Comb Ridge and Wash

[balzaccom]

When you think about visiting this area., or the area around Grand Junction, do you give any thought to potential radiation from the uranium mining and its residues? Just curious. I'd love to explore more, but this is one region that makes me a little wary...

 

[IntrepidXJ]

Not at all.

 

[Stephanie B]

Never gave it a thought. Hopefully you’ll be so in awe of the area and the treasures it beholds that you won’t either.

 

[John Morrow]

Never thought about it, but I can't remember for certain.

 

[WasatchWill]

Is it really that wide spread around that area of Comb Ridge, or wouldn't it just be limited to select and specific sites immediately around where it would have actually been mined and where piles of tailings would be? I mean, doesn't the Moab area further north have a big history with all that stuff too? And there are crowds of people playing all around there that don't sweat it. I know it was pretty recent that a clean up effort was undertaken with a particular site along the Colorado there in Moab, if I recall correctly.

 

[Nick]

Not an issue at all. That said, I like this rumor. Maybe it'll help to cut down on the crowds a bit.

 

[balzaccom]

The area around Cane Valley and Comb Ridge was a superfund clean up site as recently as ten years ago, along with some 500 sites around the Navajo Reservation. Some water sources in the area are still heavily contaminated. Here's a link to give you an idea:

https://www.epa.gov/navajo-nation-uranium-cleanup/cleaning-abandoned-uranium-mines

 

[Nick]

Stay away man! There are abandoned uranium mines all over the Colorado Plateau. Like pretty much everywhere from the Grand Canyon to Moab to the San Rafael Swell. It's really not a serious health concern.

 

[geoffff]

I bring along a cheap geiger counter so I can at least identify if tailings are radioactive before I poke around. I've found old mining shacks that are "hot".