[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 237 (Tuesday, December 10, 2019)]
[Notices]
[Pages 67480-67482]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-26493]


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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

[Docket No. 040-08903; NRC-2019-0186]


Homestake Mining Company of California; Grants Reclamation 
Project

AGENCY: Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

ACTION: Environmental assessment and finding of no significant impact; 
issuance.

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SUMMARY: The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is issuing an 
environmental assessment (EA) and a finding of no significant impact 
(FONSI) regarding a request from Homestake Mining Company (HMC) of 
California for approval of an amendment to HMC Radioactive Materials 
License SUA-1471 to add zeolite water treatment systems. HMC is 
authorized to manage a groundwater restoration program to restore the 
concentrations of the constituents of concern to the acceptable 
groundwater standards at its Grants Reclamation Project site in Milan, 
New Mexico, under NRC License SUA-1471, issued originally in 1988.

DATES: The EA referenced in this document is available on December 10, 
2019.

ADDRESSES: Please refer to Docket ID NRC-2019-0186 when contacting the 
NRC about the availability of

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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 https://www.regulations.gov and search for Docket ID NRC-2019-0186. Address 
questions about NRC dockets IDs 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 Documents collection at https://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/adams.html. To begin the search, select ``Begin Web-based ADAMS 
Search.'' For problems with ADAMS, please contact the NRC's Public 
Document Room (PDR) reference staff at 1-800-397-4209, 301-415-4737, or 
by email to [email protected]. The ADAMS accession number for each 
document referenced (if it is available in ADAMS) is provided the first 
time that it is mentioned in this document.
     NRC's PDR: You 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: Jean Trefethen, Office of Nuclear 
Material Safety and Safeguards, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, 
Washington, DC 20555-0001; telephone: 301-415-0867, email: 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Introduction

    By letter dated December 11, 2017 (ADAMS Package Accession No. 
ML17361A006), Homestake Mining Company of California (HMC or the 
licensee) requested NRC approval of HMC's license amendment to modify 
its License No. SUA-1471, Condition 35. The request includes the 
addition of a zeolite water treatment system for the removal of low 
levels of uranium from contaminated groundwater as part of the approved 
groundwater corrective action program (CAP) at the Grants Reclamation 
Projects site. The CAP is authorized under NRC License No. SUA-1471, 
Condition 35.C and is implemented using an adaptive, ongoing strategy 
that includes monitoring, water management, water treatment, and source 
control. The Grants Reclamation Project site is located near Milan, New 
Mexico and is owned and operated by HMC. The NRC staff has prepared an 
EA (ADAMS Accession No. ML19263C623) as part of its review of this 
proposed action in accordance with the requirements in part 51 of title 
10 of the Code of Federal Regulations (10 CFR), ``Environmental 
Protection Regulations for Domestic Licensing and Related Regulatory 
Functions'' and associated staff guidance. The NRC has concluded that 
the proposed action will not have a significant effect on the quality 
of the human environment.

II. Summary of the Environmental Assessment

Description of the Proposed Action

    The proposed action is to review and approve the request for 
modification of the CAP by amending License No. SUA-1471, Condition 35, 
to add the 300 gpm and 1200 gpm zeolite water treatment systems to 
increase the water treatment capacity. Pilot testing of the zeolite 
water treatment systems was performed by the licensee to verify the 
effectiveness of the treatment system in order to accelerate the 
groundwater restoration. As part of the pilot test, the 300 gpm and 
1200 gpm zeolite treatment systems were installed and are currently in 
use.

Need for the Proposed Action

    By letter dated December 11, 2017, the licensee notified the NRC of 
its proposal to formally add zeolite groundwater treatment systems to 
its CAP. Expanded groundwater treatment capacity is needed to 
accelerate groundwater restoration at the Grants site. Use of the 
zeolite water treatment system, in addition to reverse osmosis, will 
allow HMC to meet its NRC-mandated water remediation goals.

