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Home My WebLink About20102350.tiff MEMO ' 5O To: The Weld County Commissioners Mr. Dave Long, Ms Barb Kirkmeyer, Mr. Bill Garcia, Mr. Sean Conway Chairman Mr. Doug Rademacher From: Ms Edie Whitney RE Canadian Mine near Nunn/Ft Collins Hopefully each commissioner is well informed to make a wise decision regarding their final consent for the proposed mine. For present and future humanitarian welfare, it is an incredible important decision for each commissioner to make. Presently,there is no mine in existence that is safe;why should this proposed mine be otherwise? Weld County receives substantial oil revenues from the northern part of its county so that this mine be bypassed. However, I feel it should not be about finance but about conscience of making responsible decisions. Also, it should be a requirement that any commissioner who votes for the mine issue,be fully investigated for payoffs from the company. Enclosure: Denver Post articles of Durango's mine situation of clean up&costs. !II'Iiiji ll�� l�) llll'��I i �rP lzoos 2010-2350 o � nP. i„tvl�r y n � � i >� PL 1849 POST E MAY VARY OUTSIDE METRO DENVER S t/7 V. • nverpost.com/preps URANIUM MILLS • legacy haunts plans By Nancy Lofholm The Denver Post • GRAND JUNCTION)) As Colorado nears the possible approval of the na- tion's first new uranium mill in a quar- ter century, the federal government and state continue to deal with the staggeringly expensive and never- ending mess left by earlier mills. More than a billion dollars has been spent cleaning up radioactive tailings • piles and lessening toxic leaks into rivers and aquifers at nine defunct mills in Colorado. Nearly 20 million tons of radioactive tailings sit in dis- posal sites where they must be moni- tored in perpetuity. Hundreds of acres of unusable water fill contami- nated aquifers. Much has changed in the under- standing of uranium milling since that toxic legacy was created. New regulations are in place to make the industry safer. But those regulations are still untested. Costs for dealing with its inevitable contamination are URANIUM » 21A I Cr( Li _ . THE DENVER POST • DENVERPOST.COM • SUNDC. f, SLtYZtMBER 5, 2010 NEWS • •J IUM: ues Ions raise a out size of cleanup b ( FROM 1A long-lived as its radioactive leav- gs: The state's latest regulations call r the monitoring of new mill waste _ •; r i,000 years. . ,' . . �,�� r - A full picture of all the taxpayer and t ; �_ - r ivately funded expenses for past �'�; ,:� 44;• µ : ,.� - ;t� ��•1- '�'~o' -• - _ _ - eanup and ongoing monitoring and ''• - , - _ .-*-vim-. . >,-t- --•••• !. -. _. :B - aintenance is not available because _ • , •r+ :- 0 cirri.mo%w ": •. ..., '"'- .a ' ' .� z• •.�... ,� _.. •� `•-� �- w HIV' - • w r 1--'7f'4'�I'�.w'' ' .' - - � r .--,, .- ultiple agencies — the Department .....:;:,,r- •-- -- t-lr�v -�� ytieve " v fr _`�•. , - ;_•% • ; ,. Energy, the Nuclear Regulatory ,. , ., --t. -..,,.*,,�.i z-,- ,• , ,. "j4 ,�'- • - - _ .e_, _ ' :_- ✓ I. - . .- - 1. „ =mission and the Colorado Depart- :. . - , .� ,rt •�. ,'r�',. R, � ,: "''..�9-- -- 1..61-7- ''-ii*- -�,.� ent of Public Health and Environ- . - . r ‘te --,� `�7�, 4. :�.._t r T- ,.i-` 4--' - • ent — along with multiple programs - - , ., � G• .K - �_ - . is - tI _`. �� - • thin those agencies, have a hand in ;- • • -_ - , . - 4 - -T' : - rerseeing the uranium legacy. The __ - ',---- t _- - - - �. - : liar`" r " • ' ! _ ily federal cost information avail- - - ►1e is 5 years old. ,: - �:, , •-"-. .- ...s._.., h. r ` . ____ — Using those federal figures, The Den- • • •• • - -..` Y -ice' �r Post found that, so far, the cleanup v�.ri 4 �'~ ' al ._ )st of mills in Colorado ranges from _ , .;w ::7". • z -- r, - - _ 'o million to Soo million per mill. •- , : , - k.; -, ,,:r : '--= . �_ 1-44;` „�\c `,'"`s.^ " ' -, ' .! � `- I - - Nonetheless, the state is requiring w°"�.:: lc. ' _ a' w:► • 7 ,`', r :~_ ►at owners of the proposed new mill ' " ".;."' 5'::' 4- _ y, '' hit up only sit million in a bond for s _. . - . .,,• __ - ;e opinion of mill opponents with an a ; ' �"' A Yom ' - i.