The permit granted by the U.S. Department of Transportation allows the U.S. Department of Energy's Environmental Management Office in Grand Junction, Colo., to transport each shipment of waste without obtaining multiple permits, agency officials said.

The Colorado office plans to move low-level radioactive mill tailings from Moab to a permanent disposal site at Crescent Junction in Grand County.

The energy department began the permit application in November 2005.

''This has been a long and sometimes tedious process,'' said Donald Metzler, Moab project director for the DOE, in the press release. ''However, in the long run, having this special permit in place will save us extensive time and money.''

The permit requires the waste to be transported in secure, covered containers that are clearly marked with the designation ''For Radioactive Materials Use Only,'' a DOE news release states. Most of the materials are to be moved by rail, although the permit provides for transport by truck and trailers.

It's unlikely the tailings will be moved until 2008 or 2009, said Utah Department of Environmental Quality hydrologist Molly Gregerson, adding that the project has been extended because of logistical and funding issues.

''What this [permit] will do is allow them to move the project along a little bit quicker,'' Gregerson said.