[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 199 (Wednesday, October 15, 2003)]
[Notices]
[Pages 59420-59421]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-25987]
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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION
[Docket No. 40-8905]
Finding of No Significant Impact and Notice of Availability of
the Environmental Assessment Addressing a License Amendment Request To
Approve Rio Algom LLC's Plan To Demolish Its Mill at Its Ambrosia Lake
Uranium Mill Tailings Impoundment Located in Mckinley County, NM
AGENCY: Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
ACTION: Notice of availability of an environmental assessment and
Finding of No Significant Impact.
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FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jill Caverly, Fuel Cycle Facilities
Branch, Division of Fuel Cycle Safety and Safeguards, Office of Nuclear
Material Safety and Safeguards, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission,
Mail Stop T8-A33, Washington, DC 20555-0001, telephone (301) 415-6699
and e-mail [email protected].
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. Introduction
The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is considering the
issuance of an amendment to Rio Algom Mining LLC's (Rio Algom) Source
Materials License SUA-1473. The proposed action would allow Rio Algom
to begin demolition of the uranium mill buildings at the Ambrosia Lake
uranium facility. The proposed action is in accordance with the
licensee's plan dated December 10, 2002, as revised by additional
information sent, at the staff's request, on March 27, 2003 and
September 17, 2003.
Pursuant to the requirements of 10 CFR part 51, Environmental
Protection Regulations for Domestic Licensing and Related Regulatory
Functions, the NRC has prepared an environmental assessment (EA) to
evaluate the environmental impacts associated with this request. Based
on this evaluation, the NRC has concluded that a Finding of No
Significant Impact (FONSI) is appropriate for the proposed licensing
action.
II. EA Summary
The EA was prepared to evaluate the environmental impacts
associated with Rio Algom's plan to demolish the mill at its Ambrosia
Lake uranium facility. The objectives of the Mill Demolition Plan are
to: (1) Perform mill demolition activities in a manner that protects
employee health and safety and the environment; (2) release equipment
or packages from the restricted area for unrestricted release and do so
in accordance with NRC decommissing criteria and approved Mill
Demolition Plan; (3) transfer equipment to another NRC-licensed
facility in accordance with applicable Federal laws and regulations;
(4) perform work following established operating procedures; and (5)
dispose of byproduct material in accordance with the source material
license.
The Demolition Plan addresses the removal of surface structures in
preparation for subsequent implementation of the surface reclamation
soil cleanup release phase of the overall site decommissioning process.
The Demolition Plan does not address the soil cleanup criteria that
would be used as part of license termination and transfer to the site
long-term custodian.
Prior to the start of mill demolition, the mill facilities and
equipment in the immediate area would be washed down to minimize
potential residual contamination. Any salvageable materials would be
surveyed and if required, decontaminated until established release
levels are obtained. Salvageable materials would be placed in a
designated salvage area. Mill dismantling and washing would occur in
accordance with NRC approved demolition plan. Contaminated equipment
would be dismantled/broken up and buried in the approved disposal
areas. Uncontaminated underground foundation, utilities and pipelines
that are more than 2 feet below final grade would be buried in place.
These foundations and pipes may be left in place if they are
characterized and released in a manner consistent with 10 CFR part 40,
appendix A, criterion 6(6). Areas where Rio Algom expects to leave
foundations intact include the lower portions of the thickeners, any
basement type area, and any foundations that extend 2 feet below
existing grade. Underground cavities that are below grade, such as the
crushing circuit from the primary crusher to the transfer house, would
remain in place and would be backfilled. The final grade (contour) is
projected to approximate the existing surface elevation in the mill
area.
Disposal of all demolition waste that is classified as 11e.(2)
byproduct material, as defined by the Atomic Energy Act of 1954 (AEA),
as amended, would be performed in accordance with approved disposal
practices as authorized by License Conditions 30, 32, 36, and 41 with
the following modification. Disposal areas would be restored in
accordance with License Condition 41(I), which requires Rio Algom to
submit a final reclamation plan upon the end of milling operations. Rio
Algom anticipates that reclamation efforts in areas where mill
demolition debris would be disposed would involve either the placement
of an engineered cover to control radon emissions or alternate release
criteria would be requested.
Surplus chemicals/materials would be removed for sale or disposal
prior to demolition of the area where these materials may be present.
All gear boxes, transformers, motors, etc., would be drained prior to
demolition with the drained material disposed of in accordance with
applicable regulations.
[[Page 59421]]
A demolition schedule would be developed between site management
and the selected demolition contractor and would take into
consideration safety, radiation protection, personnel availability,
salvage potential, contamination control, and weather constraints. At a
minimum, any regulated asbestos containing materials would be abated
from a structure prior to commencing structure demolition.
III. Finding of No Significant Impact
Pursuant to 10 CFR part 51, the NRC has prepared the EA, summarized
above. The staff has determined that no ground water impacts are
expected from building dismantlement and deconstruction. There will be
no deep excavations that could potentially impact ground water. Waste
management activities will be implemented for gaseous effluents, liquid
and solid wastes. Air particulate (dust) created by the mill demolition
will be reduced by pre-washing all facility components. Liquid wastes
used during the demolition will be isolated by creating a
decontamination area for equipment washing. This area will either be
enclosed with a sump or water containment system or will be a building
slab from a previously dismantled building. All wash water will be
collected and disposed of within lined evaporations cells. Solid waste
generated during demolition will be separated into contaminated and
uncontaminated. Uncontaminated wastes will be disposed of within a
landfill owned by Rio Algom under regulation of the State of New
Mexico.
Contaminated waste will be disposed of in the mill tailings
disposal area in accordance with NRC regulations. Management of
material contaminated with asbestos will be performed by specialized
contractors experienced in decontamination and handling of asbestos.
Additionally, the staff has determined that no historic or cultural
resources and ecological resources would be impacted. The U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service has concurred that no threatened or endangered habitat
has been impacted.
The proposed NRC approval of the action when combined with known
effects on resource areas at the site, including further site
remediation, is not anticipated to result in any cumulative impacts at
the sites. Therefore, the NRC staff has concluded that there will be no
significant environmental impacts on the quality of the human
environment and, accordingly, the staff has determined that preparation
of an Environmental Impact Statement is not warranted.
IV. Further Information
The EA for this proposed action, as well as the licensee's request,
as supplemented and revised, are available electronically for public
inspection in the NRC's Public Document Room or from the Publicly
Available Records (PARS) component of NRC's document system (ADAMS).
ADAMS is accessible from the NRC Web site at http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/adams.html. The ADAMS Accession Numbers for the licensee's
request, as supplemented and revised, are: ML030940616 and ML030940279.
The ADAMS Accession Number for the EA summarized above is ML032720534.
Most of the documents referenced in the EA are also available through
ADAMS. Documents can also be examined and/or copied for a fee, at the
NRC's Public Document Room, located at One White Flint North, 11555
Rockville Pike, Rockville, MD 20852.
Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 6th day of October, 2003.
For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission,
Robert Nelson,
Chief, Fuel Cycle Facilities Branch, Division of Fuel Cycle Safety and
Safeguards, Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards.
[FR Doc. 03-25987 Filed 10-14-03; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7590-01-P