Should a DOE Site for Radioactive Material Be Kept Open Through 2031? (H.R. 347)

What is H.R. 347?

(Updated September 11, 2019)

This bill — the Responsible Disposal Reauthorization Act of 2019 — would extend the Dept. of Energy’s (DOE) Cheney Disposal Cell through fiscal year 2031. The Cheney Disposal Cell is the DOE’s only site that can accept uranium mill tailings, which are a sand-like byproduct of uranium ore processing.

Argument in favor

Uranium tailings carry a number of health risks, including cancer. As such, they must be handled properly to ensure that people and communities stay safe. Since the Cheney Disposal Cell is the only remaining DOE site that can accept uranium tailings, it’s important to keep it open as long as uranium tailings keep turning up.

Argument opposed

The Cheney Disposal Cell is already authorized through fiscal year 2023. Since it’s only 2019, there’s no need to extend the Dept. of Energy’s authority to keep it open past 2023 just yet. It’d be better to wait until a few years so Congress can make a more informed judgment based on whether there’s still a need for a DOE site to accept uranium mill tailings by then.

Impact

Uranium mill tailings; DOE; and the Cheney Disposal Cell.

Cost of H.R. 347

When this bill was introduced in the 115th Congress, the CBO estimated that the DOE’s annual costs to administer the Cheney Disposal Cell total less than $500,000 annually. However, since the DOE is already authorized to operate the Cheney Disposal Cell through FY 2023, the CBO estimated that enacting this bill would have no effect on DOE’s costs over the 2018-2022 period covered by its estimate.

Additional Info

In-Depth: Rep. Scott Tipton (R-CO) reintroduced this bill from the 115th Congress to extend the Dept. of Energy’s (DOE) Cheney Disposal Cell’s authorization through fiscal year 2031. When he introduced this bill in the 115th Congress, Rep. Tipton said:

“The Department of Energy’s Cheney Disposal Cell in Mesa County is a vital component of the Office of Legacy Management’s mission to protect public health and the environment. Uranium waste materials continue to be discovered during road construction, bridge replacement, home foundation excavation and other activities across Western Colorado and need a place to be disposed of. This legislation will see to it that there continues to be a safe disposal site for the tailings.”

This bill has one cosponsor, Rep. Diana DeGette (D-CO). It was first introduced by Sen. Cory Gardner (R-CO) in the 114th Congress, where it had no cosponsors and didn’t receive a committee vote. In the 115th Congress, the House version of this bill, which would’ve extended authority for the Cheney Disposal Cell through FY 2030, was introduced by Rep. Tipton with the support of one cosponsor, Rep. DeGette, and it passed the House by a voice vote before failing to receive a Senate vote. A Senate version, which would’ve extended authority for the Cheney Disposal Cell through FY 2048, was introduced by Sen. Gardner without any cosponsors, and it passed the Senate Committee on Natural Resources.

Of Note: Uranium mill tailings (a sand-like byproduct of uranium ore processing) were used as fill and construction material in the mid-1900s. The DOE has already cleaned up most of the sites that contained tailings, but mill tailings are still uncovered from time to time during road construction and redevelopment programs.

The Cheney Disposal Cell is the only DOE facility authorized to accept mill tailings. Under current law, the DOE Secretary may operate the Cheney Disposal Cell until 2023, or until the site has fulfilled its capacity. At present, the cell’s remaining capacity is approximately 234,000 cubic yards, and it receives 2,700 cubic yards of waste on an annual basis. As a result, the cell isn’t expected to reach its capacity by 2023.

Uranium mill tailings carry a number of health risks. They can contaminate surface water or groundwater that may be used for drinking water. If not properly handled, dust from tailings piles can be blown away from the original sites, after which point people can breathe them in or they can contaminate water. Additionally, uranium tailings contain radium, which decays to produce radon, an invisible and odorless radioactive gas that causes lung cancer. Uranium tailings may also contain selenium, which can be toxic if swallowed or absorbed at length, and thorium, a natural element that gives off radiation.

Media:

• Sponsoring Rep. Scott Tipton (R-CO) Press Release (115th Congress)
  
• Sponsoring Rep. Scott Tipton Floor Remarks (115th Congress)
  
• CBO Cost Estimate (115th Congress)
  
• GAO Report (Context)