Re: Atlas Info

["J. Andrew Tompkins" <JATALBQ@ix.netcom.com>]

CAREY JOHNSTON wrote:
> 
> Dear Radsafers:
> 
> I would appreciate any help in finding more information about an facility in Moav (Moab?), Utah owned or operated by
> a company called Atlas. The sketchy information I have so far is that the "facility contains an approx. 60 hectare pile
> of nuclear wastes, toxic chemicals and heavy metals, located on the bank of the Colorado River which ultimately
> flows into Baja California, Mexico." My initial guess is that this is an UMT pile. Any other guesses?
> 
> Thanks,
> ---------------------------------------------------
> Carey A. Johnston
> US EPA
> Radiation Protection Division
> ph: (202) 233 9341   fx: x9650
> johnston.carey@epamail.epa.gov
> ---------------------------------------------------

There was an article in the Albuquerque Journal (5/4/97, pg. B7) on the
former Atlas mill site near Moab, Utah.  There are 10.5 million tons of
uranium mill tailings on the site.  The mill tailings pile sits adjacent
to the Colorado River.  Some ground water contamination has already
occurred with uranium, molybdenum, nickle, selenium, and ammonia slowly
migrating toward the river.  NRC and Atlas have developed a plan to cap
the pile in place (cost $15 million).  Local and state government are
trying to use congressional pressure to force the removal of the mill
tailings to an engineered storage cell (cost $120 million).  This is a
very old site, poorly engineered with respect to drainage and run off
issues, not to mention flood potential from the  Colorado river.  The
fundamental question is how safe does this site need to be?  Who or what
is impacted? Who has regulatory authority over commercial mill sites? 
How much money do we need to spend to protect our population and the
environment. Whose money are we spending?


Andrew Tompkins
ATL International, Inc.
Albuquerque, NM

e-mail: jatalbq@ix.netcom.com