What is that huge pile of dirt northwest of Moab?

That “pile” consists of the mill tailings and tailings-contaminated materials left over from the uranium-ore processing operations that were conducted by Uranium Reduction Company and later Atlas Minerals Corporation between 1956 and 1984. The pile is the prominent feature of the Moab UMTRA Project site (Moab site) that is now owned by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and is being managed for the purpose of remediation. The site is located almost 3 miles northwest of the city of Moab and encompasses approximately 400 acres; the 130-acre uranium mill tailings pile occupies much of the western portion of the site.

What are uranium mill tailings?

“Tailings” is the term applied to mined ore from which the desired (valuable) components have been removed by the milling process. Uranium mill tailings are simply the milled (crushed) ore from which most of the uranium and vanadium, naturally occurring Earth elements that are radioactive, have been removed. Because most of these elements have been removed, the tailings contain low levels of radioactivity.

Who owns the Moab site?

Through congressional legislation, ownership of the site was transferred to DOE in October 2001. The DOE office in Grand Junction, Colorado, administers the site.

What does DOE plan to do with the site?

Through a public input process, DOE determined that the mill tailings pile and tailings-contaminated materials should be relocated to an alternate location for long-term impoundment.  The tailings will be relocated 30 miles north to a permanent disposal cell to be constructed at Crescent Junction, Utah. The materials will be transported in covered containers predominantly by rail. In addition, the ground water beneath the Moab site will be addressed and the site will be reclaimed to a natural appearance.

Is it safe to raft down the Colorado River or ride my bicycle on Potash Road past the Moab site?

Yes. The main potential health risks associated with mill tailings are from long-term (decades) exposure to low levels of gamma radiation and radon gas, a decay product of uranium, and process-related waste materials. Citizens recreating near the site boundary, for example rafting on the Colorado River or mountain biking along Potash Road, need not be concerned about exposure to radon or gamma radiation. Two of the risk drivers for exposure to low-level radioactive material are distance from the radioactive source and duration of the exposure. Recreational users of the Colorado River or Potash Road are far enough from the pile that radon and gamma radiation are at background levels at these locations. Recreationalists further reduce their risk by the short duration of the exposure.

Is it safe to camp near the Moab site?

The campgrounds located near the Moab site are a safe distance from the tailings pile. Radon monitoring data collected from the nearest designated campground location show that radon concentrations in the vicinity are indistinguishable from naturally occurring background concentrations, indicating that the tailings pile has little discernable effect on radon concentrations at the campground.

The wind tends to blow frequently in the Moab area. Is the dust I see coming from the Moab site radioactive and is it harmful to breathe?

There is an interim cover over the entire tailings pile that consists of uncontaminated soil approximately 1 foot thick. Most of the dust you occasionally see coming from the site is this pile cover material or uncontaminated soils blowing from areas that have been cleaned up. A tiny fraction of the dust originating from the site does inevitably contain low-level radioactive particles; however, the level of radioactivity in the dust is indistinguishable from background concentrations in the dust and is, therefore, also below DOE limits for release of radio-particulates from the site. Site operations are shut down at sustained wind speeds of 25 miles per hour or greater.

A front-end loader fills a dump truck with excavated materials while a water truck provides dust suppression.

What will DOE do to control dust during remediation of the pile? How will emissions be monitored? 

Windblown tailings could create fugitive dust emissions. An effective dust control system is currently in place and will continue to be implemented during remedial activities. Water for compaction and dust control is drawn from the Colorado River and stored in tanks or in the existing water storage pond and is and will be applied using the most economical and efficient delivery method. Non-hazardous dust suppressants such as calcium chloride, stored in tanks, are also used. 

Is the site open to the public for tours?

No, the site is closed to the public. Tours are occasionally provided to specific groups on a prearranged basis.

Where can I find out more information about the Moab UMTRA Project?

Documents related to the project and other information is available on the DOE website at http://gj.em.doe.gov/moab or at the Moab UMTRA Project public reading rooms located at:

 

Grand County Library
257 East Center Street
Moab, Utah
(435) 259–5421
Library Hours
9:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Monday through Wednesday
9:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. Thursday and Friday
9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Saturday
Closed Sunday

Thompson Springs Fire Station
Off I-70 exit
Thompson Springs, Utah
Available by Appointment
Contact Lori Bell
Thompson Springs Fire Department
(435) 260–6059
8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Monday through Friday

DOE Office in Grand Junction
2597 B¾ Road
Grand Junction, Colorado
Available by Appointment
Contact Donald Metzler
Moab Federal Project Director
(970) 248–7612
8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Monday through Friday