[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 225 (Wednesday, November 21, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 58787-58788]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-25367]


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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

[NRC-2018-0236]


Memorandum of Understanding Between the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory 
Commission and the Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality

AGENCY: Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

ACTION: Memorandum of understanding; issuance.

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SUMMARY: This notice is announcing that, effective on September 30, 
2018, the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC or Commission) and 
the State of Wyoming, Department of Environmental Quality (WYDEQ), 
entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for the purpose of 
establishing a regulatory process for the completion of decommissioning 
of five uranium mill tailing sites and the termination of the 
associated uranium mill licenses located within the State of Wyoming.

DATES: The MOU was issued on September 30, 2018.

ADDRESSES: Please refer to Docket ID NRC-2018-0236 when contacting the 
NRC about the availability of information regarding this document. You 
may obtain publicly-available information related to this document 
using any of the following methods:
     Federal Rulemaking website: Go to http://www.regulations.gov and search for Docket ID NRC-2018-0236. Address 
questions about dockets in Regulations.gov to Jennifer Borges; 
telephone: 301-287-9127; email: [email protected]. For technical 
questions, contact the individual listed in the FOR FURTHER INFORMATION 
CONTACT section of this document.
     NRC's Agencywide Documents Access and Management System 
(ADAMS): You may obtain publicly available documents online in the 
ADAMS Public Document collection at http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/adams.html. To begin the search, select ``Begin Web-based ADAMS 
Search.'' For problems with ADAMS, contact the NRC's PDR reference 
staff at 1-800-397-4209, 301-415-4737, or by email to 
[email protected]. The ``Memorandum of Understanding between the 
U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission and the Wyoming Department of 
Environmental Quality to Establish a Process for the Completion of 
Decommissioning of Five Uranium Mill Tailing Sites and the Termination 
of the Associated Uranium Mill Licenses Located within the State of

[[Page 58788]]

Wyoming,'' is available electronically in ADAMS under Accession Number 
ML18165A254.
     NRC's Public Document Room (PDR): The public may examine 
and purchase copies of public documents at the NRC's PDR, Room O1 F21, 
One White Flint North, 11555 Rockville Pike, Rockville, Maryland 20852.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Stephen Poy, Office of Nuclear 
Material Safety and Safeguards, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, 
Washington, DC 20555-0001; telephone 301-415-7135; email: 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Effective September 30, 2018, the NRC and 
the WYDEQ (collectively referred to as the Agencies) entered into a MOU 
for the purpose of establishing a regulatory process for the completion 
of decommissioning of five uranium mill tailing sites and the 
termination of the associated uranium mill licenses located within the 
State of Wyoming. This MOU pertains to the Agencies' roles in the 
decommissioning and eventual termination of the license for the 
following five uranium mill sites:

1. Anadarko Bear Creek located in Converse County, Wyoming (NRC License 
No. SUA-1310, Docket No. 040-08452)
2. Pathfinder Lucky Mc located in Fremont County, Wyoming (NRC License 
No. SUA-672, Docket No. 040-02259)
3. Western Nuclear Split Rock located approximately 2 miles from 
Jeffrey City, Wyoming (NRC License SUA-56, Docket No. 040-01162)
4. Umetco Minerals Corporation Gas Hills East located in Natrona, 
County Wyoming (NRC License No. SUA-648, Docket No. 040-00299)
5. ExxonMobil Highlands located approximately 25 miles north of 
Douglas, Wyoming (NRC License No. SUA-1139, Docket No. 040-08102)

    The five licenses were transferred to the State of Wyoming on 
September 30, 2018, when the NRC discontinued, and the State of Wyoming 
assumed, regulatory authority over the management and disposal of 
byproduct material as defined in 11e.(2) of the Atomic Energy Act of 
1954, as amended (the Act), and a subcategory of source material or 
ores involved in the extraction or concentration of uranium or thorium 
milling in the State in accordance with the agreement authorized by 
Section 274b. of the Act (83 FR 48905; September 28, 2018). The MOU 
documents completed NRC actions related to the decommissioning process 
for each of the sites and delineates specific actions, on a site-by-
site basis, that the NRC and the State of Wyoming will take to verify 
completion of the decommissioning and license termination for these 
sites. The MOU stipulates that any decision made by the NRC for the 
five uranium mill sites prior to the discontinuation of the NRC's 
regulatory authority in Wyoming will be appropriately recognized by the 
NRC as meeting all applicable standards and requirements when reviewing 
the Completion Review Report. A Completion Review Report is required to 
be submitted by the State of Wyoming to the NRC, prior to license 
termination of a uranium mill site, for review and approval to 
adequately ensure public health and safety. Upon termination of each 
license, the site may be transferred, customarily, to the U.S. 
Department of Energy for long-term care and surveillance.
    The NRC and WYDEQ will cooperate fully with each other to carry out 
this MOU and its intent of ensuring protection of public health, 
safety, and the environment in accordance with all governing laws and 
regulations.

    Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 15th day of November, 2018.

    For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Daniel S. Collins,
Director, Division of Materials Safety, Security, State, and Tribal 
Programs, Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards.
[FR Doc. 2018-25367 Filed 11-20-18; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7590-01-P