Opal Group Inc.
Moab Tailings
Pricewaterhouse Coopers LLC
Moab, UT
Under its US Nuclear Regulatory Agency license, Atlas Corporation required a detailed reclamation plan for a 130-acre, 110-foot high uranium tailings disposal impoundment adjacent to the Colorado River. Opal personnel were originally retained by the now-bankrupt Atlas Corporation to evaluate tailings reclamation options, including off-site transportation, repository construction and disposal. Opal personnel developed a detailed site remediation plan for the impoundment. This work involved the excavation of approximately 50,000 bank cubic yards (yd3) of soil from select areas proximate to the tailings disposal facility. That material was placed on top of the central portion of the pile over an approximate 10 to 12-acre area of exposed tailings slimes for dust control as an interim cover. Approximately four haul roads were progressively constructed across the soft tailings slimes. These roads were then employed to place a minimum six-inch thick layer of soil over the exposed tailings. The actual thickness of soil in most areas exceeded six inches to conform to the surface contouring of the pile.
Type of Construction: Repository Cap, Site Characterization, Erosion Control
Size: 110 ft tall, 130 acres, 50,000 cyds
Services: Mine Reclamation
Related Projects: Repository Construction, Leach Pond Closure
