Moab Uranium Mill Tailings Remedial Action UMTRA Project

Moab Uranium Mill Tailings Remedial Action (UMTRA) Project Site LTS&M Planning Donald Metzler U. S. Department of Energy Office of Environmental Management Moab Federal Project Director LTS&M Conference Grand Junction, CO November 16, 2010

Moab Site Background n Former uranium-ore processing facility (1956 -1984) n Transferred to DOE ownership in 2001 n 400 -acre site; 130 acres covered by uranium mill tailings pile n Largest uranium mill tailings pile (16 million tons) in the world to be relocated n Regulated by U. S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) 2

Project Scope n Relocate 16 million tons of uranium mill tailings and other contaminated materials from the Moab site by rail to Crescent Junction, Utah, for permanent disposal • Being remediated under Title I of Uranium Mill Tailings Radiation Control Act n Actively remediate ground water at the Moab site n Remediate vicinity properties that exceed regulatory standards 3

Moab UMTRA Project Site Arches National Park d oa l. L ai R U. S. Highway 191 Moab o ad r lo r Co ive R u O t Tailings Pile N 4

Status n n n Currently shipping up to 144 containers per train, two trains per day, Monday through Friday Through October 2010, about 2. 5 million tons of mill tailings (15. 5 percent of the total) shipped and disposed Project end date currently at 2025; substantial additional annual funding required to meet 2019 legislated end date Crescent Junction disposal cell 5

Moab Site Cleanup Requirements n Surface (soils) remediation • Moab site soils are being cleaned up to U. S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) standards in 40 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR)192 – 5 picocuries per gram (p. Ci/g) in top 6 inches and 15 p. Ci/g in subsurface n Ground water remediation • Biological Opinion identifies a limit of 0. 3 mg/L ammonia in surface water • Anticipate active ground water remediation to be complete concurrent with surface remediation 6

Supplemental Standards n 40 CFR 192 allows the development of alternate cleanup levels, or supplemental standards, based on an assessment of risk to human health and the environment for specific exposure scenarios n At Moab site, may be applied along utility corridors, under roadways, and for ground water 7

Current Activities with Future in Mind n Tamarisk removal • n Near ground water well field Erosion control • Along hillside up to rail load out area • To assist with storm runoff from U. S. Highway 191 and Moab Wash n Revegetation of disturbed areas with native species n Fauna study 8

End State Vision n Land ownership and use • DOE will transfer ownership at completion of cleanup – Water rights on Colorado River―Could be sold separately • n Park-like setting Coordination with stakeholders • Other federal agencies – National Park Service and Bureau of Land Management – Discussing possible land transfer mechanisms and infrastructure and facilities disposition • NRC, U. S. Fish and Wildlife, Corps of Engineers • Local government and community groups – Mill Tailings Project Steering Committee will likely act as reuse organization to represent community’s interests 9

Crescent Junction Disposal Site n n Land withdrawal • 2008: 500 acres permanently transferred to DOE • 2009: 20 -year renewal of 936 acres held in temporary withdrawal, remaining 864 acres returned to public domain Cell aligned in a east-towest direction and roughly rectangular, about 5, 200 feet long by 2, 400 feet wide 10

Crescent Junction Site Specifications n Cell excavated in phases; second phase begun in January n Tailings thickness: 25 feet below the surrounding grade and 25 feet aboveground n Up to 10 -foot-thick, multi-layered cover composed of native soils and rock 11

Crescent Junction Site LTS&M Planning n Permanent land transfer area will be fenced n Disposition of 28 -mile construction waterline from Green River n Standpipes to be installed in tailings material to monitor transient drainage n Observation wells to be installed around cell perimeter 12

Moab Project Information gjem. energy. gov/moab 13