Determination of a Safe Level of Ammonia that is Protective of Juvenile Colorado211 Pikeminnow in the Upper Colorado River, Utah. 1998 Quick Response Program

摘要

Various sections of the un-impounded portions of the Upper Colorado River above211u001eLake Powell have been declared critical habitat (Fed. Reg. 59:13374-13400) for 211u001efour endangered fish species: Colorado pikeminnow (Ptychocheilus lucius), 211u001erazorback sucker (Xyrauchen texanus), humpback chub (Gila cypha), and bonytail 211u001echub (Gila elegans). The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, under the auspices of 211u001eSection 7 of the Endangered Species Act, must seek to protect these species and 211u001edetermine if any private, State, or Federal activities could jeopardize remaining 211u001epopulations of these endangered species. The abandoned Atlas Mill Uranium 211u001eTailings Pile, located on the western bank of the Upper Colorado River near Moab, 211u001eUtah, is a perceived threat to endangered fish species of the Upper Colorado 211u001eRiver (USFWS 1998). This tailings pile lies in the immediate vicinity of critical 211u001ehabitat for both the Colorado pikeminnow and the razorback sucker. The U.S. 211u001eNuclear Regulatory Commission, in cooperation with other Federal and State 211u001eagencies, is currently evaluating several options for long-term stabilization of 211u001ethe tailings pile (e.g. capping, removal, etc.) based on several environmental, 211u001eeconomic, and legal factors.