By Victoria Langdorf
Rep. Jim Matheson, D-Utah, visited Moab on Jan. 14 and 15 to discuss the radioactive materials left behind at an uranium-ore processing facility.
The Atlas Mill, located approximately three miles northwest of Moab, has 13 million tons of radioactive tailings stored in an unlined pond and has been leaking material into the Colorado River according to Alyson Heyrend, press secretary to Matheson.
'There''s contaminated ground water. Thousands of gallons are leaking into the river a day,' Heyrend said.
The two-day field hearing brought Matheson together with numerous scientists from the National Academy of Sciences (NAS), the organization responsible for gathering data about different cleanup options for the Department of Energy (DOE).
Heyrend said Matheson spoke with some of the scientists about cleaning up the site. 'He said the best way may not be the cheapest way.'
Removing the tailings will cost an estimated $358 million, but keeping them in Moab and capping the site with materials that would prevent leaking would only cost an estimated $108 million, according to the DOE.
'A few years ago, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) was thinking about capping the radioactive materials and leaving it there, but that is not an acceptable option for Moab and the rest of those downwind,' Heyrend said.
'The Atlas site is now a Title I site. The Department of Energy has completed surface reclamation at 22 sites in the Title I program - 21 of those sites have been moved. Atlas should be number 22,' Matheson said.
The Atlas Mill used to be controlled by the NRC, but Congress passed a bill transferring ownership to the DOE. Now they are financially responsible for cleaning up the site. The company that originally owned the mill and was responsible for creating the radioactive materials went bankrupt, Heyrend said.
One of the most promising places to move the tailings is called the Klondike site, Heyrend said. 'It''s a very safe and stable site.'
The site, located approximately 18 miles away from Moab could be reached using a number of different transportation methods. The materials could be dug up and driven by truck to Klondike, or the trucks could be loaded on flatbed railcars and taken by train, Heyrend said.
Another idea is a proposed slurry pipeline that would move the tailings to Blanding, more than 90 miles away.
'The company proposing to do that attended the meetings,' Heyrend said. 'It''s still in the study phase. There are a lot of questions about their proposal that need to be answered.'
Dr. Bob Burgener, a retired BYU professor with a doctorate in environmental health said that when dealing with radioactive materials and where they should be put, three things should be kept in mind.
Burgener said time is needed to allow the material to decay down to a stable element. Distance from the source is necessary and the more distance, the less exposure to harmful radiation. Shielding from the radiation by some type of absorbing material is also important both for people and the environment.
'You can cover the material with earth,' Burgener said. 'A foot of soil could reduce the intensity by a half.'
Burgener also said when people think of radioactivity they immediately think of horrible things like atomic bombs and Hiroshima. But he says that low radiation levels occur naturally and are not necessarily harmful.
'There are even low levels in our environment. Granite rock has some radioactive materials. You get gamma radiation from the sun that can cause potential damage, but it''s small,' Burgener said.
Safely moving the tailings from Moab is a priority in that community. Matheson met with the mayor of Moab, members of the city council and other local leaders and most have expected for a number of years that the radioactive materials would be moved.
'They are very concerned about it,' Heyrend said. 'Now, they are wary about any proposals that might slow down the process of getting rid of the tailings.'
NAS should finish their review within a year. The DOE will determine from the findings what option for the tailings is best and present the plan to Congress. Congress will then vote on the issue and make the final decision.