Uranium Pollution Threatens Colorado

By John Yewell, 3-02-05

A vigorous debate has been underway Utah for years over what to do about an enormous pile of uranium mine tailings on the banks of the Colorado River, three miles north of Moab. The tailings pile, variously reported as between 10.5 and 11.9 million tons and estimated to contain six times the amount of rubble produced by the Sept. 11, 2001 destruction of New York’s Twin Towers, is threatening to pollute the Colorado River at a point up stream from its 25 million users.

A group of 21 Western members of congress has written to the Department of Energy urging it to move the pile.

Today’s Deseret Morning News is reporting that D. Kip Solomon a University of Utah professor of geology and geophysics, is saying it is only a matter of time before the pile pollutes the river, which is only 1,000 feet away at its closest point. "Not could. It will happen. It's just a matter of when," Solomon says.

After years of appearing to sweep the problem under the rug, the Department of Energy finally seems to be taking the issue seriously. A draft environmental impact report issued last November detailed five avenues of remediation. Among them: capping the pile at a cost of $166 million. Moving the pile, the alternative preferred by state and local officials, would likely run between $329 and $464 million, according to The Salt Lake Tribune.

Gov. Huntsman wants the tailings pile moved to an area called Klondike Flats, 18 miles northwest of Moab.

Other options on what do include moving it to a storage facility at the White Mesa uranium recycling mill near Blanding and depositing it in an unused salt mine 12 miles away.

State director of the Department of Environmental Quality Diane Nielson has been reported to be very pleased with recent federal actions. A final Environmental Impact Statement is due by summer, and a decision on what to do with the pile by fall.

The Moab City Council has passed a resolution urging that the pile be moved, and also set up an informational Web site (check out the great photos).

We also found an excellent, up to date site summarizing the issue. [End of article]