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The Salt Lake Tribune January 23, 2003
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By Judy Fahys MOAB -- The search is officially on for a solution to the pollution problems at the abandoned Atlas uranium mill. Wednesday, in one of four "scoping hearings" on its search strategy, the U.S. Energy Department heard the public's take on what should be done with the ammonia- and uranium-fouled heap, which contains six times the amount of debris hauled from the World Trade Center collapse. The solution is obvious to most who attended: the tailings should be moved. For the Energy Department, which now owns the site, the right choice is not so easy. As its engineers and scientists prepare an environmental impact statement, they must carefully determine what the problem is, possible remedies and likely costs. They already know the contaminants are leaching into the Colorado River, having an impact on endangered fish. They know tourists who visit Moab frolic in the tainted water. They know 25 million people depend on the water downstream. What to do next has been a question for the federal government for years -- first for the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, which used to oversee the site, and now for the Energy Department, which took over the site a year ago at the direction of Congress. Scenarios presented Wednesday included moving the tainted mill discards to one of five sites: the White Mesa uranium recycling mill, a site near the Moab airport, a spot at the Interstate 70/Highway 191 junction, the ECDC landfill in Carbon County or a current mill site in Green River. Another alternative is to leave the tailings right where they are, but even Energy Department officials doubted the feasibility of that idea. "We don't think that's very likely and don't want that to happen," said DOE project manager Joel Berwick. Many public comments Wednesday focused on what people don't want to happen. Representatives of the White Mesa Ute tribe discouraged using the uranium recycling plant, which is adjacent to their reservation and has put their water at risk of contamination. San Diego resident Robert Barro said he is organizing a group to push for swift action to remove the tailings. "We drink that water," he said, noting that five congressmen are planning a meeting with activists on the issue. Additional meetings are for set today in Blanding, where sessions for the general public will be augmented by meetings for leaders of the Ute and Navajo tribes, whose lands might be affected by DOE's final decision. Still one more is set for East Carbon in Carbon County. The Energy Department has set up a hot line for fielding comments about the environmental impact statement: 800-637-4575. Comments also can be made by e-mailing moabcomments@gjo.doe.gov. The public has until Feb. 14 to comment on these first steps. More information about the project is available at the Web site www.gjo.doe.gov/moab/moab.html.
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