C.C.A.T.

Tuesday, December 17, 2002

 

Uranium test sites set near Cotter mill

CANON CITY - State health department officials and residents have agreed on locations to test for the presence of radioactive waste near the Cotter Corp.'s uranium mill.

"The idea behind this sampling is to see what's in this area and to find out if the community is at risk for plutonium," said Tom Harrison, environmental protection specialist and radiochemistry lab manager at the Colorado Department of Health and Environment.

Most of the 20 sites to be tested for plutonium, lead and molybdenum are in a 3-mile radius east and west of the Cotter mill.

Harrison said he hopes to conduct the soil testing in January, and it could take about six weeks before results are available.

Members of Citizens Against Toxic Waste also want Cotter's containment ponds tested.

At a prior meeting, Harrison said the ponds are not tested for plutonium because there are many materials contained in the ponds, and testing them would require digging up the whole pond and risk damaging the pond liners.

The subcommittee also discussed how much plutonium must exist in the soil samplings to warrant further testing. Harrison recommended setting the level at .15 picoCuries per gram. Committee members wanted a lower number and suggested .12 pCis.

The group tentatively agreed on .12 pCi, but will research the issue further.