[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 87 (Wednesday, May 6, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Pages 25100-25101]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-11980]
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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION
[Docket No. 40-648]
UMETCO Minerals Corporation
AGENCY: Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
ACTION: Final finding of no significant impact; notice of opportunity
for hearing.
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SUMMARY: The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) proposes to amend
NRC Source Material License SUA-648 to authorize the licensee, Umetco
Minerals Corporation (Umetco), to reclaim the commercial heap leach
area, located in Natrona County, Wyoming, according to the 1996
Reclamation Plan, as amended. This license currently authorizes Umetco
to receive, acquire, possess, and transfer uranium at the Umetco East
Gas Hills site, which is located approximately 50 miles (80 kilometers)
southeast of the town of Riverton, Wyoming. An Environmental Assessment
(EA) was performed by the NRC staff in support of its review of
Umetco's license amendment request, in accordance with the requirements
of 10 CFR Part 51. The conclusion of the Environmental Assessment is a
Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) for the proposed licensing
action.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms. Elaine Brummett, Uranium Recovery
Branch, Division of Waste Management, Office of Nuclear Material Safety
and Safeguards, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Mail Stop T7-J9,
Washington, D.C. 20555. Telephone 301/415-6606.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background
The Umetco Mineral Corporation (Umetco) site is licensed by the
U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) under Materials License SUA-
648 to possess byproduct material in the form of uranium waste tailings
as well as other radioactive wastes generated by past milling
operations. The mill has been dismantled and current site activities
include completion of reclamation of three disposal areas and
continuation of the ground water corrective action program.
The commercial heap leach operations began in March 1980. The
operations were extended in November 1982 as permitted by Amendment No.
17 of the license and operated until December 1984. Operations were
restarted in May 1987 and finally shut down in January 1988. In 1992,
to control radon emission, windblown tailings, and water infiltration,
Umetco placed 2 feet (61 cm) of cover on the Heap Leach Disposal Area,
based on their 1991 proposed cover design.
Umetco submitted reclamation plans or modifications to the plan for
the Heap Leach Area in 1991, 1994, and 1996. The 1996 plan also
included reclamation of Evaporation Pond No. 2, next to the heap leach,
by extension of the Heap Leach Area cover. However, the data available
to date related to the evaporation pond reclamation was determined to
be insufficient to support a final design, and thus, the proposed
design for the pond was approved only as a preliminary design. The pond
reclamation will be addressed in a separate amendment, but is included
in the area addressed by the EA for this licensing action. The staff
also determined that additional clarification and modifications were
required for the Heap Leach Area design, and these concerns were not
completely addressed until February 1998. The design includes the
earthen cover for the heap leach area, construction testing and
inspection, stability, erosion protection, site drainage, and quality
control procedures.
Summary of the Environmental Assessment
The NRC staff performed an appraisal of the environmental impacts
associated with the reclamation plan for the Heap Leach Area, in
accordance with 10 CFR Part 51, Licensing and Regulatory Policy
Procedures for Environmental Protection. The license amendment would
authorize Umetco to stabilize and cover the Heap Leach Area as
proposed. In conducting its appraisal, the NRC staff considered the
following information: (1) Umetco's 1996 license amendment request, as
amended; (2) previous environmental evaluations of the facility; (3)
data contained in required semiannual environmental monitoring reports;
(4) existing license conditions; (5) results of NRC staff site visits
and inspections of the Umetco facility; and (6) consultations with the
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the U.S. Bureau of Land Management, and
the Wyoming State Historic Preservation Officer. The technical aspects
of the reclamation plan are discussed separately in a Technical
Evaluation Report (TER) that will accompany the final agency licensing
action.
The results of the staff's appraisal are documented in an EA placed
in the docket file. Based on its review, the NRC staff has concluded
that there are no significant environmental impacts associated with the
proposed action.
Conclusions
The NRC staff has examined actual and potential impacts associated
with the reclamation of the Heap Leach Area, and has determined that
the requested amendment of Source Material License SUA-648, authorizing
implementation of the reclamation plan, will: (1) Be consistent with
requirements of 10 CFR Part 40, Appendix A; (2) not be inimical to the
public health and safety; and (3) not have long-term detrimental
impacts on the environment. The following statements summarize the
conclusions resulting from the staff's environmental assessment, and
support the FONSI:
1. An acceptable environmental and effluent monitoring program is
in place to monitor effluent releases and to detect if applicable
regulatory limits are exceeded. Radiological effluents from facility
operations have been and are expected to remain below the regulatory
limits;
2. Present and potential health risks to the public and risks of
environmental damage from the proposed reclamation were assessed. Given
the remote location, limited activities requested, small area of
impact, and past activities on the site, the staff determined that the
risk factors for health and environmental hazards are insignificant.
