Uravan had been a site of uranium and vanadium mining and processing since the 1920s. Years of pollution to the property, located along the San Miguel River in the western end of the county, designated it as a Superfund site in 1986, according a news release.
For 20 years, Umetco, a subsidiary of Dow Chemicals, performed cleanup work along the river and on the 680-acre property. The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency oversaw the work.
 Photo courtesy of U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region 8 Advertisement |
“The final completion of this massive and challenging cleanup reflects a successful partnership among Umetco, the State of Colorado and EPA,” said EPA’s Acting Regional Administrator Carol Rushin. “We have achieved several key goals at the Uravan site. Wastes have been removed and safely contained, the area has been restored, and the threat of impacts to the San Miguel River has been eliminated.”
The cleanup efforts removed more than 13 million cubic yards of mill tailings, evaporation pond precipitates, water treatment sludge, contaminated soil and debris from more than 20 major mill structures on the property, according to the release.
During the time the mill opened until it was shut down in the mid-’80s, it produced more than 10 million tons of uranium-vanadium ore. This resulted in milling wastes containing radioactive materials, metals and inorganic contaminants.
Now that the site is clean and safe, it will be dedicated as a campground and provide future recreational uses and wildlife habitat, said Rushin. There are also plans to establish a museum focused on the history of uranium mining in Colorado. A portion of the site will be transferred to the Department of Energy for long-term management.
Gary Baughman, director of the Hazardous Materials and Waste Management Division of the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, said the mess created at the site, and its cleanup, will help guide decisions about future uranium development in Colorado.
“Our growing body of knowledge about uranium, improved technology and methods, and environmental protections can lead to cleaner, safer mills with less impact on surrounding communities and the environment,” he said.
Contact Kati O’Hare via e-mail at katio@montrosepress.com
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