribe passed a resolution in 2021 saying the mill has had severe health impacts on White Mesa residents and should cease. Energy Fuels says worker exposure is a small fraction of allowed limits and that odors do not extend beyond the mill property. Utah's regulators say health is not at risk from the mill.
Environmental record items reported in 2026 include a Dec 2021 EPA finding that the mill violated the Clean Air Act by not covering a tailings cell, which was corrected, and a clean 2025 air review. Water tests in 2025 found uranium at Entrance Spring of 22.5 micrograms per liter against a 30 standard, and the aquifer under the mill carries chloroform and nitrate plumes that the company is pumping.
What government support has White Mesa Mill received?
The Department of War's Office of Strategic Capital announced a conditional $725M, 20-year loan commitment to Energy Fuels in Jun 2026 for a domestic separation and metallization facility. The loan has not closed, and the filings checked do not state where it would be built.
| Agency and instrument | Amount | When | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Office of Strategic Capital (Department of War)20-year loan commitment for a domestic separation and metallization facility. Site of the facility not stated in the sources checked | $725M | Jun 2026 | Conditional |
See the government support tracker and the Energy Fuels profile for the conditions known.
Questions about White Mesa Mill
Where is White Mesa Mill?
White Mesa Mill is on US Route 191 near Blanding in San Juan County, Utah, next to the White Mesa community of the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe.
Does White Mesa Mill mine rare earths?
No. White Mesa is a processing mill. It separates rare earths from monazite sand supplied by heavy-mineral-sand miners, currently Chemours, and mills uranium ore from other mines.
How much rare earth can White Mesa Mill make?
Phase 1 is rated for up to 10,000 t/yr of monazite and up to 1,000 t/yr of NdPr oxide. The Phase 2 study targets 6,000 t/yr NdPr, 240 t/yr dysprosium and 66 t/yr terbium for $410M.
Who owns White Mesa Mill?
Energy Fuels (NYSE American: UUUU; TSX: EFR) owns and operates it through a subsidiary. The mill has run since 1980 and is licensed by Utah as an NRC Agreement State.
Why do the Ute Mountain Ute object to White Mesa Mill?
The tribe's 2021 resolution says the mill has had severe health impacts on White Mesa residents. Concerns include groundwater, odors, radon, emergency notification and plans for new waste cells. Utah regulators say health is not at risk, and the state is reviewing a license amendment.
Is White Mesa Mill the only US rare earth separator besides Mountain Pass?
Yes. Mountain Pass in California and White Mesa in Utah are the two US sites with commercial rare earth separation. White Mesa works from imported or sand-derived monazite and not from its own mine.
Sources and verification
Each profile lists its sources, a confidence grade and a verification date. Order of authority: official records (SEC filings, agency documents), company documents and technical reports, research papers, then independent press. Syndicated copies and reference works are labeled and are never the only source for a number. Company-reported figures are labeled as such, and non-binding deals are labeled "letter of intent" or "conditional".
- OSTI review, Minerals Engineering 249 (Kashyap et al., 2026) Research paper
- KUNC and NPR: nuclear power push ramps up uranium mill and tribal health concerns (Aug 2026) Independent press
- KSJD: White Mesa Mill expansion and Utah regulators (May 2026) Independent press
- Energy Fuels Q2 2026 results: heavy rare earth expansion (Aug 2026) Syndicated copy
- Energy Fuels: White Mesa Mill Company document
- Energy Fuels 10-Q for Q2 2026 (SEC) Official record
- Utah DEQ: Radioactive Materials License UT1900479, White Mesa Mill Official record
- Crux Investor: first US terbium oxide in decades at White Mesa Syndicated copy
- Mining.com on the $725M Pentagon loan Independent press
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