Westwater Resources reports strong progress in advancing Coosa Graphite Mine
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Key permitting milestones advancing; new GM hired; preliminary mine planning, design work underway
Special to the News
Westwater Resources Inc. announced on October 16 continued progress related to the Coosa Graphite Mine in Coosa County.
The Coosa Mine (Coosa) is advancing as a covered project under FAST-41, which provides a coordinated and transparent framework for federal environmental review and permitting. Westwater continues to work with participating agencies in accordance with the project timetable published on the federal Permitting Dashboard, which currently targets completion of the permitting process for Coosa in June 2027.
“We are making steady progress across the permitting workstreams required to advance Coosa responsibly,” said Frank Bakker, president and chief executive officer of Westwater Resources. “The completion of the Endangered Species Act consultation ahead of schedule, advancement of the Section 404 permit beyond public comment and completion of important environmental fieldwork reflect the work underway. Coosa remains an important component of our mine-to-market strategy and is intended to provide a secure, long-term domestic source of natural graphite feedstock for our Kellyton Graphite Plant.”
Federal Permitting
- Section 404 permit: Westwater submitted its Clean Water Act Section 404 individual permit application to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in June. The public-comment period has concluded, and USACE is reviewing the comments received as the application advances through the next phase of review.
- Endangered Species Act consultation: The consultation concluded ahead of the FAST-41 timetable following comprehensive environmental fieldwork, habitat assessments and coordination with the relevant agencies.
- Cultural resources: Cultural-resource fieldwork is complete for the proposed project footprint, including additional acreage associated with the planned tailings-disposal area. No sites were identified as potentially eligible for inclusion on the National Register of Historic Places, and the survey results have been submitted to USACE.
- Wetlands and streams: Wetland-delineation and stream-assessment fieldwork and reporting are complete. Westwater recently submitted the supporting materials requested by USACE to determine which wetlands and streams fall under federal jurisdiction, an important step in defining the scope of the Section 404 permit review.
State Permitting
- NPDES permit: Westwater submitted its application for a National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System permit to the Alabama Department of Environmental Management during the first quarter of 2026. Technical review is underway, including the submission and evaluation of site-specific information regarding the proposed mining and processing methods, water-treatment technologies and discharge controls.
- Water-quality certification: The company submitted its application for the state water-quality certification associated with the Section 404 permit to ADEM in June. The application has been accepted and is progressing through the state review process.
Westwater will continue advancing Coosa in alignment with the FAST-41 timetable while working closely with USACE, ADEM, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and other federal, state and local stakeholders. As the permitting process progresses, Westwater is also advancing the technical work needed to support future mine planning and design at Coosa.
Preliminary Mine Planning and Design Underway at Coosa
Westwater has initiated studies to advance preliminary mine planning and design for the Coosa Graphite Mine. These studies will evaluate the potential value of the vanadium mineralization at Coosa and its inclusion in the mine plan.
Westwater Appoints Dr. Anne Duncan as General Manager of the Coosa Graphite Mine
Westwater has appointed Dr. Anne Duncan as general manager of the Coosa Graphite Mine, which was effective Monday, October 26.
Duncan brings more than 35 years of experience in chemical and materials engineering, spanning refining, operations and project execution on five continents. She joins Westwater having had a distinguished career with leading mining and mining engineering firms such as Syrah, Hatch and Rio Tinto Aluminum.
“We are excited to have Dr. Duncan join Westwater to lead the continued development of the Coosa Graphite Mine,” said Terence Cryan, executive chair of Westwater. “Her appointment comes at a critical time and will allow us to continue the strong progress we have had over the past year in developing the Coosa Graphite Mine. We look forward to her ongoing contributions.”
Duncan holds a Ph.D. in chemical engineering from the University of Auckland, a masters of metallurgy and materials science from the University of Toronto, and a B.Eng. physics from McMaster University.
On October 14, the Compensation Committee of the Westwater Board of Directors granted an inducement award to Duncan pursuant to NYSE American Company Guide Section 711. As an inducement to secure her employment, Duncan was awarded 850,000 restricted stock units of the company’s common stock, which will vest equally over two years and subject to terms and conditions of the Westwater Employment Inducement Incentive Award Plan as amended.
About Coosa Graphite Mine
Coosa is the largest and most advanced natural flake graphite deposit in the contiguous United States, encompassing approximately 41,965 acres 30 miles west of Westwater’s Kellyton Graphite Processing Plant. The deposit is intended to serve as a long-term domestic source of natural graphite feedstock for Kellyton, supporting Westwater’s strategy to establish a vertically integrated U.S. supply chain for battery-grade graphite.
About Westwater Resources Inc.
Westwater Resources Inc. is a critical minerals and energy technology company advancing a vertically integrated, mine-to-market platform for battery-grade natural graphite in the United States. The company’s platform is anchored by the Coosa Graphite Deposit in Alabama, the largest natural flake graphite deposit in the contiguous United States, and the Kellyton Graphite Plant, a processing facility designed to produce coated spherical purified graphite, a key material used in lithium-ion battery anodes. For more information, visit WestwaterResources.com.
