The US Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Environmental Management (EM) announced the removal of a cumulative 16m tonnes of uranium mill tailings and other contaminated material from its Moab Uranium Mill Tailings Remedial Action (UMTRA) Project site.
“Safely relocating 16m tonnes and completing excavation of the tailings pile is a major milestone in risk reduction and protection of public health and the environment,” said Moab UMTRA Project Federal Cleanup Director, Matt Udovitsch. “This marks the successful completion of a 2025 EM priority. We look forward to completing the cleanup and facilitating the future beneficial reuse of this site.”
Disposal of radioactive mill tailings and other contaminated materials started in 2009. Crews moved the material by rail to an engineered disposal cell at the Crescent Junction site, 30 miles to the north.
Over the coming years, EM will complete the Moab Project mission by developing and implementing the final groundwater compliance action plan, removal of contaminated soils in the sub-pile and off-pile areas, radiological verification of cleanup, disposition of equipment and infrastructure, and regrading and revegetation. Sub-pile refers to the contaminated soil beneath the surface tailings pile, and off-pile to the additional contaminated soil and debris adjacent to the surface pile. Site closure is planned for 2029.
