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Uranium Mill Tailings
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Cleanup of the nine uranium mill sites in Colorado authorized by the Uranium Mill Tailings Remedial Action program (the Program) has been completed. The communities in Western Colorado where uranium mill tailings were cleaned up are: Durango, Grand Junction (including Fruita and Palisade), Gunnison, Maybell, Naturita and Rifle. In all cases, except Maybell, this resulted in the relocation of the tailings to an off-site engineered disposal cell. Maybell was encapsulated onsite. Final authorization for the Program surface cleanup ended in 1998.
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Because of historic availability, and the many possible uses of uranium mill tailings as a sand, the dispersal and misuse of the material was widespread. Some examples of uranium mill tailings use were: soil attenuation, concrete mix, bedding for concrete and utilities, stucco, and brick production. Despite widespread publicity, two clean-up programs extending over 25 years, and thousands of property investigations, uranium mill tailings remain in and around the nine Western Colorado communities listed above. It is suspected that up to one million cubic yards of tailings remain outside of the controlled disposal cells.
Experience has shown that as construction and demolition activities occur, new uranium mill tailings deposits will be discovered and disturbance of known deposits will occur. New construction within such deposits increases potential exposure to gamma radiation and radon gas and is therefore a long-term health concern.
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The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment's Grand Junction Office is the repository for information on all properties remediated through the UMTRA Program - past and present. In addition, Department staff members are able to produce or update property records as the conditions change due to the excavation of uranium mill tailings material. The Grand Junction Office is located at:
Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment
The following staff members are available to answer questions or provide additional information:
Mike Cosby - Project Manager - Grand Junction
Kate Elsberry - Program Assistant - Grand Junction
Monica Sheets - Remediation Program Manager - Denver
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The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment developed and published a plan for managing uranium mill tailings encountered during construction activities in Western Colorado. The Post-UMTRA Uranium Mill Tailings Management Plan provides guidance and outlines resources for building contractors, private citizens, utility companies and local governments when faced with newly discovered uranium mill tailings material.
Uranium Mill Tailings Management Plan
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Summary of Main Elements:
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The disposal cell for Mesa County, known as the Cheney disposal cell, will not be totally capped and closed for several years. Recognizing the need for long-term management and storage of the remaining uncontrolled tailings, the Cheney site will remain available for UMTRA-related contaminated materials until 2023, or until the cell is filled to capacity. Depending on the size of the accumulated stockpile, the facility will probably be open one to two times a year during which time it will accept the material accumulated at the Interim Storage Facility (ISF) for final disposal. In order to save money, the Department of Energy will only open the long-term facility when the stockpile at the interim facility warrants it. The Department of Energy will continue to maintain, operate, and fund the Cheney cell. The Cheney cell is the only UMTRA site remaining open and available to receive uranium tailings since 1998. |
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The plan outlines the responsibilities of the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, Department of Energy, local governments, utility companies and private citizens in addressing newly discovered contamination. Each party has a responsibility in safely managing and disposing of newly discovered material, and for providing appropriate worker training.
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Using the overarching philosophy of ALARA or "as low as reasonably achievable," procedures for all aspects of excavation, transportation, unloading and decontamination of equipment and personnel are provided in the plan. In addition, the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment will provide radiological survey instruments to local governments and individual citizens as requested and as available. The Department will also maintain and calibrate the instruments annually and provide training in the use of the instruments. Specific and detailed information regarding the radiological survey techniques recommended for surveying people, equipment and real property are provided through the links below:
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The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment will provide excavation control for uranium mill tailings removals by private citizens and technical expertise to communities, local governments, or private citizens in identifying, handling and management of uranium mill tailings.
It is necessary to follow all applicable federal and state regulations that pertain to the transport of uranium mill tailings in disposing of the material, and detailed summaries are provided through the links listed below. In addition, guidance is provided for hauling procedures such as tarping and not overfilling to prevent dust or spillage. If a spill from the haul truck occurs, procedures are recommended for isolating the spill and preventing further dispersal. Traffic safety has priority over isolating or recovering the spill. Greater detail regarding excavation and transportation scenarios is included through the links below:
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One of the primary benefits or resources offered by the Post-UMTRA Program to any party with a need to dispose of uranium tailings material is a disposal site. This disposal site is called the Interim Storage Facility (ISF) and is a temporary holding area for uranium mill tailings. The facility is owned by the City of Grand Junction and operated in coordination with the state health department. The facility is located at 2553 River Road, Grand Junction, Colorado. The Interim Storage Facility provides temporary, secure and safe storage for uranium mill tailings excavated during construction activities in Colorado communities. The tailings will be ultimately transported to the Cheney disposal cell south of Grand Junction, Colorado, for final disposal.
The facility is available for any person or entity needing to dispose of uranium mill tailings material free of charge, but an appointment or advance notice is required prior to arrival. Also, the city of Grand Junction requires a written and signed contract with other cities and agencies before they can use the Interim Storage Facility. Arrangements may be made through Mike Cosby or Kate Elsberry at the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment's Grand Junction Office. Also, parties disposing of material at the Interim Storage Facility will need to provide information regarding the origin of the material and other pertinent facts. The links below provide additional summaries of the requirements and procedures in place at the Interim Storage Facility:
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State of Colorado 