� ' — _.y'• - - Ce on history. ,.� - 4 -- -` = • ; [a. ` But supportersr . . - •T _ —'�' • ' of the mill planned ,y,1 - ,�, Ix Uravan Mineral r.=� t. 'gr... .�,, �� zr . the uranium-rich �. _ ' ?lt in southwestern Colorado, as g . �. ,. > ;t, z- �� . �� r. t s - f . % . t�f w e die:: • r ell as regulators, say they are confi- ` - ,I,.' • _ .' . - _',t- '^ '" , ��• - , ri .:^`' =.Y tnt modern milling will be different f ,y: - - -- tough to make it a safe, viable indus- tr .� : . .. y that will not leave taxpayers sad- ric\ , ~ ' ' '�'`�- :::. ' .M.: �` — - -- s -- . ed with cleanups costs. ' • �' , : • ; If the mill's application for alicense - - - - _ - approved in January, rigid new safe- the state - is in the process of being requirements will result in less decommissioned after racking up Old uranium sites DURANGO MILL AND DISPOSAL SITE ■ � ess, they say. y past in Colorado $67 . 6 million Cost of cleanup "Colorado's requirements for urani- nearly 100 violations in the ast de- n recovery are specifically designed cade. It was declared a Superfund site Several uranium mill and uranium From 1942 through 1963, U.S. Vanadium processed ore, sludge and other ur avoid the mistakes of the past," said in 1984, meaning that the government processing and disposal sites have been containing liquids, mainly for defense projects. 'arren Smith with the Colorado De- needed to step in and direct cleanup cleaned up and are now being monitored Left behind: 1.2 million cubic yards of radioactive mill tailings and about 20 rtment of Public Health and Envi- because the contamination was by the Department of Energy's Office of contaminated liquids. Also contaminated were 129 local properties. Grounds nment's Radiation Program. enough to pose a significant human Legacy Management at substantial cost. neath the mill-tailings area is contaminated by leaching. health hazard. Cotter and the state are But not everyone is convinced. ■ Processing site A Disposal site The fix: From 1986 through 1991, the U.S. Department of Energy removed t `We need more cleanup before we still wrangling over the cost and �- and placed them in a 120-acre disposal "cell" southwest of Durango. en consider inviting this industry scope of that cleanup, which the T ck in," said Hilary White, director of �� health department estimates will add Maybe!' GUNNISON MILL AND DISPOSAL SITE ■ e. Sheep Mountain Alliance, a up to $20.8 million just for decontami- n Ma ' natingthemillsite. $58 92 million Cost of cleanup year-old grassroots citizens group A Superfund designation was also + area • dicated to preserving the environ- 1.1 Colorado The Gunnison Mining Co. and Kermac Nuclear Fuels Corp. contracted with tf .nt of southwestern Colorado. needed to get the Uravan mill and en- is Energy Commission from 1958 to 1962 to process 540,000 tons of uraniurr virons cleaned up. The sno million fense programs. r1rt1IDe secrecy gone cleanup there finally was completed A Q Left behind: 39 acres of tailings and 3.5 acres of contaminated mill buildings one fact is clear: The climate sur- two years ago — two decades after Rifle the mill shut down. water was contaminated beneath the site. Groundwater contamination has unding uranium processing is much Grand ed maximum limits several times since 1990. 'ferent than during the secretive era State legislators last spring passed )unction the Uranium Processing Accountabili- The fix: 740,000 cubic yards of tailings were removed from 1991 to 1995 anc the Atomic Energy Commission ty Act, designed to prevent radioactive in a cell 6 mites east of Gunnison . d the Manhattan Project. Mills then messes from sitting for decades. The ►re popping up across the state to act requires mills to clean up past con- A GRAND JUNCTION MILL AND DISPOSAL SITE ■ l a frantic need for wartime and , r,tamination before beginning new pro- 5G $504 million Cost of cleanup ►1d War nuclear bombs, cessing jobs. It also gives the public a Gunnison the Pit-ion Ridge Mill that Energy say in annual reviews of the amount of