The Waste Management Section regulates the Dawn Mining Company uranium millsite through delegated authority from the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission. From the mid-50s to the early 80s, Dawn Mining Company milled uranium at the Ford site. Most of the uranium ore processed at the site came from the Midnite Mine located on the Spokane Tribe of Indians Reservation.
Since the mill shut down, Dawn Mining Company has been cleaning up the millsite with oversight by the Waste Management Section. The millsite cleanup has included demolishing and burying site buildings, removing and disposing contaminated soil, and covering and revegetating waste disposal areas with native vegetation. Ongoing cleanup activities involve completing soil cleanup, evaporating remaining process water, and addressing contaminated ground water.
Waste Management also issues a radioactive materials license to the facility and inspects operations to ensure DMC complies with the facility's license, and applicable regulations.
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Contacts
Contact Bryony Stasney, Project Manager, 509-329-2156