[Federal Register Volume 60, Number 165 (Friday, August 25, 1995)]
[Notices]
[Pages 44367-44368]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 95-21176]



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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

[Docket No. 40-8857]


Power Resources, Inc.

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 renew 
Source Materials License No. SUA-1511. This license authorizes Power 
Resources, Inc. (PRI) to receive, acquire, possess, and transfer 
uranium at its Highland Uranium Project approximately 24 miles 
northeast of the town of Glenrock, in Converse County, Wyoming. PRI's 
Highland Uranium Project is an In-Situ Leach (ISL) uranium mine and 
processing facility. An Environmental Assessment (EA) was performed by 
NRC staff in support of PRI's license renewal request. The conclusion 
of the Environmental Assessment is a Finding of No Significant Impact 
(FONSI) for the proposed license renewal.

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:

Background

    The ISL mining method involves: (1) Injecting a leaching solution 
(lixiviant), comprised of native groundwater fortified with gaseous 
carbon dioxide and oxygen, into a uranium-bearing ore body through 
injection wells; (2) chemically mobilizing the uranium through 
oxidation and complexing it with a carbonate ion in solution; and (3) 
extracting the uranium-bearing solution through a pattern of pumping 
wells. Uranium is then separated from the leach solution by 
conventional ion exchange methods in a processing facility. The 
depleted solution is recharged with carbon dioxide and oxygen and is 
then returned to the mining zone for additional uranium recovery. This 
cycle continues until the ore zone is depleted or the uranium is no 
longer economically feasible to recover.
    The recovered uranium solution is further processed by using 
ammonia or hydrogen peroxide to precipitate the uranium into a slurry. 
The resulting slurry is further thickened by gravity settling, then 
washed and dewatered in a filter press to about 50 percent solids. The 
filter press solids (cake) are then dried in a natural gas dryer, which 
operates at about 1200 degrees Fahrenheit, producing uranium oxide 
commonly called ``yellowcake''. The dried yellowcake is packaged in 55-
gallon steel drums for storage and shipment to a fuel processing 
facility.
    In the injection and extraction process, well patterns typically 
include four injection wells at the corners of a 50- to 100-foot square 
with one pumping (production) well centrally located. There are 
currently six wellfields installed at the PRI Highland site, designated 
as wellfields A through F. The A and B wellfields were constructed in 
1987 and are now under restoration. The C wellfield was installed in 
1989 and is still in production. The D wellfield was installed during 
1990-1991 and started production in 1991. The E wellfield was built 
during 1991-1992 and started production in 1992. The F wellfield was 
approved by the NRC staff in 1994.

Environmental Assessment

    The EA discusses the environmental aspects of the PRI renewal 
request. Safety aspects for the continued operation of the Highland 
Uranium Project are discussed in a Safety Evaluation Report (SER). The 
license renewal would authorize PRI to continue operating the facility, 
such that the annual throughput will not exceed an average flow rate of 
7500 gallons per minute (gpm), exclusive of the flow involved in 
restoring the depleted wellfields. Yellowcake production will not 
exceed 1.897 million pounds annually. To assure that the process 
emissions associated with this project are accurate, the licensee will 
be prohibited by license condition from exceeding the 7500 gpm process 
rate. All license conditions and commitments presented in the 
licensee's Operations and Reclamation Plan are subject to NRC 
inspection. Violation of the license may result in enforcement action.
    An impact appraisal for the license renewal was performed by the 
NRC, Division of Waste Management, and documented in the EA. The NRC 
staff performed the appraisal of environmental considerations 
associated with continuation of the ISL operation in accordance with 
Title 10, Code of Federal Regulations (10 CFR) Part 51, Licensing and 
Regulatory Policy Procedures for Environmental Protection.
    In conducting this appraisal, the NRC staff considered the 
following: (1) environmental, operational, and restoration information 
submitted by PRI for previous and ongoing work at the Highland Uranium 
Project, (2) additional information submitted in the licensee's 
application, and (3) information derived from professional papers, 
journals and text books, NRC Regulations and Regulatory Guides, as well 
as other Federal, State and local agencies.

Conclusions

    The NRC staff has reexamined actual and potential environmental 
impacts 

[[Page 44368]]
associated with the operations at PRI's Highland Uranium Project and 
has determined that renewal of Source Materials License No. SUA-1511 
will: (1) be consistent with the licensing requirements of 10 CFR 40, 
(2) not endanger the public health and safety, and (3) not have long-
term detrimental impacts on the environment. Specific reasons for 
drawing these conclusions are:
    1. The proposed control and monitoring program for groundwater is 
sufficient for detecting any excursion, either vertical or horizontal.
    2. The radium settling basins and purge storage reservoirs are clay 
lined to minimize seepage of waste solutions; monitoring systems as 
designed should detect any leakage which may occur.
    3. Radiological releases from the uranium extraction operations 
will be very small (exposures which are small fractions of the 
radiological exposure standards) and will be closely monitored to 
detect any problems.
    4. All radioactive wastes will be disposed of at an existing NRC 
licensed tailings disposal site.
    5. The proposed restoration plan, as demonstrated by the R&D ISL 
test project, should be sufficient to return the groundwater to its 
premining use (or potential use). On a parameter-by-parameter basis, 
groundwater quality will be returned as close to baseline conditions as 
reasonably achievable.
    6. The remote location of the Highland Uranium Project facility and 
sparse population in this portion of Converse County, Wyoming has 
mitigated any potential adverse impacts to minority and low-income 
populations. Further evaluation of `Environmental Justice' concerns, as 
outlined in Executive Order 12898 and NRC's Office of Nuclear Material 
Safety and Safeguard Policy and Procedures Letter 1-50 Rev. 1, is not 
warranted.

Finding of No Significant Impact

    Based on these conclusions, the NRC finds that the impacts 
associated with the proposed renewal of Source Materials License No. 
SUA-1151 are within the scope of impacts anticipated in the November, 
1978 Final Environmental Statement (FES) and the July, 1987 EA; which 
supported the initial licensing. Recognizing these impacts, the NRC has 
available two alternatives with respect to the requested license 
renewal: (1) Renew the license with such conditions as are considered 
necessary or appropriate to protect public health, safety, and the 
environment; or (2) deny renewal of the license.
    The environmental impacts of the renewal described in the EA do not 
warrant denial of the application. For this reason, the NRC has made a 
finding of no significant impact associated with this action and will 
issue a renewed license for the PRI Highland Uranium Project.

Notice of Opportunity for Hearing
    The Commission hereby provides notice that this proceeding on an 
application for a licensing action falls 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 licensee, Power Resources Inc., 800 Werner Court, Suite 
230, Casper, WY 82601;
    (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 17th day of August 1995.

    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. 95-21176 Filed 8-24-95; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7590-01-P