NA Climax Uranium Co. contracted with the Atomic Energy Commission to supp els Resources Corp. wants to build ,Uravan 50 ' urn from a mill along the Colorado River in an industrial area of Grand Juncti 880 acres of the Paradox Valle the financial bond that mill owners ,1 Valley m_ must post for potential cleanups. • Naturita 1951 to 1970, when the mill closed, the mill produced 2.2 million tons of rac !ad would feed nuclear power A state regulatory change also ad- �A tailings. The U.S. War Department operated a separate refinery, mill and res tuts, fill medicinal and other techno-a Slick Rock program at a nearby site from 1943 through'1958. About 30,000 tons of ore dresses that issue. The state requires deal needs, and provide steel-hard- 1 1: 550 cessed. mills that are inactive for two years to ing vanadium for industrial uses. start the cleanup process. In the past, left behind: 2.2 million tons of radioactive tailings and 24 contaminated bus Jnlike earlier mills approved with mill owners left mills in "standby" in- ,a9j Groundwater around the site is contaminated, but the extent of the contam consideration for their toxic lega- definitely to avoid cleanup. A not known. From 1950 to 1966, 300,000 tons of tailings were given to contr , Energy Fuels has handed over 15 But those changes don't satisfy N and private citizens to use as fill and in concrete and mortar in more than 4, ck binders to state regulators. The White. Durango, 160, 20miles vate and commercial buildings. iders are filled with the design, envi- "Regulatory oversight is a mess," MEE The fix: Climax dismantled most of the mill and covered tailings with vegeta nmental and safety details sur- White said. "The right hand doesn't source: www.lm.doe.gov/LM_Program/ 1973, a federally funded program began removing materials from private lot unding its proposed mill. Regulatory_Frame work.aspx DOE be Regulators are examining hydrolo- know what,the left hand is doing. So gan a cleanup of the mill site in the mid-1980s. The federal governmE we shouldn t be rushing to do this (ap- The Denver Post cleaned up some contamination in the years after the mill was closed and rE seismology, demographic impacts prove a new mill) when the proper materials from the site from 1989 to 1994. Some cleanup projects continue. d effects on flora and fauna, as well regulatory oversight isn't there." MAYBELL MILL AND DISPOSAL SITE ■ demanding complete plans for how Travis Stills, managing attorney mill ultimately would be torn with the Energy Minerals Law Center, ..? O5 ,). million Cost of cleanup rwn and the site reclaimed. refers to that lack of clear information The Union Carbide this time around, overseers want to Corp., now Umetco, and a subsidiary contracted with the Atomic Energy Commission to operate a mi as no data, no problem." He said it un- miles northeast of Maybell between 1957 and 1964. The mill processed about 2.6 million tons of ore and uranium-laced r f.are radioactive dust won't waft dermines public confidence in the and slurries through milling and teaching before the mill closed. der Paradox Valley farm crops, chemi- opening of a new mill. Left behind: 2.6 million tons of tailings spread over 80 acres. Discharges of as much as 400,000 pounds of tailings durinu milling agents won't harm wildlife, "We don't know where they are put- 1960s resulted in water contamination 3 miles downstream of the mill. �d heavy metals and radioactivity ling their effort. We don't think ade- n'ttrickle into water sources. The fix: Umetco dismantled the mill and began stabilizing tailings in 1971. DOE did surface cleanup from 1995 through : quate monitoring has really been placed 3.5 million tons of contaminated materials in a 66-acre disposal cell. e're taking every precaution there," said Stills, whose organization ,th this mill," Smith said. "If the ap- is a nonprofit law firm based in Duran- NATURITA MILL AND DISPOSAL SITE ■ scant can't demonstrate they can go that focuses on protecting commu- . • nfarm to our regulations, they nities and the environment from im- $86 . 