Editorial: Update on uranium tailings near river

Tuesday, June 22, 1999 | 10:07 a.m.

The federal government's action -- or more appropriately, its inaction -- regarding the 10.5 million tons of uranium mill tailings sitting next to the Colorado River near Moab, Utah, has been shameful. Earlier this year the Project on Government Oversight found that uranium is leaking from the site into the Colorado River at rates much higher than federal radiation limits.

Federal agencies have handled this mess ineptly -- the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission insists on capping the tailings and leaving them there instead of moving them to a safe location. But last week U.S. Energy Secretary Bill Richardson said he would send investigators to see if the tailings pose an environmental threat.

The Colorado River is the source of drinking water for 23 million people in Nevada, California and Arizona, making this is a critical issue for the region. A new investigation is welcomed, but the DOE should understand that Colorado River users will greet this latest review skeptically, considering past government whitewashes.