WASHINGTON - Twenty-one House members from the West are urging the Energy Department to move the Atlas tailings pile away from the Colorado River, citing the risk of contamination of the drinking water for people living downstream. The Energy Department is expected to decide this spring whether to move the 10.5 million tons of uranium tailings, left over from Cold War-era processing, or whether to put a cap atop the pile to try to prevent the tailings from being disturbed. "As elected representatives, it is our responsibility to convey to the Department of Energy the hazards created by the continued presence of the tailings pile near the source of water for many of our constituents," the House members wrote. "We hope you will work with us toward removal of the Atlas Tailings pile." In addition to the three members from Utah's delegation, the letter was signed by House members from Arizona, Colorado, Nevada and California. The governors of Utah and other Western states also support relocating the pile, the more costly of the two options. -Robert Gehrke