Atlas Mill Site 2023 Community Vision


2023 Update to the Atlas Mill Site Community Vision

The Grand County's Site Futures committee has finalized the draft of the 2023 Community Vision Update for the potential future use of the 480-acre, federally-owned, former Atlas Uranium Mill Site, located northwest of Moab. You can view the drafted vision here, or by clicking the link to the right. The updated Community Vision Map is available in the image above, as well as under at the link to the right. The drafted vision was presented to and endorsed by the Moab Tailings Pile Steering Committee on April 25th, and the Grand County Planning Commission on May 8th. The Site Futures Committee will then bring this Community Vision Update to the County Commission and City Council for adoption, likely by June 2023.

As of the end of October, 2022, about 81 percent of the mill tailings have already been transported to the U.S. Department of Energy’s disposal cell near Crescent Junction making this community vision finally on the horizon.


Community Engagement

The Site Futures Committee hosted an open house on November 16th to initiate the 2023 Community Vision Update for potential future use of the former Atlas mill site. The 2018 Community Vision Update: After the Pile was the second version of the community vision and served as the starting point for 2023 update. Attendees at the open house reviewed prior work and expressed their preferences for future use of the site.

The public comment period was open between November 16, 2022, and January 31, 2023. An online survey, hosted on this page, received 179 community members comments, some of the results of which are available in the chart below.


Background on the Community Vision

Grand County and Moab City require an updated Community Vision at five-year intervals. The last five years have been a period of change for Moab and Grand County. One readily visible change is that the tailings pile at the mill site tailings pile is much smaller. While there is still much work to be done cleaning up the site, the SFC needs your input to keep up with community sentiment about potential future community use of the mill site. Community input and an updated 2023 Community Vision will help our elected officials to continue to obtain money for tailings removal and complete remedial action work.

There is no guarantee that future community use of the Atlas mill site will be achieved as the property is federal land administered by the Department of Energy (DOE). However, other communities have repurposed properties where clean-up has been completed. For example, Grand Junction City is presently constructing Las Colonias City Park along the Colorado River at the site of another former uranium mill. If we try, a locally-developed outcome might also happen in Grand County. To learn about Las Colonias Park see:


Survey Results

General Public Comment Trends:

  • Strong support for event center, trails, a boat ramp & transit center
  • Little support for food service, federal offices, inland beach, & artist studio village
  • More resident-friendly uses, less for visitors
  • Design to reduce water use, environmental impacts & increase sustainability


2023 Update to the Atlas Mill Site Community Vision

The Grand County's Site Futures committee has finalized the draft of the 2023 Community Vision Update for the potential future use of the 480-acre, federally-owned, former Atlas Uranium Mill Site, located northwest of Moab. You can view the drafted vision here, or by clicking the link to the right. The updated Community Vision Map is available in the image above, as well as under at the link to the right. The drafted vision was presented to and endorsed by the Moab Tailings Pile Steering Committee on April 25th, and the Grand County Planning Commission on May 8th. The Site Futures Committee will then bring this Community Vision Update to the County Commission and City Council for adoption, likely by June 2023.

As of the end of October, 2022, about 81 percent of the mill tailings have already been transported to the U.S. Department of Energy’s disposal cell near Crescent Junction making this community vision finally on the horizon.


Community Engagement

The Site Futures Committee hosted an open house on November 16th to initiate the 2023 Community Vision Update for potential future use of the former Atlas mill site. The 2018 Community Vision Update: After the Pile was the second version of the community vision and served as the starting point for 2023 update. Attendees at the open house reviewed prior work and expressed their preferences for future use of the site.

The public comment period was open between November 16, 2022, and January 31, 2023. An online survey, hosted on this page, received 179 community members comments, some of the results of which are available in the chart below.


Background on the Community Vision

Grand County and Moab City require an updated Community Vision at five-year intervals. The last five years have been a period of change for Moab and Grand County. One readily visible change is that the tailings pile at the mill site tailings pile is much smaller. While there is still much work to be done cleaning up the site, the SFC needs your input to keep up with community sentiment about potential future community use of the mill site. Community input and an updated 2023 Community Vision will help our elected officials to continue to obtain money for tailings removal and complete remedial action work.

There is no guarantee that future community use of the Atlas mill site will be achieved as the property is federal land administered by the Department of Energy (DOE). However, other communities have repurposed properties where clean-up has been completed. For example, Grand Junction City is presently constructing Las Colonias City Park along the Colorado River at the site of another former uranium mill. If we try, a locally-developed outcome might also happen in Grand County. To learn about Las Colonias Park see:


Survey Results

General Public Comment Trends:

  • Strong support for event center, trails, a boat ramp & transit center
  • Little support for food service, federal offices, inland beach, & artist studio village
  • More resident-friendly uses, less for visitors
  • Design to reduce water use, environmental impacts & increase sustainability