[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 160 (Friday, August 16, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Pages 42665-42666]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-20945]
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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION
[Docket No. 40-8971]
U.S. Energy Corporation; Final Finding of No Significant Impact
SUMMARY: The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) proposes to
approve the detailed site decommissioning plan submitted by the
licensee, U.S. Energy Corporation, for its Green Mountain Ion Exchange
facility, and to amend NRC Source Material License SUA-1524
appropriately. An Environmental Assessment was performed by the NRC
staff 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: Mr. James R. Park, Uranium Recovery
Branch, Mail Stop TWFN 7-J9, Division of Waste Management, Office of
Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory
Commission, Washington, D.C. 20555. Telephone 301/415-6699.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background
U.S. Energy Corporation's (U.S. Energy's) Green Mountain Ion
Exchange (GMIX) facility, located near Jeffrey City, Wyoming, is
licensed under NRC Source Material License SUA-1524. Under SUA-1524,
U.S. Energy is authorized for possession only of those byproduct
materials, in the form of wastes and contaminated facilities and
equipment, which resulted from previous GMIX operations. By letter
dated July 22, 1991, U.S. Energy notified the NRC of its intent to
decommission the GMIX facility and to terminate SUA-1524. By letter
dated September 17, 1991, the NRC requested U.S. Energy to provide
additional information to enable the NRC staff to evaluate the
technical adequacy of U.S. Energy's proposed decommissioning plan.
U.S. Energy submitted a final decommissioning plan for the GMIX
facility by letters dated September 29, and November 16, 1993.
Supplemental data and analyses were provided at NRC staff request in
letters dated March 6, May 24, and June 8, 1995.
Summary of the Environmental Assessment
Identification of the Proposed Action
The proposed action is approval of U.S. Energy's detailed site
decommissioning plan for the GMIX facility and an amendment to SUA-1524
to require U.S. Energy to decommission the facility in accordance with
the approved plan.
Need for the Proposed Action
License Condition 13 of SUA-1524 requires U.S. Energy to submit a
detailed decommissioning plan to the NRC at least 12 months prior to
the planned initiation of final decommissioning activities. By letters
dated September 29, and November 16, 1993, U.S. Energy Corporation
submitted, for NRC approval, a detailed plan for the decommissioning
and reclamation of the GMIX facility. This decommissioning plan
discusses the dismantling of contaminated buildings, the clean-up of
contaminated soils and ponds at the site, and the disposal of
associated wastes.
Environmental Impacts of the Proposed Action
Noise and exhaust emissions associated with the small number of
earth-moving machines employed in decommissioning activities will be
appreciable during the 18 to 24 months U.S. Energy anticipates will be
required to complete decommissioning. However, these impacts will be
negligible due to the remoteness of the facility (3 persons living
within 5 miles of the site). In addition, local wildlife disturbed by
the activity will have access to the reclaimed site following the
completion of decommissioning.
U.S. Energy will transport contaminated materials (e.g., soils,
sludge, pipes, concrete) from the GMIX facility by truck for disposal
in the tailings impoundment at Kennecott Uranium Company's
(Kennecott's) Sweetwater Uranium Project. The trucks will be covered
and will travel a distance of approximately 35 miles along county roads
between the two facilities. U.S. Energy commits to following the
applicable Federal transportation regulations. Trucks will be monitored
for surface contamination and inspected for road worthiness and proper
loading prior to departure from the GMIX facility, and the results of
the inspections will be documented. If a truck shows surface
contamination, it will be decontaminated prior to leaving the
restricted area.
In the event of a spill, each truck will contain appropriate
equipment and clothing for use by the driver in minimizing dispersal
prior to the arrival of U.S. Energy and/or Kennecott personnel who will
perform the actual cleanup. In addition, each truck will be equipped
with a mobile radio or radiotelephone so that U.S. Energy and/or
Kennecott can be informed in the case of an emergency.
Upon arrival at Kennecott, trucks and their contents will be logged
and the information recorded. After disposing of their contents in the
tailings impoundment, trucks will be reweighed, resurveyed, and
decontaminated if necessary, prior to their return to the GMIX
facility.
Conclusion
The NRC staff concludes that the activities to be conducted under
U.S. Energy's site decommissioning plan will not cause significant
environmental impacts.
Alternatives to the Proposed Action
Since the NRC staff has concluded that there are no significant
environmental impacts associated with the proposed action, any
alternatives with equal or greater environmental impacts need not be
evaluated. The principal alternative to the proposed action would be to
deny the requested action. Denial of the proposed action would result
in a delay in the decommissioning of the GMIX facility and reclamation
of the site. This would allow decontaminated soils, sludges, and
structures to remain onsite and to continue to pose potential health
and safety impacts to the public and the environment.
Since the environmental impacts of the denial alternative are
greater than those of the proposed action, there is no need to further
evaluate alternatives to the proposed action.
Agencies and Persons Consulted
The NRC staff consulted with the State of Wyoming, Department of
Environmental Quality (WDEQ). In a telephone conversation on February
5, 1996, Mr. Robert Lucht, UIC Program Supervisor, Water Quality
Division of the WDEQ, stated that the WDEQ had no objections to the
conclusions reached in this Environmental Assessment.
Finding of No Significant Impact
The NRC staff has prepared an Environmental Assessment for the
proposed amendment of NRC Source Material License SUA-1524. 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
[[Page 42666]]
significant, and therefore, preparation of an Environmental Impact
Statement is not warranted.
The Environmental Assessment 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 NW.,
Washington, DC 20555.
Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 8th day of August 1996.
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. 96-20945 Filed 8-15-96; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7590-01-U