3 million Cost of cleanup rn't get the license." pacts of energy development. The Vanadium Corp. of America began operating the mill in 1939. The mill processed 704,000 tons of uranium ore forth In the past, mill owners weren't re- ared to clean up the detritus created Monitoring cOStS $1 million hattan Project from 1942 to 1958. In the late 1970s, a private corporation bought the tailings pile and moved it to anon 'the crushing, leeching and drying of called Hecla/Durita to extract additional uranium and vanadium. The state's Radiation Program and Left behind: At and around the original mill, 138 acres were contaminated. Groundwater beneath the site was contamir inium ore into an enriched product the DOE's Office of Legacy Manage- own as yellowcake. As much as 99 ment will spend about si million to- The fix: From 1993 to 1997, DOE removed 800,000 yards of contaminated material and put it in a disposal site near Ura% icent of uranium ore is left as waste gether for monitoring in Colorado in tamination was left in place on 22 acres. More than one acre was left because the radiation levels were so high that wo er the milling process. 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CI ° OU O as cti g cn p Ia', O2 O U •>gel )4•4 q O }' +� V ....it'� ��" • ,+ aJ b1AH 9XI �aJ v .� ° .e p - o o Q H a icd cz -aU 09 �s a3A � 9al -a ca C14 .— r4., t.., sEU0 '9 '>e)utJe - Crr 1 c t- Uranium mill worries state Proposed plant raises concerns about toxic waste, wildlife and water quality p By Bruce Finley The Denver Post State regulators have raised con- cerns about toxic waste, radiation end water supply at what would be the nation's first conventional uranium mill opened since the Cold War. Heavy-metals waste from Ener gy Fuels Resources Corp.'s pr . posed uranium-processing in southwest Colorado would in- clude arsenic, lead, molybdenum and cadmium. A failure to fully ad- dress handling of this potentially harmful material "is considered to be a major deficiency in the appli- cation," Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment regulators said in a recent request for information. Beaches around waste impound- ment ponds would be exposed to birds. "What are the risks to wild- life from exposed tailings beach- es?" the request asks. State regulators asserted that people at fences around Energy Fuels' 88o-acre site could be ex- posed to radiation approaching a 25-millirem limit. "A projected dose that approaches a regulatory limit cannot be considered trivi- al," a CDPHE document said. The Colorado Water Conserva- tion Board is opposing Energy Fuels' filings to use water from the Dolores River. Energy Fuels has begun drilling wells to supply enough water to process Soo tons of uranium a day. But company of- ficials say they may need addition- al water. The mill near Naturita would supply uranium for an anticipated nuclear-energy renaissance and vanadium for batteries and hard- ening steel. The proposed Pinon Ridge mill would crush uranium ore into a powder, then leach concentrated: uranium from the ore using sulfu- ric acid. Most of the material would stay at the site in lined im- poundment ponds. CDPHE officials are required to decide by Jan. 17 whether to issue a permit. "If they need more infor- mation to make their decision, we'll give it to them," said Dick White, Energy Fuels' vice presi- dent for exploration. Controlling radiation levels at the fence "may require additional cover" on the ponds," White said. One option for protecting birds would be "hazing" — setting up motion detectors and noise-mak- ing cannons that would drive them away, said Frank Filas, envi- ronmental manager for the project. State natural resources and com- pany officials have launched a me- diation process to address con- cerns about potential harm to Do- lores River aquatic life, Filas said. While the proposed mill has heightened local hopes of a return to Atomic Age prosperity, some residents oppose it. Farmer Tony Daranyi, who grows vegetables about 45 miles east of the site, said he's"concerned about the impacts to air quality from drifting heavy metals due to operations at the proposed mill." Uranium mill operations "may contaminate our soils and water, dirty the clean air, and poison high-altitude lakes and water- sheds," Daranyi said. "Once our rich, nutritious soils are harmed, they're gone forever." Bruce Finley: 303-954-1700 or bfinley@denverpost.com !02 0 litimil m o o •v :� V) a V) m ) +-• N le Z N •- 'U o N • C f"rjj oc CD in CO a 'Cr CO -7., g 4-. 