Re: Atlas Info

[Steven.Rima@DOEGJPO.COM (Steven Rima)]

     Carey and RADSAFERS,
     
     As a couple of others have stated, the Atlas site near (very near) 
     Moab, Utah is an old uranium mill site. In March, the NRC concluded 
     that Atlas' plan to "stabilize" the tailings on site meets NRC's 
     technical requirements. A news release was issued at that time. Since 
     it is relatively short, I have included the entire release below. 
     Other related information can be found via the NRC's web page.
     
     Steven D. Rima, CHP
     Manager, Health Physics & Industrial Hygiene
     MACTEC-ERS
     steven.rima@doegjpo.com
     
     **********************************************************************
     
     
     March 7, 1997
     
                              NRC ISSUES FINAL TECHNICAL EVALUATION ON
     
                        PROPOSED RECLAMATION OF URANIUM MILL IN MOAB, UTAH
     
     The Nuclear Regulatory Commission has issued a final technical 
     evaluation report on Atlas Corporation's proposed reclamation
     plan for its uranium mill site near Moab, Utah.
     
     The report concludes that the company's plan to dispose of mill 
     tailings on site meets NRC technical requirements. The NRC
     will not, however, make a final determination on the acceptability of 
     the on-site disposal plan until the agency completes its
     environmental review and issues an environmental impact statement. 
     
     The uranium mill near Moab, which operated from 1956 until 1984, has 
     been owned by Atlas since 1962. Uranium is no
     longer processed at the site. Atlas has been in the process of 
     cleaning up the site for several years.
     
     The cleanup plan proposed by Atlas involves demolishing all structures 
     on the site and disposing of the rubble in and adjacent
     to the 7.5 million-cubic-yard tailings pile already located there. The 
     pile would be recontoured and covered with earthen
     material and rock to control radon emissions and prevent erosion.
     
     NRC issued a draft version of the technical evaluation report and a 
     draft environmental impact statement for public comment in
     January 1996. The agency held a public meeting on the two reports in 
     Moab on February 28 of last year.
     
     The final technical evaluation report reflects consideration of 
     comments received, Atlas response to 20 issues identified in the
     draft report, and additional NRC staff analysis. A copy will be 
     available for review at the Grand County Public Library, 25
     South 100 East, Moab. Copies will also be available at the NRC Public 
     Document Room, 2120 L Street, NW, Washington,
     DC 20555, and via an NRC web site at http://www.nrc.gov/OPA/reports.
     
     NRC expects to issue the final environmental impact statement this 
     summer. 
     
     **********************************************************************


______________________________ Reply Separator _________________________________
Subject: Atlas Info
Author:  CAREY JOHNSTON <JOHNSTON.CAREY@EPAMAIL.EPA.GOV> at Internet
Date:    5/19/97 3:28 PM


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
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