A company that wants to mine uranium in Weld County claims that proposed state rules on protecting groundwater might be illegal. Powertech USA also questions the legality of allowing public comments on setting rules that cover issues such as groundwater quality and mine reclamation. The company argues the proposed rules are too broad. The Canadian company plans a $20 million uranium mine about 70 miles north of Denver. It has bought mineral rights and applied for permits. State officials are writing regulations for a 2008 law on in-situ leach mining, in which treated water is pumped into uranium-laced deposits to dissolve the mineral. The uranium is then pumped to the surface. Powertech objects to proposed rules that would require companies test before mining to establish the groundwater's so-called "baseline" quality and restore the water to that level. The company wants to be able to revise the data on the pre-mining wa ter quality if new information becomes known as a result of the mining.

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