The old Atlas mill, flagship of Moab's once-booming uranium industry, now stands empty at the entrance of Arches National Park and the town of Moab. The mill is not only a rusting eyesore, but members of a local task force say it poses a potential health threat to local residents and tourists alike.
But plans to reclaim the old facility are under way. The Atlas Corp. has put into motion plans to decommission and reclaim the area, under the auspices of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, as soon as possible.However, company officials say many problems need to be resolved before the reclamation becomes reality.
The discovery of the legendary Mi Vida mine near Moab, by Charlie Steen, triggered Moab's uranium boom and skyrocketed the area into national prominence.
Using his new-found wealth, Steen proceeded to buy up and develop a large group of mines in the area. Seeing the need for a local reduction mill to serve the mines, in 1954 Steen approached the Atomic Energy Commission about the possibility of building a mill in Moab. With the blessings of the commission, he formed the Uranium Reduction Co.
It was decided that mill would utilize a radical new process never before used in a commercial mill. The company then borrowed $3.5 million from Chemical Bank of New York, raised $6.2 million from mortgage bonds, $2.3 million from private investors, and proceeded to build the reduction mill on the banks of the Colorado River, just north of Moab. It was the first large, independent uranium mill built in the United States. The mill was dedicated with much fanfare on Sept. 14, 1957. Steen ran the mill for five years and then sold it to the Atlas Corp. in 1962.
The reduction mill provided hundreds of jobs and large tax revenues to the local economy.
But with stockpiles full, and a slump in uranium prices, the Atlas Corp. slowly cut back on production, finally closing the mill in 1984.
In 1988 the NRC submitted an approved plan to Atlas to reclaim the area. Atlas responded with a modified version of the plan that is still pending approval by the NRC.
Richard Blubaugh, vice president of environmental and government affairs for Atlas, said the reclamation should get under way within the next year. "Though the plans for the tail-ings have not yet been approved, we do have an approved plan for the structures and equipment. We had a contract in place for removal of the structures, but that fell through, so we will have to reopen the contract for bids, and then proceed from there." He said that they hope to begin the work within the next year.
The plan for the structures calls for the company to salvage any equipment and scrap that meets guidelines for release to the public, and then bury the rest on site with the tailings. If the modified plan is approved, Atlas will then cover the site with a radon barrier, and then cover the barrier with rock armor.
Who should pay for the cleanup is another question. Under current law, Atlas will have to pay the yet unknown cost of the cleanup. According to the Uranium Mill Radiation and Mill Tailings Act of 1978, any mill that was built under contract to the Atomic Energy Commission, or was inactive at the time of the bill, will be cleaned up with the cost paid by the federal government. But any private mill, or mills then in operation, have to pay the cost of their own cleanup.
Atlas officials feel that is unfair. "At least 50 percent of the tailings at our mill were the direct result of AEC contracts," said Blubaugh. "We feel that should make the AEC at least partially responsible for the cleanup costs."
A bill currently in Congress would require the AEC to pay cleanup costs.
The Grand County Commission has formed an Atlas Mill Reclamation Task Force comprised of local residents. Its purpose is to monitor the reclamation work and report back to the County Commission. The members of the Task Force are concerned about off-site health and safety hazards posed by the tailings pile and said improper handling of the tailings could adversely affect tourism and long-term development in the business community.
"News that toxic materials had entered the Colorado River would seriously depress such tourism industries such as river running, even if actual concentrations were significantly low from a technical point of view," said Lance Christie, a member of the Task Force.