[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 204 (Wednesday, October 22, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Page 54885]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-28002]


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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

[NUREG-1569]


Draft Standard Review Plan For In Situ Uranium Extraction License 
Applications

AGENCY: Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

ACTION: Notice of availability; opportunity for comment.

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SUMMARY: The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is soliciting 
comments on a Draft Standard Review Plan for in Situ Uranium Extraction 
License Applications (NUREG-1569) from interested parties. A NRC source 
and byproduct material license is required under the provisions of 
Title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations, Part 40 (10 CFR Part 40), 
Domestic Licensing of Source Material, to recover uranium by in situ 
leach uranium extraction mining techniques (in situ leaching). An 
applicant for a new operating license, or for the renewal or amendment 
of an existing license, is required to provide detailed information on 
the facilities, equipment, and procedures to be used, and if 
appropriate, an environmental report that discusses the effect of 
proposed operations on public health and safety and on the environment. 
This information is used by Nuclear Regulatory Commission staff to 
determine whether the proposed activities will be protective of public 
health and safety and be environmentally acceptable. The purpose of 
this standard review plan is to provide NRC staff with specific 
guidance on the review of this information and will be used to ensure a 
consistent quality and uniformity of staff reviews. Each section in the 
review plan provides guidance on what is to be reviewed, the basis for 
the review, how the staff review is to be accomplished, what the staff 
will find acceptable in a demonstration of compliance with the 
regulations, and the conclusions that are sought regarding the 
applicable sections in 10 CFR. The review plan is also intended to 
improve the understanding of the staff review process by interested 
members of the public and the uranium recovery industry. The draft was 
developed using input from (1) staff review precedents; (2) staff 
inspection experiences; (3) public meetings with industry; and (4) 
experience from the State of Texas, which is an agreement state for 
uranium recovery and has 15 licensed in situ leach operations.
    Opportunity to Comment: Interested parties are invited to comment 
on the review plan. Interested parties are also asked to comment on the 
level and extent that staff could rely on technical reviews performed 
by non-agreement states in areas where the NRC and the State have 
concurrent regulatory authority. These areas include land application, 
nonradiological soil cleanup, upper control limit, and groundwater 
restoration reviews. A final review plan will be prepared after the NRC 
staff has evaluated public comments received on the draft review plan.

DATES: Written comments must be received prior to December 8, 1997.

ADDRESSES: Comments on the draft review plan should be sent to the 
Chief, Rules and Directives, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, 
Washington, DC 20555.

AVAILABILITY: A copy of the Draft Standard Review Plan (NUREG-1569) may 
be obtained by writing to the Printing and Graphics Branch, U.S. 
Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, D.C. 20555-0001.

    Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 14th day of October 1997.

    For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Joseph J. Holonich,
Chief, Uranium Recovery Projects Branch, Division of Waste Management, 
Office of Nuclear Material, Safety and Safeguards.
[FR Doc. 97-28002 Filed 10-21-97; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7590-01-P