Legislators aim to restore uranium cleanup funds
Tuesday, April 24, 2001 | 10:46 a.m.
Although the Bush administration removed a budget item to clean up radioactive uranium tailings leaking into the Colorado River near Moab, Utah, the Nevada congressional delegation plans to help restore the funding.
Last year Congress gave the Department of Energy responsibility for removing 13 million tons of uranium mill tailings that leak about 16,000 gallons of contaminated water a day into the river, the major drinking water source for Nevada, Arizona and California.
A $2.8 million line item in the DOE's Grand Junction, Colo., budget would allow the federal agency to begin overseeing the project. Some officials estimated it would cost up to $300 million to remove the tailings left after Atlas Mining Corp., the bankrupt Denver-based company, quit mining uranium after the Cold War. Atlas filed for bankruptcy in 1997, leaving the cleanup to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
But after the NRC decided to cap the leaky tailings in place for $100 million, former Energy Secretary Bill Richardson stepped in and pledged to remove the tailings piled 750 feet from the river's edge.
Utah and Nevada water officials feared a flash flood or other disaster could wash the entire pile of tailings into the Colorado, contaminating the river downstream.
archive
- Most Read
- Discussed
- Most E-mailed
- The pull of a drug, a push to the brink
- Was there an ulterior motive in parking the stripper-mobile?
- CityCenter hotel welcomes new employees with gala
- Notebook: The Shark and LJ circle
- Forrest Griffin writes his own ending at UFC 106
- Harry Reid’s hopes hitched to health care reform bill
- Politicians waste no time spinning latest jobless numbers
- What might result from a national airing of Ensign’s dirty laundry
- Police arrest 2 more in fatal shooting of Metro officer
- Willis makes big difference in UNLV’s 78-69 victory
Blogs
Robin Leach's Las Vegas Celebrity Watch
Photo Gallery: Donny’s correct prediction of Osmond vs. Osbourne
Politics: The Early Line
Sen. John Ensign affair to resurface on 'Nightline' (1 Comment)
The Greene Room
MWC Winners and Losers: Week 12 (1 Comment)
Culture and Entertainment
UFC 106 walk-in music: Griffin changes his tune, secures win over Ortiz
The Kats Report
For props, Lewis Black needs only his manic delivery and torrid material (9 Comments)
Elsewhere
Sands China raises $2.5 billion in Hong Kong IPO (2 Comments)
Marquardt v. Sonnen scheduled for UFC 109
- Live chat
- Tuesday, noon PST
- Chat with Krista Creelman
- Problem Gambling Center executive director Krista Creelman will answer questions about gambling addiction from Las Vegas Sun readers from noon to 1 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. ... Submit question
Calendar »
- 23 Mon
- 24 Tue
- 25 Wed
- 26 Thu
- 27 Fri
-
DJ Scooter at Prive
Prive | 10 p.m. to 11:59 p.m.
-
Fabolous's birthday at Jet
Jet | 10 p.m. to 11:59 p.m.
-
Mixology Monday at Downtown Cocktail Room
Downtown Cocktail Room | 8 p.m. to 11 p.m.
-
DJ Red at Tabu
Tabú Ultralounge | 10 p.m. to 11:59 p.m.
-
The Automatic Tour at The Square Apple
The Square Apple
The Sun
Locally owned and independent for more than 50 years.
Technorati













