[Federal Register Volume 59, Number 114 (Wednesday, June 15, 1994)]
[Unknown Section]
[Page 0]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 94-14546]


[[Page Unknown]]

[Federal Register: June 15, 1994]


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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION
 

Issuance of Amendment 21 to Source Material License SUA-917 
Amending License Condition (LC) 55 for Atlas Corporation's (ATLAS') 
Uranium Mill Facility at Moab, UT

AGENCY: Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

ACTION: Amendment 21 to Source Material License SUA-917, issued May 23, 
1994, amends LC 55 to change the date for completion of placement of 
the interim cover on the tailings pond from April 30, 1994, to February 
15, 1995.

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SUMMARY: On May 11, 1994, NRC noticed in the Federal Register, receipt 
of a request from Atlas to amend Source Material License SUA-917 to 
extend the completion dates by one year for all site reclamation 
milestones. Atlas indicated that due to seasonal precipitation and the 
relative impermeability of the fine tailings in the central portion of 
the tailings pile, a pond of approximately five acres in size and one 
to two feet in depth exists on the tailings pile. This situation 
prevented Atlas' contractor from placing the remainder of the interim 
cover over the tailings area by April 30, 1994, as required by LC 55 
A.(2). Atlas has been placing the interim cover as the pile dried 
sufficiently to allow equipment to work. At present, approximately 80 
percent of the tailings pile has the interim cover in place. The 
remainder will be placed as soon as the water evaporates and the 
tailings are dry enough to support equipment. Radon emissions from the 
uncovered portion of the pile are attenuated by the pond and will 
reduced by the high moisture content of the tailings after the pond 
evaporates such that there should be no public health risk during the 
time prior to completion of the interim cover. The license was amended 
to change the date for completion of placement of the interim cover 
from April 30, 1994 to February 15, 1995.
    Atlas also requested extensions of one year on completion of the 
reclamation milestones in LC 55 A.(1) and (3), and LC 55 B.(1) and (2), 
which relate to placement of windblown tailings on the pile, placement 
of the final radon cover, placement of erosion protection, and 
completion of groundwater corrective actions. The extension request was 
attributed by Atlas to NRC's decision to prepare an Environmental 
Impact Statement (EIS) for the revised reclamation plan. Although the 
time required to complete the EIS (April 1995) and the subsequent 
deferral on approval of the revised reclamation plan will impact the 
cited dates, the license is not being amended for these milestones 
until such time as the schedule can be better determined.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Allan Mullins, Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards, 
Washington, DC 20555, Telephone: 301-415-6693.

    Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 1st day of June, 1994.
Joseph J. Holonich,
Chief, High-Level Waste and Uranium Recovery Projects Branch, Division 
of Waste Management, Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards.
[FR Doc. 94-14546 Filed 6-14-94; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7590-01-M