Economy takes toll on Cotter Corp. jobs

By TRACY HARMON
The Pueblo Chieftain

CANON CITY - Although Cotter Corp. enacted new worker safety measures and has gotten the OK to restart its uranium mill here, the lingering economic impact of a state mandated six-month suspension will lead to the layoff of 15 additional workers this week.

Cotter laid off about 55 workers last year, so this week's layoffs will bring the total lost jobs to 70.

Cotter Corp. Vice President Rich Ziegler said recent delays in getting EPA approval to process Li Tungsten waste material and delays in getting state approval to process calcium fluoride from the Metropolis facility in Illinois have led to the most recent layoffs.

"Because of the delays I can't maintain the work force. We've been looking at processing the (uranium) ore from some of the mines on the Western Slope, but it's just not economically feasible," Ziegler said.

Cotter is fresh off a six-month suspension, having addressed all worker health issues that were of concern to the state.

"Our radiation health and safety really has not changed all that much," Ziegler explained. "Our work records were not up to the status they should be."

Ziegler said the state felt calculations of bioassay and worker dose assessments did not have adequate checks and balances.

"Some of that was true. After all the 2000 and 2001 dose assessments were redone the way the state wanted, the numbers were correct.

"Now we have better internal control of the worker dose assessments," Ziegler explained.

Another state concern was with respiratory protection procedures. Although the mill was in compliance, the state wanted to see updated procedures.

"We purchased new equipment for fit-testing on-site at the mill. So if you were to go into the yellow cake area you would wear a mask that has a rubberized seal which fits against your face and you would breathe through filters.

"If someone asks you if it is working, you really don't know if it is secured. With a new machine and licensed respiratory testers we can make sure there is no leakage and there is no outside air getting into the mask," Ziegler said.

In addition to that, the state wanted to be sure that air samplers used at the plant are correctly calculating how much radiation is present. Cotter workers now wear breathing zone apparatus or BZ samplers.

The BZ samplers feature a monitor which clips on the worker's belt from which a small hose connects to a filter worn near the collarbone. The samplers provide a direct reading so that wherever a worker goes on site, it is taking a sample of the air.

"You can get a reading right away by taking the filter to the lab and they can tell you if it is a high count of radiation. Some (workers) like them and some don't because they get in the way of work.

"We are wearing the BZs to supplement dose calculation and it is duplicating the efforts of the air samplers. My thought is to keep the BZs and eliminate the air samplers somewhere down the road when we are comfortable with our readings," Ziegler said.

In terms of rebounding from hard economic times and layoffs, Cotter officials hope the state will allow the mill to accept the Maywood, N.J., waste soils. Cotter is still working on a revised environmental assessment that addresses socio-economic and transportation deficiencies.

Ziegler said the supplemental assessment should be ready for state and Fremont County Commission review this week.