[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 123 (Friday, June 26, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Pages 34942-34944]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-16913]
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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION
[Docket No. 40-8502]
Cogema Mining, Inc.; Environmental Statements; Availability, etc
AGENCY: Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
ACTION: Final Finding of No Significant Impact and Notice of
Opportunity for Hearing.
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SUMMARY: The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) proposes to renew
NRC Source Material License SUA-1341 to authorize the licensee, COGEMA
Mining, Inc. (COGEMA), to continue the commercial operation of its in-
situ leach (ISL) uranium mines and processing facilities, located in
Campbell and Johnson Counties, Wyoming. This license currently
authorizes COGEMA to receive, acquire, possess, and transfer uranium at
its Irigaray and Christensen Ranch Facilities, which are located
approximately 10 miles northeast of Sussex, Wyoming, and 30 miles
north-northeast of Midwest, Wyoming, respectively. An Environmental
Assessment (EA) was performed by the NRC staff in support of its review
of COGEMA's license renewal request, 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: Ms. Janet Lambert, 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, DC 20555. Telephone 301/415-6710. E-mail:
[email protected]
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background
The Irigaray Project was licensed for commercial operation in
August 1978,
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under ownership of Westinghouse Electric Corporation. In 1982,
operations ceased at the Irigaray plant and wellfields, and the
facility was placed on standby status pending improvements in the
uranium market. In June 1987, Malapai Resources Company (MRC) purchased
the Irigaray site from Westinghouse and resumed operations. In 1988,
MRC was granted an amendment to the SUA-1341 Irigaray license to
include the Christensen Ranch satellite ion exchange (IX) plant and
associated mine units (MUs). The Irigaray site was then upgraded to
include facilities for processing IX resin from Christensen Ranch. In
April 1993, following other ownership changes, COGEMA acquired
ownership of the Irigaray and Christensen Ranch Uranium Projects. Since
then operations have continued under COGEMA management.
At the Irigaray and Christensen Ranch facilities, the ISL mining
method involves: (1) the injection of native groundwater, with added
sodium carbonate/bicarbonate and oxygen or hydrogen peroxide, into a
uranium-bearing orebody through injection wells; (2) the chemical
mobilization of the uranium through oxidation and then complexation
with the carbonate species; and (3) the extraction of the uranium-
bearing solution from the subsurface through a pattern of pumping
wells. The uranium is separated from the leach solution by conventional
ion exchange (IX) methods in the processing facilities. The resulting
uranium-poor solution is recharged with carbonate and oxygen and
returned to the mining zone for additional uranium recovery. This cycle
continues until the ore zone is depleted or recovery of the uranium is
no longer economically feasible.
Once saturated with uranium, the resin in the IX columns is
stripped of the uranium through an elution process. The recovered
uranium solution is processed further by using ammonia or hydrogen
peroxide to precipitate the uranium into a slurry. The resulting slurry
is thickened by gravity settling, and then washed and de-watered in a
filter press to about 50 percent solids. The filter press solids (cake)
are then dried in a natural gas vacuum dryer, to produce uranium oxide,
which is commonly known as ``yellowcake.'' The dried yellowcake is
packaged in steel drums for storage and eventual shipment to a fuel
processing facility.
The Irigaray processing plant has the capability to perform all of
the previously described processing steps. However, the Christensen
Ranch plant does not contain the uranium elution circuit for removing
and concentrating the uranium from the IX resin. For this reason, resin
from the Christensen Ranch processing plant is transferred via truck to
the Irigaray facility for elution and concentration into yellowcake.
The eluted resin is then returned to the Christensen Ranch plant for
reuse.
All wellfields at the Irigaray site are in the restoration phase.
Previous operations at Christensen Ranch have included production from
Mine Units (MU) 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6, with MU 3 in the groundwater
restoration phase. Remaining reserves on the entire Irigaray property
controlled by COGEMA total approximately seven million pounds. Reserves
remaining on the Christensen Ranch property total approximately 13
million pounds in the current, low-value uranium market.
The proposed action is to renew Source Material License SUA-1341 to
authorize the continued commercial operation of the Irigaray and
Christensen Ranch facilities. In its renewal application, COGEMA has
proposed many changes to the operations and procedures at the
facilities. One of the major changes proposed by COGEMA is to combine
the mine and development plans for Irigaray and Christensen Ranch into
one plan. In addition, the renewed license would authorize the
facilities to be operated such that the annual average yellowcake
production does not exceed 1,133,980 kg (2,500,000 pounds) of U3O8
annually. The EA discusses the environmental aspects of the COGEMA
proposal. Additional information concerning the safety aspects of the
proposed renewal will be contained in the safety evaluation report
(SER) that will accompany the license renewal action.
