[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 98 (Friday, May 21, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Pages 27828-27829]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-12901]


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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

[Docket Number 40-8102]


Exxon Corp., Highlands, WY

AGENCY: U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

ACTION: Final finding of no significant impact.

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SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory 
Commission (NRC) proposes to amend Exxon Corporation's (Exxon's) Source 
Material License SUA-1139, to allow alternate concentration limits 
(ACLs) for groundwater hazardous constituents at the Highland uranium 
mill site in Converse County, Wyoming. An Environmental Assessment (EA) 
was performed by the NRC staff in accordance with the requirements of 
10 CFR part 51. The conclusion of the EA is a Finding of No Significant 
Impact (FONSI) for this licensing action.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    By letter of December 18, 1998, Exxon requested that Source 
Material License SUA-1139 be amended to allow ACLs for groundwater 
constituents, nickel, radium-226 & 228 combined, and natural uranium, 
at Exxon's Highland uranium mill site. Exxon's application for ACLs 
proposed discontinuing the site groundwater corrective action program 
(CAP) in order to complete placement of the final radon barrier over 
the tailings and complete reclamation of the site. In order to 
terminate the CAP, the licensee must meet 10 CFR part 40, appendix A, 
Criterion 5B(5), which requires that, at the point of compliance (POC), 
the concentration of a hazardous constituent must not exceed the 
established background concentration of that constituent, the maximum 
concentration limits (MCLs) given in Table 5C of Appendix A, or an 
alternate concentration limit established by the NRC. The receipt of 
Exxon's request by NRC and a Notice of Opportunity for a Hearing were 
published in the Federal Register on January 13, 1999.

[[Page 27829]]

Summary of the Environmental Assessment

Identification of the Proposed Action

    The proposed action is an amendment to SUA-1139 to allow the 
application of ACLs for groundwater hazardous constituents, nickel, 
radium-226 & 228 combined, and uranium at the Exxon Highland facility, 
as provided in 10 CFR part 40, appendix A, Criterion 5B(5). The NRC 
staff's review was conducted in accordance with the ``Staff Technical 
Position, Alternate Concentration Limits for Title II Uranium Mills,'' 
dated January 1996.
    Based on its evaluation of Exxon's amendment request, the NRC staff 
has concluded that granting Exxon the request for ACLs will not result 
in significant impacts. The staff decision was based on information 
provided by Exxon, demonstrating that its proposed ACLs would not pose 
a substantial present or potential future hazard to human health and 
the environment, and are as low as is reasonably achievable (ALARA). A 
review of alternatives to the requested action indicates that 
implementation of alternate methods would result in little net 
reduction of groundwater constituent concentrations.

Conclusion

    The NRC staff concludes that approval of Exxon's amendment request 
to allow ACLs for groundwater hazardous constituents will not cause 
significant health or environmental impacts.
    The following statements summarize the conclusions resulting from 
the EA:
    1. Currently, all concentrations of hazardous constituents of 
concern to NRC meet the proposed groundwater ACLs for the site at the 
POC wells.
    2. Present and potential health risks were assessed for various 
exposure scenarios, using conservative approaches. The result of these 
assessments indicates that present and potential future hazardous 
constituent concentrations at the specified POEs will not pose 
significant risks to human health and the environment. The POEs are 
located within or at the long-term care area boundary which will be 
maintained for long-term care by the U.S. Department of Energy 
following termination of the Exxon license.
    3. Climatological extremes and sparse vegetation indicate that 
future use of groundwater is likely to be limited to seasonal livestock 
(e.g., cattle) and wildlife (e.g., pronghorn antelope) watering. 
Domestic use of groundwater from the tailings dam sandstone at the site 
is highly unlikely because of the low volume of water available in the 
unit, and the remote location of the site.
    4. Additional corrective action will have little effect on the net 
reduction of constituent concentrations of concern to the NRC and, 
therefore, will have little impact on groundwater quality.
    Because the staff has determined that there will be no significant 
impacts associated with approval of the amendment request, there can be 
no disproportionately high and adverse effects or impacts on minority 
and low-income populations. Except in special cases, these impacts need 
not be addressed for EAs in which a FONSI is made. Special cases may 
include regulatory actions that have substantial public interest, 
decommissioning cases involving onsite disposal in accordance with 10 
CFR 20.2002, decommissioning/decontamination cases which allow residual 
radioactivity in excess of release criteria, or cases where 
environmental justice issues have been previously raised. Consequently, 
further evaluation of ``Environmental Justice'' concerns, as outlined 
in NRC's Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards Policy and 
Procedures Letter 1-50, Rev. 1, is not warranted.

Alternatives to the Proposed Action

    Since the licensee has demonstrated that the proposed ACL values 
will not pose substantial present or potential hazards to human health 
and the environment, and that the proposed ACLs are ALARA, considering 
practicable corrective actions, establishing other standards more 
stringent than the proposed ACLs was not evaluated. Furthermore, since 
the NRC staff has concluded that there are no significant environmental 
impacts associated with the proposed action, any alternatives with 
equal or greater environmental impacts need not be evaluated. The 
principal alternative to the proposed action would be to deny the 
requested action. The licensee evaluated various alternatives, 
including continuation of the CAP, and demonstrated that those 
alternatives would result in little net reduction of constituent 
concentrations. Because the environmental impacts of the proposed 
action and the no-action alternative are similar, there is no need to 
further evaluate alternatives to the proposed action.

Finding of No Significant Impact

    The NRC staff has prepared an EA for this action. On the basis of 
this assessment, the NRC staff has concluded that the environmental 
impacts that may result from this action would not be significant, and, 
therefore, preparation of an Environmental Impact Statement is not 
warranted.
    The EA and other documents related to this action are being made 
available for public inspection at the NRC's Public Document Room at 
2120 L Street, NW (Lower Level).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mohammad W. Haque, Uranium Recovery 
and Low-Level Waste Branch, Division of Waste Management, U.S. Nuclear 
Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC 20555. Telephone (301) 415-6640.

    Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 14th day of May, 1999.

    For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
N. King Stablein,
Acting Chief, Uranium Recovery and Low-Level Waste Branch, Division of 
Waste Management, Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards.
[FR Doc. 99-12901 Filed 5-20-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7590-01-P