From Canada Press - Miners are stunned and environmentalists cheering over a northern regulator’s recommendation that a uranium exploration project be denied because it threatens the spiritual and cultural well-being of the area’s Dene people.

The Mackenzie Valley Environmental Impact Review Board says Ur-Energy’s (TSX:URE) plan to drill up to 20 holes near the Thelon River should not proceed under any circumstances. Read the report (pdf)

“Although the proposed development is physically small, the potential cultural impacts are not,” says the board in a written decision.

It is only the second time in the board’s history that it has dismissed a project outright.

It’s now up to federal Indian Affairs Minister Jim Prentice to decide whether to accept the recommendation, which throws doubt on the future of hundreds of mineral leases and claims in a vast area of the Northwest Territories. (Read the full story)

Also see: Ur-Energy Delayed in Exploration at its Screech Lake Property - Bill Boberg, President and CEO, states “We are disappointed by the Review Board’s recommendation and will continue to pursue any and all approaches that will allow us to advance exploration on the project as soon as possible.