[Federal Register Volume 59, Number 218 (Monday, November 14, 1994)]
[Unknown Section]
[Page 0]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 94-27992]


[[Page Unknown]]

[Federal Register: November 14, 1994]


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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION
[Docket No. 40-8968]

 

Hydro Resources, Inc.

AGENCY: Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

ACTION: Notice of Availability of Draft Environmental Impact Statement; 
Notice of Opportunity for Hearing.

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SUMMARY: The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), in cooperation 
with the U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and U.S. Bureau of Indian 
Affairs (BIA), has published a Draft Environmental Impact Statement 
(DEIS) regarding the proposed construction and operation of an in-situ 
leach (ISL) project in McKinley County, New Mexico. This DEIS describes 
and evaluates the potential environmental impacts of granting Hydro 
Resources, Inc. both a source and byproduct material license and 
minerals operating leases for Federal and Indian lands for the ISL 
project. This DEIS concludes, after weighing the environmental, 
technical, and other benefits of the proposed project against the 
environmental and other costs, that the appropriate action is to issue 
the requested license and leases authorizing the applicant to proceed 
with the project as discussed in this DEIS.

DATES: Public meetings on this DEIS will be held at times and locations 
to be announced in a future notice. Written comments should be received 
on or before January 7, 1995 at the address listed below.

ADDRESSES: A free single copy of this DEIS (NUREG-1508) may be 
requested by those considering public comment by writing to the NRC 
Publications Section, ATTN: Superintendent of Documents, U.S. 
Government Printing Office, P.O. Box 37082, Washington, DC 20013-7082. 
A copy is also available for inspection and/or copying in the NRC 
Public Document Room, 2020 L St. NW., Washington, DC.
    Any interested party may submit comments on this document for 
consideration by the staff. To be certain of consideration, comments on 
this report must be received by January 7, 1995. Comments received 
after the due date will be considered to the extent practical. Comments 
on the DEIS should be sent to Chief, High-level Waste and Uranium 
Recovery Projects Branch, Mail Stop TWFN 7-J9, Division of Waste 
Management, Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards, U.S. 
Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC 20555.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Michael C. Layton, High-Level 
Waste and Uranium Recovery Projects Branch, Mail Stop TWFN 7-J9, 
Division of Waste Management, Office of Nuclear Material Safety and 
Safeguards, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC 20555. 
Telephone 301/415-6676.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The NRC, in cooperation with the BLM and the 
BIA, has prepared a DEIS regarding the administrative action of 
authorizing Hydro Resources, Inc. (HRI) to conduct in-situ leach (ISL) 
uranium mining, also known as solution mining, in compliance with both 
a source and byproduct material license issued by the NRC, and minerals 
operating leases issued for Federal and Indian lands by the BLM and 
BIA. The license and leases would provide programmatic and regulatory 
oversight in administrative matters; impose operating restrictions; and 
specify monitoring, recordkeeping, and reporting requirements. The DEIS 
describes the evaluation conducted by the interagency review group 
concerning (1) the purpose of and need for the proposed action, 
evaluated under NEPA and the agencies' implementing regulations, (2) 
alternatives considered, (3) existing environmental conditions, and (4) 
environmental consequences of the proposed action, and the proposed 
mitigating measures.
    Four alternatives were evaluated. HRI's proposal (Alternative 1) is 
to construct well fields in three separate lease areas near Crownpoint 
and Church Rock, New Mexico, and to use existing and new surface 
facilities is processing plants for extracting uranium from aqueous 
mining solutions. Uranium would be recovered using ion exchange 
technology, then precipitated, and concentrated. All uranium slurry 
produced would be dried using a single dryer located in the central 
processing plant. Uranium slurry would be transferred from the 
satellite facilities to Crownpoint for further processing. Afterward, 
ground-water quality would be restored, wells would be plugged and 
abandoned, each site would be decontaminated or decommissioned, all 
contaminated material would be removed to a licensed waste disposal 
site, and all disturbed areas would be reclaimed for unrestricted use.
    For Alternative 2, the applicant would conduct mining operations 
using well fields and surface processing facilities at each site in 
generally the same manner outlined for Alternative 1. Selecting 
Alternative 2 would rely upon a finding that Alternative 1 is generally 
acceptable, but requires minor changes and additions, or more specific 
information for approval. Certain aspects of the authorized operations, 
facilities, or equipment would differ from those proposed. These 
differences would enable the operations to comply with certain 
regulatory requirements, and would alleviate minor deficiencies in the 
applicant's proposal, or provide regulating agencies and the public 
with reasonable assurance that authorized activities would protect 
public health and safety, and the environment.
    For Alternative 3, the applicant would mine uranium using another 
method which could logically be employed at the proposed sites. Surface 
or open pit mining methods were not evaluated because the ore bodies 
are too deep within the ground. This alternative would likely require 
constructing a new uranium mill owing to the excessive haul distance to 
the one remaining mill near Grants, New Mexico.
    For Alternative 4 (the ``No Action'' alternative), no Federal 
licensing, permitting, or leasing would occur at either the Crownpoint 
or Church Rock locations. This alternative would not affect private 
minerals operating leases. In regard to the required source material 
license, other mining methods could be employed, but this would require 
another license application addressing ore processing and tailings 
management.
    As documented in the DEIS, the review group determined that the 
applicant's proposal to conduct solution mining to extract uranium in 
the lease areas is generally acceptable. Alternative 2 would be 
selected to emphasize regulatory requirements, impose operating 
restrictions, and specify monitoring, recordkeeping, and reporting 
requirements to minimize environmental impacts.

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 
Licensing Proceedings, of the Commission's Rules of Practice for 
Domestic Licensing Proceedings 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 Docketing and Service Branch 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: Docketing and 
Service Branch.
    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).
    Each request for a hearing must also be served, by delivering it 
personally or by mail to:
    (1) The applicant, Hydro Resources Inc., 12750 Merit Drive, Suite 
1210 LB 12, Dallas, TX 75251;
    (2) The NRC staff, by delivery to the Executive Director of 
Operations, One White Flint North, 11555 Rockville, Pike, Rockville, MD 
20852, or by mail addressed to the Executive Director for Operations, 
U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC 20555. Any hearing 
that is requested and granted will be held in accordance with the 
Commission's Informal Hearing Procedures for Adjudications in Materials 
Licensing Proceedings in 10 CFR Part 2, Subpart L.

    Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 4th day of November 1994.

    For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
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. 94-27992 Filed 11-10-94; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7590-01-M