Re: article on Moab Utah Uranium Tailings

["Franz Schoenhofer" <franz.schoenhofer@CHELLO.AT>]

-----Ursprüngliche Nachricht-----

Von: Kent, Michael D. <Michael.Kent@nmcco.com>

An: radsafe@list. vanderbilt. edu (E-mail) <radsafe@list.vanderbilt.edu>

Datum: Freitag, 14. Juni 2002 22:07

Betreff: RE: article on Moab Utah Uranium Tailings





>1.  What would the potential release from the tail millings be vs. the

natural release continually ongoing from the surrounding mountains to the

Colorado River?  If natural erosion were to carry the tail millings to the

Colorado River would there be a very big increase in Uranium concentration

in the water?





I know this area quite well, though the reason for it is not the tail

millings, but the uncreadible beauty of Utah and the surrroundings of Moab -

Arches, Canyonlands etc. I could not and would not want to avoid thinking of

the history of this area as a source of uranium. Therefore I think I can

speak a little about this area. To me it seems or rather is confirmed that

the potential risks of the tail millings is not the release of uranium,

because this was extracted as much as possible, but rather of other elements

and especially chemicals which were by-products from leaching and used as

chemicals for leaching, like sulfate from sulfuric acid, nitrates and

alkaline agents. Byproducts were heavy metals, which ones I cannot tell you

by heart. The most important product from mining was in the very first

beginning vanadium and I have at home - besides some low-grade uranium ore

from the area - beautiful crystals of vanadinite. I have some literature

available, even local newspaper, but it would be extremely difficult to find

it. You might look up the RADSAFE files, a few years ago there was a lively

discussion at RADSAFE, because I asked for the exact location of the mill

tailings.



I have visited at the same time the remediation site at Monticello, where

tailings were removed to a safer storage place. So Moab is not the only

place as a candidate for remediation and many sites have already been

remediated - whether it was necessary or not.









>

>2.  When is the last time that area flooded?  I thought much of the

possibility of flooding has been taken away through the use of dams.

>

>3.  How much would be released to the river during the dig up?  I do not

think that all the dust debris will be contained.



-------------------------------------------------------

The release to the river might not so much be of concerne. What I would be

cautious is the dose to the remediators, both from inhalation of radioactive

dust and external radiation. But all those people asking for remediation

never have cared for the enhanced doses to the remediators - as long as they

get rid of a real or perceived radiation risk.





>

>4.  Why is it even brought up about the river moving.  I know in Louisiana,

that have ways of making the river do what they want not what the river

naturally would like to do.  Does the Army Corp of Engineers know something

in La that they might not know in Colorado?





The possibility of preventing land from being flooded or from rivers to

change their way is know since many, many centuries, but obviously not for

some green groups.





>

>5.  Why the comparison to the World Trade Center?  Trying to shadow the

story with doom and gloom?

>



--------------------------------------------------------

In the light of recent mass media releases I am waiting that somebody

declares, that the millions of tons there could be stolen, secretly the

remaining traces of uranium could be extracted in the bathtube of a

terrorist, it would be enriched in the microwave oven of another terrorist,

converted in the backyard shack of the third terrorist in his secret nuclear

power plant to plutonium, plutonium exctracted in the bathtube of yet

another terrorist - because the first will have died already..... -, All the

necessary metallurgical treatment to produce the plutonium metal will be

carried out at the blacksmiths workshop, where it will also be machined into

the most appropriate geometry which is according to knowledgable people

available on the internet. The appropriate explosives will be purchased from

the mafia or from a terrorist organisation working in other fields. Enough!

Enough! I think I read to much of recent news regarding the "Dirty bomb".



>Looks like someone is wanting to spend some more tax payers money.

>

**********************************************************

I could believe that some companies are eagerly waiting for the decision

that Moab has to be remediated - be it removal or capping. The third

possibility, namely to leave it as it is and has been since decades if

obviously no choice.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------



I would give a lot to be in this dangerous area and will be there hopefully

in autumn on vacations.



Franz









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