0 t cic ••-4 0 .4., 4.„ la •� N *a Z 0 i Q N.VI O o ti Ni Z° -0 4 ' 3 ` 0 -0 u as E 0 y .-♦ 3 a as ea 'It cie .� o as • _ 0 p . z .4% H cla --- `^ g mi 0 PIO E """� ° vtu . dtill a❑, -v a 4 Calji OS > a) gib . ❑ O c� cn O O O p N +, 4, by 3 4) +; VI 0 t co Lci at • >, O bp 0 q u › ct *ell4)Cr ta a) U o H "Ti bA ""• 4 2 ? E-4 v CO Cilill (1) lj al Id a its4 4.4 W 1.4 CO t C) ct ,G by cui E'' •0 o Iiii 1Q O o •.� t :0 3 V) < 0 b.:a� - ta .514 14 0 � :� .� a g 0. 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F: . wad \ t AS III •--44-011 le 2 .5; ct O MOd i ��, to CIw I A .o ❑ W • W ++ • "' y O cC r7 0Claill; A Cliil .0 'el A •� e) "Eg 13 q a) .a 0 is •� 1cd ~ aj cUG O I-4 tn.) C g ° I"' a 0 c.4 n� v c E ti •b re“00 uni i— CI: a_ cn ;-• 2 -00 0 ro in D VI .�• �, , 2 incu 74..., cd ctd 1, •460) + CIIII) ;mist :4 1. .1,, ,.., tf) ".... s_i IS •ANEW 13 lit CI CCII i yr ca do) ao O � ° �` ° GI rl tO 44 u � U p aJ � trelcill; ib u � ° ° _..'41\-ice h i - -- w .e , j . p sir•• II J�, �I I I , i li Ills i II'i , _,� 1 1l K r 1' ‘ tlpyJ f �� lLJ�l el' Waal _ ' r r ' Wit`-- �_Ys�J_ . _ ... \. "'sli i.''g -.:._- - ;>f. H• . I=_ t r I• I • r •)�T iii' ll�' - YI it • The Cotter Corp. had previously planned to refurbish the contaminated uranium mill site south of Canon City. RJ Sangosti, The Denver Post COTTER: Toxic levels still high ( FROM 1B past decade (Cotter paid a penalty of si6,5oo in 2006) and toxic tailings leach- downhill," Cunningham said. ing into groundwater. Past efforts to "It flows down through the Sand "de-water" toxic waste impoundment Creek area (toward the Arkansas Riv- ponds at the mill, intended to stop Gon- er). They need to pump that water out tamination of groundwater, have left of the ground and clean it. But they toxic tailings exposed to the air. don't want to do that because it is ex- "What would demolition, disposal pensive. They want to just let it natu- and reclamation look like? We need to rally clean itself, which could take ioo have this out in the open," said Travis years," she said. Stills, managing attorney of the Duran- "That's just unacceptable. ... For go-based Energy Minerals Law Cen- people who have already been ex- ter, who has represented residents at posed, it doesn't matter. It's already hearings. "What is at risk is a continu- happened to us. But let's make sure no- ing stream of contamination coming body else is exposed." off this site." Colorado Department of Public A law signed by Gov. Bill Ritter on Health and Environment officials, un- June 8 requires uranium mill opera- der an agreement with federal regula- tors to clean up existing toxic messes tors, are charged with supervising the before launching new projects. cleanup. Cotter owns uranium mines around The state officials have not decided Colorado and also faces pressure to whether to require an active cleanup clean up contamination at a defunct of groundwater or to allow the "natu- mine west of Denver. Toxic water ral attenuation" option that would there has contaminated a creek that leave tainted water in place, said flows into a Denver Water reservoir. health department spokesman Mark State natural resources officials re- Salley. The state's decision "will be cently fined Cotter $55,000 for viola- subject to a public process," he said. tions at that mine, the Schwartzwalder. Cotter has offered to increase bond All but $2,500 has been suspended — money to $20.8 million, state records on the condition that Cotter compl} show. State health officials are dis- with an order to pump out contaminat cussing whether that would be suffi- ed water by Aug. 31. cient to cover remediation costs. The cleanup has lagged, with the Bruce Finley: 303-954-1700 state reporting 69 violations over the or bfinley@denverpost.com illIU * - te MO MILL: Canon City. , , ___________ residents oppose Z__________________ it u, pp e1 9 future operations :. . _ qi --..