The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Legacy Management (LM) is conducting a Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) Five-Year Review of cleanup remedies for the Monticello Mill Tailings Site (MMTS) and the Monticello Vicinity Properties (MVP) in and near Monticello, Utah. The Five-Year Review process evaluates MMTS and MVP remedies to ensure they remain protective of human health and the environment. This review requirement applies to the Monticello sites because contamination remains at some locations above levels that allow for unlimited use and unrestricted exposure.
Remedies to be reviewed in this process include:
- Removing and relocating approximately 2.5 million cubic yards of uranium mill tailings and radiologically contaminated soil and debris from the mill site, adjacent properties, and vicinity properties to a permanent disposal cell located south of Monticello.
- Land use restrictions, in conjunction with supplemental risk-based cleanup standards.
- Groundwater use restrictions to ensure contamination left in place is not further dispersed and does not adversely affect human health and the environment.
- Treatment of one area of contaminated groundwater through a pump-and-evaporate system.
Between September 2021 and April 2022, DOE will:
- Review relevant documents, monitoring data, and inspection reports.
- Conduct a site inspection.
- Interview local stakeholders.
- Develop an MMTS report and an MPV report detailing the results.
Previous MMTS and MPV Five-Year Review reports are available at DOE - Office of Legacy Management -- Monticello. DOE will post the two reports on this website once they are complete.
Information on the CERCLA Five-Year Review process is available at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency website (https://www.epa.gov/superfund/writing-five-year-reviews-superfund-sites#sub_anchor) or by contacting:
Alison Kuhlman
Monticello Site Manager
DOE Office of Legacy Management
Alison.Kuhlman@lm.doe.gov
(970) 778-5528
David VonBehren
Legacy Management Communications Manager
DOE Office of Legacy Management
david.vonbehren@lm.doe.gov
(720) 880-4338