[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 177 (Wednesday, September 11, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Pages 47965-47966]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-23193]


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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION
[Docket No. 40-8902]


Atlantic Richfield Company

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-1470 to allow the licensee, Atlantic 
Richfield Company, to dispose of mill waste contaminated by 
polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) at its Bluewater uranium mill and 
tailings site in Cibola County, New Mexico. An Environmental Assessment 
was performed by the NRC staff 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: Mr. Kenneth R. Hooks, Uranium Recovery 
Branch, Mail Stop TWFN 7-J9, Division of Waste Management, Office of 
Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory 
Commission, Washington, D.C. 20555. Telephone 301/415-7777

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    Atlantic Richfield Company (ARCO) is reclaiming its Bluewater Mill 
site under a reclamation plan approved by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory 
Commission on August 10, 1990. The plan covers the Main Tailings Pile 
(about 250 acres), the Carbonate Tailings Pile (about 50 acres), the 
Acid Tailings Pile (about 25 acres) and seven synthetically lined 
evaporation ponds. The tailings piles contain roughly 25 million tons 
of tailings. Modifications to the reclamation plan were approved 
January 30, 1992; May 27, 1994; July 20, 1994; July 20, 1995; July 8, 
1996; and July 18, 1996. The groundwater Corrective Action Plan for the 
Bluewater Mill site was approved by the NRC on August 18, 1989 and 
groundwater Alternate Concentration Limits were approved by the NRC on 
February 22, 1996.

[[Page 47966]]

Summary of the Environmental Assessment

Identification of the Proposed Action

    By letter dated May 25, 1995, ARCO requested NRC approval of the 
disposal of mill waste containing PCBs at the Bluewater Mill site. ARCO 
characterized the waste as being composed primarily of spillage of ore 
residues from the mill ore crushing and milling circuit, and PCBs from 
electrical transformers in or adjacent to the mill. The waste is in 145 
drums (less than 1200 cubic feet or 100 tons), and would be disposed of 
in a special disposal cell, backfilled with soil cement, with a clay 
cap and liner each a minimum of 3 feet thick and designed for 1000 year 
containment, within Disposal Area No. 1. Disposal Area No. 1 has an 
additional 1 foot of compacted engineered fill as a bottom liner and 2 
feet as a top cover. There are no free liquids in the drums. The Ra-226 
content of the waste material varies up to about 200 pCi/gram, with an 
average of about 10 pCi/gram. Based on samples taken during cleanup of 
the waste, the PCB concentration within the drums is estimated by ARCO 
to be greater than 50 ppm but less than 500 ppm.

Need for the Proposed Action

    There are presently no commercial waste disposal sites in the 
United States licensed to accept radioactive waste contaminated with 
PCBs. The only current alternatives to permanent onsite disposal are 
relocation to a separate disposal area (which would have to be licensed 
by the NRC and permitted by the EPA), or temporary storage onsite or in 
another location (again requiring licensing and permitting) until a 
permanent disposal site is available.

Environmental Impacts of the Proposed Action

    The ARCO Bluewater Mill site is licensed by the NRC under Materials 
License SUA-1470 to possess byproduct material in the form of uranium 
waste tailings as well as other radioactive wastes generated by past 
milling operations. Except for the PCBs, the waste could have been 
disposed of in the tailings piles as was done with other mill debris 
and windblown cleanup material, or with other drummed waste which was 
disposed of in a similar cell in Disposal Area No. 1 (ARCO Letter to 
NRC, February 3, 1995; NRC letter to ARCO, July 8, 1996). The PCB-
contaminated waste is in drums, and would make a negligible 
contribution to the radon releases or groundwater contamination from 
the tailings impoundments even in the event of failure of the drums.
    Disposal of PCB-contaminated material at the Bluewater site was 
evaluated by EPA Region 6. ARCO submitted documentation concerning its 
disposal plans to the EPA in letters dated October 9, 1995; January 26, 
1996; and July 8, 1996. The EPA published a copy of its proposed 
approval to permit land dispose of PCBs at ARCO's Bluewater Mill site 
for a 45-day public comment period on April 30, 1996 in the Albuquerque 
(New Mexico) Journal newspaper. By letter dated June 24, 1996, the EPA 
notified ARCO that no comments were received during the public comments 
period and the EPA was issuing final approval of the disposal. DOE 
notified ARCO that it would accept the site, subject to certain 
conditions including EPA approval, in a letter dated February 23, 1996.

Alternatives to the Proposed Action

    Based on its review of the request, the NRC staff has concluded 
that from the radiological standpoint there are no significant 
environmental impacts associated with the proposed action. The 
principal alternative to the proposed action would be to deny the 
requested action. The NRC staff has determined that the environmental 
impacts of the proposed action are less than the alternative actions. 
Therefore, there is no need to further evaluate alternatives to the 
proposed action.

Agencies and Persons Consulted

    In preparing this Environmental Assessment, the NRC staff held 
discussions with personnel of EPA Region 6 and the New Mexico 
Environment Department, which has discharge permits pertaining to the 
Bluewater site. The staff also attended meetings between ARCO and EPA 
Region 6 on November 1, 1995 and December 7, 1995.

Finding of No Significant Impact

    The NRC staff has prepared an Environmental Assessment for the 
proposed amendment of NRC Source Material License SUA-1470. 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 Environmental Assessment and other documents related to this 
proposed action are available for public inspection and copying at the 
NRC Public Document Room, in the Gelman Building, 2120 L Street NW., 
Washington, DC 20555.

    Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this day of September 1996.

    For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Daniel M. Gillen,
Acting Chief, Uranium Recovery Branch, Division of Waste Management, 
Office of Nuclear Material, Safety and Safeguards
[FR Doc. 96-23193 Filed 9-10-96; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7590-01-P