The Environmental Assessment
The NRC staff performed an appraisal of the environmental impacts
associated with the continued operation of the COGEMA ISL facility, in
accordance with 10 CFR Part 51, Licensing and Regulatory Policy
Procedures for Environmental Protection. In conducting its appraisal,
the NRC staff considered the following information: (1) COGEMA's
license renewal application, as amended; (2) previous environmental
evaluations of the COGEMA facility; (3) COGEMA's license amendment
requests submitted subsequent to its renewal application, and NRC staff
approvals of these requests; (4) data contained in required semiannual
environmental monitoring reports; (5) results of NRC staff site visits
and inspections of the COGEMA facility; and (6) consultations with the
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the State of Wyoming Department of
Environmental Quality, and the State Historic Preservation Officer for
the State of Wyoming. The results of the staff's appraisal are
documented in the EA.
Environmental Assessment Conclusions
The NRC staff has re-examined actual and potential environmental
impacts associated with continued operation of the Irigaray and
Christensen Ranch facilities, and has determined that renewal of Source
Material License SUA-1341 will: (1) be consistent with requirements of
10 CFR Part 40; (2) not be inimical to the public health and safety;
and (3) not have long-term detrimental impacts on the environment. The
following statements support the FONSI and summarize the conclusions
resulting from the staff's environmental assessment:
1. The proposed groundwater monitoring program is sufficient to
detect excursions (vertical or horizontal) of mining solutions.
Furthermore, aquifer testing and the previous history of operations
indicate that the production zone is adequately confined, thereby
assuring hydrologic control of mining solutions;
2. Liquid process wastes will be disposed in accordance with
approved waste disposal options. Monitoring programs are in place to
ensure appropriate operation of the deep disposal well and to detect
potential leakage from the solar evaporation ponds;
3. An acceptable environmental and effluent monitoring program is
in place to monitor effluent releases and to detect if applicable
regulatory limits are exceeded. Radiological effluents from facility
operations have been and are expected to continue to remain below the
regulatory limits;
4. All radioactive wastes generated by facility operations will be
disposed offsite at a licensed byproduct disposal site;
5. Groundwater impacted by mining operations will be restored to
baseline conditions on a mine-unit average, as a primary goal. If
baseline conditions cannot be reasonably achieved, the R&D operations
have demonstrated that the groundwater can be restored to applicable
class-of-use standards; and
6. Because the staff has determined that there will be no
significant impacts associated with approval of the license renewal,
there can be no disproportionally high and adverse effects or impacts
on minority and low-income populations. Consequently,
[[Page 34944]]
further evaluation of Environmental Justice concerns, as outlined in
Executive Order 12898 and NRC's Office of Nuclear Material Safety and
Safeguards Policy and Procedures Letter 1-50, Revision 1, is not
warranted.
Alternatives to the Proposed Action
The proposed action is to renew NRC Source Material License SUA-
1341, for continued operation of the Irigaray and Christensen Ranch ISL
facilities, as requested by COGEMA. Therefore, the principal
alternatives available to NRC are to:
(1) Renew the license as requested by the licensee, with conditions
considered necessary or appropriate to protect public health and safety
and the environment; or
(2) Renew the license, with conditions considered necessary or
appropriate to protect public health and safety and the environment,
but not allow COGEMA to expand its operations beyond those previously
approved; or
(3) Deny renewal of the license.
Based on its review, the NRC staff has concluded that the
environmental impacts associated with the proposed action do not
warrant either the limiting of COGEMA's future operations or the denial
of the license renewal. Additionally, in the SER prepared for this
action, the staff has reviewed the licensee's proposed action with
respect to the criteria for license issuance specified in 10 CFR Part
40, Section 40.32, and has no basis for denial of the proposed action.
Therefore, the staff considers that Alternative 1 is the appropriate
alternative for selection.
Finding of No Significant Impact
The NRC staff has prepared an EA for the proposed renewal of NRC
Source Material License SUA-1341. 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 (lower level), 2120 L
Street NW, Washington, DC 20555.
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
and Operators Licensing Proceedings,'' of the Commission's Rules of
Practice for Domestic Licensing Proceedings and Issuance of Orders in
10 CFR Part 2. 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 Rulemakings and Adjudications Staff of the
Office of the Secretary at One White Flint North, 11555 Rockville Pike,
Rockville, MD 20852, between 7:30 a.m. and 4:15 p.m., Federal workdays;
or
(2) By mail or telegram addressed to the Secretary, U.S. Nuclear
Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC 20555, Attention: Rulemakings and
Adjudications Staff.
Each request for a hearing must also be served, by delivering it
personally or by mail to:
(1) The applicant, COGEMA Mining, Inc., 935 Pendell Boulevard.,
P.O. Box 730, Mills, WY 82644;
(2) The NRC staff, by delivery to the Executive Director of
Operations, One White Flint North, 11555 Rockville Pike, Rockville, MD
20852, between 7:30 a.m. and 4:15 p.m., Federal workdays; or
(3) By mail addressed to the Executive Director for Operations,
U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC 20555.
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).
Any hearing request that is granted will be held in accordance with
the Commission's ``Informal Hearing Procedures for Adjudications in
Materials and Operator Licensing Proceedings'' in 10 CFR Part 2,
Subpart L.
Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 18th day of June 1998.
For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Daniel M. Gillen,
Assistant Chief, Uranium Recovery Branch, Division of Waste Management,
Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards.
[FR Doc. 98-16913 Filed 6-25-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7590-01-P