Cotter Corporation NSL Cañon City, Colorado

Uranium bill sails through the House

Rachel Alexander

The Daily Record

The Uranium Processing Accountability Act, House Bill 1348, passed the state House on Monday on a vote of 62 to 2. Its next stop is the Senate committee.

“Today’s vote is absolutely amazing,” said Matt Garrington, of Environment Colorado, which helped develop the bill. “Never before have we seen such strong bipartisan support on uranium legislation.”

The bill is sponsored by Rep. Buffie McFadyen and Sen. Ken Kester and was developed by Colorado Citizens Against ToxicWaste and Environment Colorado. According to those groups, the bill would “hold the uranium industry accountable for its own mistakes and ensure Colorado does not subsidize those companies through tax dollars or incentive pollution by saying actions do not have consequences.”

“Clearly, this is a step in the right direction for this industry,” said Jeri Fry, of CCAT. “General Atomics (owner of Cañon City’s Cotter Corp.) and any owner-operator working in the front end of the nuclear fuel cycle should take up the challenge to do better.”

Cotter has said the bill as written would force the company to shut down as it could not meet some of the requirements and remain economically viable.

Two amendments have been added to the bill. One addresses in-situ mining bond requirements and the other clarifies clean groundwater requirements.

“Uranium processing has left behind a dirty, dangerous legacy in Colorado,” Garrington said. “Today, the Colorado House told the uranium industry that business as usual is not acceptable. This legislation is an important step to help protect Colorado’s air and water from toxic, radioactive uranium pollution.”