Moab Cleanup On Track For 2029 Completion as Land Ownership Remains Unclear

Why It Matters

Federal cleanup of the Moab Mill Site in Utah is on track for completion by 2029, but the federal government has not determined who will own most of the property afterward. The Department of Energy’s Office of Environmental Management expects to transfer most of the mill site to Grand County, Utah, once cleanup is complete, but no final decision has been made.

The unresolved ownership question will shape the future of a site adjacent to the Colorado River that has cost the federal government nearly $1 billion to clean up. Local officials have proposed converting the property into an outdoor recreation area, but that plan depends on the Energy Department approving a transfer.

The Big Picture

The Moab Cleanup Project cost approximately $970 million through fiscal 2025, with total costs expected to reach about $1.16 billion. The federal government is responsible for the full cost of the cleanup.

The former mill processed uranium ore during the Cold War, leaving behind more than 16 million tons of uranium mill tailings and other contaminated material. The waste contaminated groundwater that flows toward the Colorado River, a major water source for communities across the Southwest.

The Energy Department has transported the tailings by rail to an engineered disposal cell near Crescent Junction, about 30 miles north of the mill site. The department is also remediating contaminated groundwater, removing remaining contaminated soils and preparing both locations for closure. The current cleanup is being conducted under Nuclear Regulatory Commission oversight.

Once cleanup is complete, the Energy Department’s Office of Legacy Management will assume responsibility for long-term federal management of the mill and disposal sites. The department will retain ownership of the disposal site, but the mill site’s future remains unsettled.

Political Stakes

If the expected transfer proceeds, the Energy Department has said it would prefer local stakeholders to determine how the mill site is reused. Grand County and the city of Moab have requested joint ownership of the property and proposed converting it into an outdoor recreational park.

The ownership decision carries environmental, economic and public-access implications for Grand County. The property sits near the Colorado River, Arches National Park and downtown Moab, making its future use important to local recreation, tourism and land-management planning.

The federal government must also ensure that any transfer is compatible with long-term monitoring and environmental protections. Although most contaminated material has been removed, the Office of Legacy Management is expected to continue groundwater monitoring and other stewardship responsibilities after the Office of Environmental Management completes its cleanup mission.

What’s Next

Senate Report 118-188, accompanying the National Defense Authorization Act for fiscal 2025, directed the Government Accountability Office to examine the Office of Environmental Management’s work as the Moab Cleanup Project approaches completion. GAO published its findings in a July 15 report that assessed cleanup progress and plans for the sites.

GAO reviewed relevant laws, regulations and Energy Department records; analyzed cleanup and planning documents; and interviewed agency officials. Investigators also interviewed a nongeneralizable sample of five stakeholder groups, including the Moab city government and the Utah Department of Natural Resources, and assessed whether the department followed leading practices for stakeholder engagement.

The report contains no formal recommendations. The Energy Department will continue cleanup, groundwater remediation, radiological verification, equipment removal, regrading and revegetation as it works toward site closure in 2029. A final decision on ownership of the mill property remains pending.

The Bottom Line

The Energy Department is nearing the end of a decades-long, federally funded effort to remove more than 16 million tons of uranium waste from the banks of the Colorado River. The cleanup is expected to cost about $1.16 billion and conclude in 2029.

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