Re: Article from Union Tribune

["Phil V. Egidi" <7pe@ornl.gov>]

FYI,

Uravan went Superfund many years ago,and  has undergone major remediation - all the
tailings and ponds by the river were remediated and moved to the top of the mesa
where they are being stabilized, along with the old mill buildings and other
equipment- and has also at times been an issue between Colorado and Utah polititians
and activists.  I believe the consent decree calls for the project to be completed
in the next year or two.

As for your question to the health effects - I don't know.  The town of Uravan no
longer exists, the houses were auctioned off (that's another story).  Current human
population is small, but the area is growing rapidly.  Ecorisk studies were done
with respect to the tailings piles/radon, but the impacts were minor or nonexistant
(if memory serves me correctly).  The damage to the water quality of the river and
its ecosystem  was significant, and I think was the basis for the Superfund
designation.

BTW, UMETCO (progeny of Union Carbide) tried to get a license amendment a couple of
years ago to accept NORM tailings into a cell in their pile.   It was supported by
most everyone but one local environmental group on grounds of being concerned that
the commerce clause of the Constitution would open the site up to out of state NORM
waste (UMETCO promised not to seek out of state waste, and didn't need to, there's
plenty in Colorado!).  I thinkUMETCO eventually gave up on the idea because of time
constraints (the decision was appealed) and so there are no NORM wastes in their
pile.

Phil Egidi
Oak Ridge National Lab/Grand Junction
7pe@ornl.gov

check out my NORM web site at www.normis.com/nindex.htm

I'm always looking for input, thanks.

Ruth Weiner wrote:

> -- we once went (in 1967) as guests on a boy scout raft trip that put in to the
> Dolores River next to an unmarked(!) Union Carbide tailings pile.  This was
> truly unethical practice, and I believe the pile has been stabilized since.
> This was near the town of Uravan, CO, Have there been noticeable health effects
> from these piles?

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