Because the staff has determined that there will be no significant
impacts associated with approval of the license amendment, there can be
no disproportionally high and adverse effects or impacts on minority
and low-income populations. Consequently, further evaluation of
Environmental Justice concerns, as outlined in Executive Order 12898
and NRC's Office of Nuclear Material Safety and
[[Page 25101]]
Safeguards Policy and Procedures Letter 1-50, Revision 1, is not
warranted.
Alternatives to the Proposed Action
The proposed action is to amend NRC Source Material License SUA-
648, for reclamation of the Heap Leach Area, as requested by Umetco.
Therefore, the principal alternatives available to NRC are to:
1. Approve the license amendment request as submitted; or
2. Amend the license with such additional conditions as are
considered necessary or appropriate to protect public health and safety
and the environment; or
3. Deny the amendment request.
Based on its review, the NRC staff has concluded that the
environmental impacts associated with the proposed action do not
warrant either the limiting of Umetco's future operations or the denial
of the license amendment. Additionally, in the TER prepared for this
action, the staff has reviewed the licensee's proposed action with
respect to the criteria for reclamation, specified in 10 CFR Part 40,
Appendix A, and has no basis for denial of the proposed action.
Therefore, the staff considers that Alternative 1 is the appropriate
alternative for selection.
Finding of No Significant Impact
The NRC staff has prepared an EA for the proposed renewal of NRC
Source Material License SUA-648. On the basis of this assessment, the
NRC staff has concluded that the environmental impacts that may result
from the proposed action would not be significant, and therefore,
preparation of an Environmental Impact Statement is not warranted.
The EA and other documents related to this proposed action are
available for public inspection and copying at the NRC Public Document
Room, in the Gelman Building, 2120 L Street N.W., Washington, DC 20555.
Notice of Opportunity for Hearing
The Commission hereby provides notice that this is a proceeding on
an application for a licensing action falling within the scope of
Subpart L, ``Informal Hearing Procedures for Adjudications in Materials
and Operators Licensing Proceedings,'' of the Commission's Rules of
Practice for Domestic Licensing Proceedings and Issuance of Orders in
10 CFR Part 2 (54 FR 8269). Pursuant to Sec. 2.1205(a), any person
whose interest may be affected by this proceeding may file a request
for a hearing. In accordance with Sec. 2.1205(c), a request for a
hearing must be filed within thirty (30) days from the date of
publication of this Federal Register notice. The request for a hearing
must be filed with the Office of the Secretary either:
(1) By delivery to the Rulemakings and Adjudications Staff of the
Office of the Secretary at One White Flint North, 11555 Rockville Pike,
Rockville, MD 20852; or
(2) By mail or telegram addressed to the Secretary, U.S. Nuclear
Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC 20555, Attention: Rulemakings and
Adjudications Staff.
Each request for a hearing must also be served, by delivering it
personally or by mail to:
(1) The applicant, Umetco Mineral Corporation, P.O. 1029, Grand
Junction, CO 81502;
(2) The NRC staff, by delivery to the Executive Director of
Operations, One White Flint North, 11555 Rockville Pike, Rockville, MD
20852, or
(3) By mail addressed to the Executive Director for Operations,
U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC 20555.
In addition to meeting other applicable requirements of 10 CFR Part
2 of the Commission's regulations, a request for a hearing filed by a
person other than an applicant must describe in detail:
(1) The interest of the requestor in the proceeding;
(2) How that interest may be affected by the results of the
proceeding, including the reasons why the requestor should be permitted
a hearing, with particular reference to the factors set out in
Sec. 2.1205(g);
(3) The requestor's areas of concern about the licensing activity
that is the subject matter of the proceeding; and
(4) The circumstances establishing that the request for a hearing
is timely in accordance with Sec. 2.1205(c).
Any hearing that is requested and granted will be held in
accordance with the Commission's ``Informal Hearing Procedures for
Adjudications in Materials and Operator Licensing Proceedings'' in 10
CFR Part 2, Subpart L.
Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 30th day of April 1998.
For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Joseph J. Holonich,
Chief, Uranium Recovery Branch, Division of Waste Management, Office of
Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards.
[FR Doc. 98-11980 Filed 5-5-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7590-01-P
