Department of Energy August 5, 2005 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE's) Office of Environmental Management (EM) announces the availability of the Remediation of the Moab Uranium Mill Tailings Final Environmental Impact Statement, Grand and San Juan Counties, Utah (DOE/EIS- 0355)(FEIS). The FEIS has been prepared in accordance with the regulations of the Council on Environmental Quality (Title 40 Code of Federal Regulations [CFR] Parts 1500-1508) for implementing the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and DOE's NEPA Implementing Procedures (10 CFR Part 1021). The FEIS analyzes the potential environmental impacts associated with remediating contaminated soils, tailings, and ground water at the Moab Uranium Mill Tailings Site (Moab site), Grand County, Utah, and contaminated soils in adjacent public and private properties (vicinity properties) near the Moab site. The FEIS analyzes one on-site and three off-site alternative disposal locations for remediation of surface contamination; one alternative for remediation of contaminated ground water; and the No Action Alternative. Remediation alternatives for the disposal of surface contamination include on-site disposal of the mill tailings at their current location in Moab, Utah; and three off-site disposal alternatives in Utah: Klondike Flats, Crescent Junction, and the White Mesa Mill. For transportation of the mill tailings to the off-site alternatives, three modes have been considered: Truck, rail, and slurry pipeline. The FEIS identifies Crescent Junction as DOE's preferred alternative for disposal of the Moab mill tailings and other contaminated materials using predominantly rail transportation. Under the preferred alternative, DOE would remove the contaminated mill tailings from adjacent to the Colorado River and relocate them at the Crescent Junction site. The FEIS also identifies active ground water remediation as DOE's preferred alternative for contaminated ground water to eliminate the potential ongoing impacts to aquatic species in the Colorado River resulting from contaminated ground water discharges.