--e,,,,,x.......,.....„ ,.. _ su A-— . (< FROM l6 a Pa jai "Our intention is ... to clear the path for z: �' new construction in the future." No date has been set or plans submitted L for that construction. 400 it -s • V w A new state law requires uranium-mill . ♦•I `a`d operators to clean up existing messes be- The Cotter uranium mill, a Super- R fore launching new projects. Cotter op- no posed that law and, before it was passed, IEL fund cleanup site south of Canon warned it could kill a proposed project to � City, is next to a popular golf haul uranium from a mine in New Mexico course. Denver Post file photo by train and process it at the mill. V Recent Cotter letters to U.S. Environ- mental Cotter keeps Protection Agency and Colorado De partmentof Pub11c Health and Environ-• n ment regulators indicated that Cotter was ;, options o en moving to close down facilities and no C longer would test air foremissions of ►ri'' as mill elos cancer-causing radon. Hamrick previous- ' ly did not comment on those activities. J es When reached by cellphone Thursday, ' Hamrick said the stepped-up dismantling rr Tearing down the tainted site of contaminated facilities "is not connect- may clear the way for future ed to the law at all." EPA officials are reviewing Cotter's letter uranium work, a VP says. ' arguing that the company can stop radon Il,l By Bruce Finley The Denver Post testing at the site as it deconunissions it. Fed- eral air-quality overseers "haven't had that Cotter Corp. will dismantle its letter very long. They are evaluating the let- toxic-waste ponds and buildings at a ter and determining what our response will 4 uranium mill south of Canon City, but be," EPA spokeswoman Sonya Pennock said. it intends to keep its license from state "Our bottom line is, before this cleanup Us regulators to operate at the site and is complete, it's going to have to meet all of Ac may reopen, the company's vice presi- the Superfund standards," she said.dent for operations said Thursday. Fremont County Commissioner Mike Accelerated efforts to close down Stiehl pointed out that Cotter's current li- u I contaminated facilities at the Super- cense to operate is a "standby" license that 1 fund cleanup site are aimed at clear- would have to be amended to allow any ing a path for possible uranium pro- ': cessing in the future and do not indi- new processing of uranium. 1 "If they were going to operate again, cate Cotter plans to leave the they would need to make it safer," Stiehl ° a,600-acre site, vice president John 11 said. "We would have plenty of concerns a Hamrick said. that they not repeat past practices. ... I still a "We can decommission parts of the would prefer that they would do it in a dif- facility without moving towards li- ferent place. But we don't have very much cense termination," Hamrick said. + control over that." ;e MILL » 38 The mill, which opened in 1958, is one of 1,' a handful of licensed facilities across the q' country that can process uranium used as ° fuel for nuclear power plants. 3 Canon City residents worried about a 3U long-delayed cleanup of contaminated soillin and groundwater have raised concerns that It Cotter may try to avoid completing a prop- u' er cleanup. They oppose any new process- Id J ing at the site on the south side of town. Cotter's dismantling will involve plac- ing dirt on top of existing contaminated uranium tailings ponds. New construction of pads for chemically leaching concentrat- ed uranium from ore could be constructed I on top of the capped ponds, Hamrick said. '— Contaminated processing buildings and offices at the site will be dismantled, he said. i "We believe we have a processing fu- 4 ture," he said. "We are taking steps to £ achieve that." S; Bruce Finley: 303-954-1700 Ior bfinley@denverpost.com Hello