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Utah Department of
Environmental Quality
Loren Morton receives the Governor's Science and Technology Medal
Loren Morton, a section manager for the Utah Division of Radiation Control, was awarded the prestigious Governor’s Science and Technology Medal for his scientific work that led to the U.S. Department of Energy’s decision to move 13.5 million tons of uranium mill tailings from the banks of the Colorado River.
Gov. Jon Huntsman, Jr. honored Morton, along with 10 other recipients recognized for their achievements, at an evening ceremony on Nov. 3. “It’s been a pleasure to work on the Moab tailings project, and be involved in the Utah Department of Environmental Quality’s efforts to protect the Colorado River,” said Morton. But he was quick to credit many people involved in the work, including, Dr. Kip Solomon at the University of Utah; Phil Gardner and Terry Kenney of the U.S. Geological Survey in Salt Lake City; Paul Mushovic of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in Denver; Don Metzler and his staff at the DOE office in Grand Junction; Bob O’Brien of the Division of Environmental Response and Remediation, and many local citizens of Moab. “Together, we have had the privilege of protecting the environment for future generations.”
Bill Sinclair, deputy director of DEQ, nominated Morton for the award for proving key scientific information that supported the state’s position to remove the mill tailings from the former Atlas mill site on the banks of the Colorado River. The Energy Department considered a cheaper cap-in-place option. But Morton, a hydrogeologist, helped convince the federal government that a large scale flood would undermine the pile that was leaching contaminants into the Colorado River, a source of drinking water for 25 million people downstream. In September, DOE signed the official decision to move the tailings to Crescent Junction, 30 miles away.
“Loren has received kudos from many who have worked on this project for a long period, including the U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Grand County Council, and Moab residents,” Sinclair said.
Morton has been with DEQ for 21 years – 10 years as the hydrogeologist in the Division of Water Quality before joining the Division of Radiation Control where he monitors the low-level radioactive waste facility Envirocare of Utah and uranium mills. Before joining DEQ, he was an engineering geologist for the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation in Utah. He is a graduate of Brigham Young University where he earned both a bachelor’s and master’s degree in geology.