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SALT LAKE CITY (AP) -- Governor Huntsman is warning the U-S Department of Energy that a flood could sweep radioactive material piled beside the Colorado River near Moab into the water.
He says the recent flooding in southern Utah proves how quickly water can decimate an area, and now is the time to move the tailings.
The 94-foot-tall waste pile came from Moab's rich uranium deposits, which were mined in the 1950s for nuclear bombs. The Energy Department took over the site in 2001.
The D-O-E has been accepting comments on a draft impact statement concerning the tailings pile.
Alternatives include doing nothing, disposing of the tailings where they are or moving them to one of three offsite disposal areas.
(Copyright 2005 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
