U.S. Department of Energy Looking for site for 17,000 tons of Mercury

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State site may become mercury waste dump

by K. son

Associated Press Writer Article Last Updated; Saturday, July 18, 2009

DENVER - Environmental groups are gearing up for a hearing next week about

whether Colorado will become a dump site for hazardous mercury wastes.

The U.S. Department of Energy says it is looking for a place to store as much as

17,000 tons of the dangerous waste, which has been linked to serious health

concerns, including heart and neural disorders.

The hearing is scheduled Tuesday in Grand Junction, near the proposed site that

currently serves as a federal dump site for uranium wastes.

The U.S. Department of Energy says it is looking for a place to store as much as

17,000 tons of the dangerous waste, which has been linked to serious health

concerns, including heart and neural disorders.

Mercury is used in gold mining, and manufacturing chlorine and caustic soda.

It's reclaimed from recycling and waste recovery operations, and is also used in

electronic equipment.

, spokesman for the Western Colorado Congress, a conservation group,

said the proposal to store the hazardous waste caught many people by surprise,

including environmental groups. He said few details have been made public and

his group hasn't had time to poll members to reach a consensus.

" There certainly are concerns at face value, including the proximity to the

Colorado River. When you talk about having hazardous materials, especially

mercury with its serious health effects, next to one of the biggest tributaries

of the Colorado River, which could affect millions of people, we have some

concerns, " said.

Other proposed sites include the Idaho National Laboratory, the Hanford nuclear

reservation in Washington state, Hawthorne Army Depot in Nevada, Kansas City

Plant in Missouri, the Savannah River Site in South Carolina, and Waste Control

Specialists in s, Texas.

The agency is looking for storage sites because mercury exports will be banned

beginning in 2013. The Department of Energy is accepting public comments through

Aug. 17 as part of the process of developing an environmental impact statement.

A final site or group of sites will be named Jan. 1 as long-term storage areas

for domestically produced mercury.

Warren , spokesman for the hazardous waste division at the Colorado

Department of Public Health and Environment, said it's a federal project and the

state has few details about the federal government's plans.

said the Grand Junction Disposal Site was set up to store uranium mill

tailings that people had used for road building and driveways. He said the

mercury would be stored in a separate warehouse above ground and would not be

mixed with the tailings.

said the state has not taken a position on the proposal.