State environmental regulators have threatened to yank Cotter Corp.’s license because of a number of problems discovered at its Ca on City mill, including the case of one worker who accidentally ingested uranium twice in three months.
In February, the worker dropped an old, brittle hose into a tank, accidentally splashing himself in the face with a radioactive solution, according to documents on file with the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment.
Three months earlier, the same worker was exposed to uranium in a different part of the mill at levels twice the amount that state regulations permit.
“Exposures are something we take very seriously,’ said Steve Tarlton, radiation unit manager for the department. “We don’t like to see anything go over safe standards.’
In addition to the exposures, the department documented serious flaws within Cotter’s on-site radiochemistry lab and ordered the company to employ the services of an outside facility. The health department demanded in a notice last week that Cotter take action or the agency could “revoke, suspend or modify’ its license.
“We need to have a great deal of confidence in the analytical data that comes out of that lab,’ Tarlton said. “When we did the audit, we saw problems that made us nervous.’
A spokesman for the company said that many of the issues outlined in the notice of violations sent to the company last week had been resolved.
Some Ca on City residents who have fought Cotter for years questioned why the state decided to reissue the company’s operating license in December while knowing the lab had such widespread problems.
“Based on this notice of violation and Cotter’s horrible track record, how can the public have faith in all the environmental sampling and analysis done by Cotter over these many years?’ said Sharyn Cunningham, co-chairwoman of Colorado Citizens Against Toxic Waste.
Tarlton said the department inserted provisions within the company’s license that would address some of the problems discovered at the mill last fall.
Staff writer Kim McGuire can be reached at 303-820-1240 or kmcguire@denverpost.com.
