[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 41 (Thursday, March 1, 2001)]
[Notices]
[Pages 12962-12963]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-4959]
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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION
[Docket No. 40-0299]
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 decommission the contaminated land
associated with the operation of the uranium mill facility according to
the Revised Soil Decommissioning Plan submitted September 15, 2000, as
amended. The Umetco East Gas Hills site, is located in Natrona County,
Wyoming, approximately 50 miles (80 kilometers) southeast of the town
of Riverton, Wyoming. The mill operated from 1960 to 1979 and was
dismantled in 1992. During operation, wind-blown tailings and tailings-
solution from the Above-Grade Impoundment contaminated areas north of
the Impoundment. A portion of the land contaminated with byproduct
material was remediated (excavated) in 1993. Several changes and
improvements have been proposed in the revised decommissioning plan.
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, Fuel Cycle
Licensing Branch, Division of Fuel Cycle Safety and Safeguards, Office
of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory
Commission, Mail Stop T7-C6, Washington, DC 20555. Telephone 301/415-
6606.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background
The Umetco Minerals Corporation (Umetco) site is licensed by the
U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) under Source 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 original soil decommissioning plan was approved with additional
requirements as documented in License Condition (LC) 30. The major
proposed modifications in the revised plan include:
1. An improved method of gamma scanning;
2. A detailed plan for providing documentation that the regulations
have been met;
3. A revised radium background value for compliance in the wind-
blown area; and
4. Alternate criteria for the residual byproduct material in the
channel of East Canyon Creek.
Summary of the Environmental Assessment
The NRC staff performed an appraisal of the environmental impacts
associated with the revised soil decommissioning plan, in accordance
with 10 CFR part 51, Environmental Protection Regulations for Domestic
Licensing and Related Regulatory Functions. The license amendment would
authorize Umetco to complete soil cleanup in the wind-blown area north
of the Above-Grade Impoundment and to leave small amounts of residual
byproduct material in the channel of East Canyon Creek as proposed. In
conducting its appraisal, the NRC staff considered the following
information: (1) Umetco's 1999 and 2000 submittals supporting the
license amendment request, including a risk assessment for East Canyon
Creek; (2) previous environmental evaluations of the facility; (3) data
contained in required 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 revised 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 revised decommissioning plan, and has determined that the
requested amendment of Source Material License SUA-648, authorizing
implementation of the revised soil decommissioning 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 decommissioning 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.
3. Potential risks to the public and the environment from the
byproduct material proposed to remain in the channel of East Canyon
Creek (an ephemeral stream) were evaluated. Data on radionuclides and
heavy metals in soil, water, vegetation, and animals were reviewed.
Also, staff considered the contributions of these constituents from the
near-by uranium mining activities and from natural uranium deposits in
the creek bank. The staff determined that the current and long-term
hazards from byproduct material in the creek channel are insignificant.
The cost of remediation, risks to remediation workers, and the
environmental harm (erosion, affect on wildlife including endangered
species, etc) that would result from excavation of soil in the creek
channel far out-weigh any slight
[[Page 12963]]
health benefit that might arise as a result of remediation in this
area. Also, the level of protection would be equivalent to meeting the
soil radium standard, to the extent practicable.
Alternatives to the Proposed Action
The proposed action is to amend NRC Source Material License SUA-
648, for decommissioning of the windblown tailings area and application
of alternative criteria (no remediation) for the residual byproduct
material in a portion of the East Canyon Creek channel, 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, One White Flint North, 11555 Rockville Pike, Rockville, MD 20852.
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 10
CFR part 2, 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. 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(d), 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.
In accordance with 10 CFR 2.1205(f), each request for a hearing
must also be served, by delivering it personally or by mail to:
(1) The applicant, Umetco Minerals Corporation, PO 1029, Grand
Junction, CO 81502;
(2) The NRC staff, by delivery to the General counsel, One White
Flint North, 11555 Rockville Pike, Rockville, MD 20852, or
(3) By mail addressed to the General Counsel, 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(h);
(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(d).
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 23rd day of February 2001.
For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Philip Ting,
Chief, Fuel Cycle Licensing Branch, Division of Fuel Cycle Safety and
Safeguards, Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards.
[FR Doc. 01-4959 Filed 2-28-01; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7590-01-P