Moab Project Briefs Utah Natural Resources Coordinating Council on Cleanup

Moab Uranium Mill Tailings Remedial Action Project Environmental Manager Liz Moran discusses groundwater remediation with Utah Natural Resources Coordinating Council members.

MOAB, Utah — The Moab Uranium Mill Tailings Remedial Action Project recently hosted members of the Utah Natural Resources Coordinating Council for a briefing where they observed cleanup operations and the nearby Colorado River corridor.

“The success of our cleanup work depends not only on the technical work, but on the relationships we build with state and local partners,” said Chris Pulskamp, the Moab Project’s deputy federal cleanup director. “Hosting the Utah Natural Resources Coordinating Council reinforces the intergovernmental cooperation that is essential to fulfilling the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Environmental Management commitment and mission to protect human health and the environment.”

The Moab Project is responsible for the relocation of uranium mill tailings from the former Atlas uranium mill site near Moab to a permanent disposal cell near Crescent Junction, Utah. Its primary mission is to protect human health and the environment — specifically the Colorado River and surrounding communities — from the risks associated with legacy uranium processing contamination.

Held outdoors at a kiosk adjacent to the Moab site, the briefing provided an overview of the Moab Project, including the recent milestone achievement of removing the 16-million-ton tailings pile.

City of Moab Mayor Joette Langianese offered a community stakeholder perspective at the briefing. Her remarks underscored an ongoing interest local stakeholders have in the Moab Project’s future. The City of Moab and Grand County, where the Moab Project is located, have requested joint ownership of the Moab site property upon completion of cleanup, with aspirations to convert it into an outdoor recreational park.

The council is composed of commissioners and directors from a range of state agencies, including the departments of Environmental Quality; Agriculture and Food; and Natural Resources. The council helps the state review and coordinate technical and policy actions, and facilitates the exchange of information about state physical resources among state agencies, federal entities and local governments.

“The Moab Uranium Mill Tailings Remedial Action Project’s participation in this briefing reflects its commitment to transparency and meaningful engagement with stakeholders at all levels,” Pulskamp added.

-Contributor: Barbara Michel