Environmental Impacts of the Proposed Action

    The NRC staff evaluated the potential environmental impacts 
associated with the proposed action and has performed its environmental 
review in accordance with the requirements in 10 CFR part 51 and 
associated staff guidance. As detailed in the EA, the staff reviewed 
relevant information submitted by the licensee and consulted with the 
New Mexico State Historic Preservation Office (NMSHPO), the Hopi of 
Arizona, Navajo Nation, Pueblo of Acoma, Pueblo of Isleta, Pueblo of 
Laguna, and Pueblo of Zuni. The NRC staff, with the assistance of the 
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) Information for Planning and 
Consultation (IPaC) project planning tool, determined that the listed 
species and/or critical habitat would not be adversely affected by the 
proposed action. Additionally, a draft EA was shared with New Mexico 
Environment Department (NMED).
    During the pilot study, HMC constructed the 300 gpm and 1200 gpm 
zeolite systems in a previously and highly disturbed area within the 
licensed site boundary, and no further activities involving land 
disturbance are planned. Therefore, the NRC staff considers that there 
would be no impacts on the following resources areas: land use, geology 
and soils, water resources, ecology, meteorology, climate, air quality, 
noise, transportation, waste management, visual and scenic resources, 
and socioeconomic resources.
    The NRC staff evaluated the radiological impacts on workers and the 
public. The staff found that the radiological doses to workers would be 
within the dose limits specified in 10 CFR 20.1201, ``Occupational dose 
limits to adults,'' and that radiological doses to the public would be 
indistinguishable when compared to background radiation.
    The NRC staff also evaluated the cumulative impacts by identifying 
past, present, and reasonably foreseeable future actions at the Grants 
site, and the incremental impacts of HMC's proposed action. The staff 
determined that the proposed action would not significantly contribute 
to cumulative impacts. The staff also determined that the proposed 
action would not affect federally listed endangered or threatened 
species or their critical habitats, if present.

Environmental Impacts of the Alternatives to the Proposed Action

    The NRC staff considered a no-action alternative for this EA. Under 
the no-action alternative, the NRC staff could deny HMC's request to 
add the zeolite water system at its Grants site. However, because HMC 
is using the zeolite system under a pilot test, the NRC considers the 
environmental impacts of this alternative to be similar to those of the 
proposed action. Therefore, staff concluded that denying the addition 
of the zeolite systems to HMC's license is not a reasonable 
alternative.

Agencies and Persons Consulted

    In August 2018, the NRC staff accessed the USFWS IPaC online 
project planning tool and determined that, while there was potential 
for some threatened or endangered species to be present in the general 
area, there is no critical habitat at the project location. Therefore, 
the NRC has determined that no further consultation with the USFWS is 
required under Section 7 of the Endangered Species Act. By letter dated

[[Page 67482]]

October 31, 2018 (ADAMS Package Accession No. ML18267A257), the staff 
consulted with the New Mexico Department of Game and Fish (NMDGF) and 
asked them to concur with the determination that the proposed action 
was not the type to affect threatened or endangered species or their 
critical habitats, assuming they were present. The NMDGF replied by 
letter dated December 3, 2018 and indicated that, in 2016, a dozen 
migratory bird fatalities occurred at one of the evaporation ponds on 
the Grants site. As a follow-up to their response the NRC staff called 
the NMDGF to clarify that the pond in question is not part of the 
current licensing action and that the NRC would on their recommendation 
contact the USFWS. In March 2019, the NRC spoke with the USFWS to 
better understand whether their concerns extended to threatened and 
endangered species. During that call, the USFWS indicated that in 2016 
they contacted HMC and provided suggestions for preventing migratory 
bird deaths. The contact at USFWS Region 2 is unaware of additional 
migratory bird deaths or whether threatened or endangered species were 
included among the dead birds at the Grants site.
    Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, as 
amended, requires federal agencies to consider the effects of their 
undertakings on historic properties. The NRC's approval of this license 
amendment request constitutes a federal undertaking. However, the NRC 
staff has determined that the scope of activities described in this 
license amendment request do not have the potential to cause effects on 
historic properties, assuming those were present, because the NRC's 
approval of this license request will not result in construction or 
land disturbance activities.
    The NRC staff also consulted with the NMSHPO by letter dated 
September 21, 2018 (ADAMS Accession No. ML18232A151). The NMSHPO 
responded by email dated October 16, 2018, stating that they agreed 
with a finding of no adverse effect for the proposed action and also 
recommended by letter dated November 13, 2018, that the NRC consult six 
Tribes: Hopi of Arizona, Navajo Nation, Pueblo of Acoma, Pueblo of 
Isleta, Pueblo of Laguna, and Pueblo of Zuni (ADAMS Package Accession 
No. ML18233A143). By letter dated November 13, 2018, the NRC sent a 
consultation letter to the six Tribes explaining the activities 
involved in the proposed action and the preliminary determination of no 
potential to effect historic properties, assuming they were present.
    In July 2019, the NRC provided the NMED with the opportunity to 
review the draft EA (ADAMS Accession No. ML19196A071) and requested 
NMED input. On August 12, 2019 the NMED responded by email (ADAMS 
Accession No. ML19225B308) that they had reviewed the draft EA with one 
comment and no other concerns with the NRC's EA findings. The NRC 
addressed NMED's comment in the final EA (ADAMS Accession Number 
ML19263C623).

III. Finding of No Significant Impact

    In accordance with the requirements in 10 CFR part 51, the NRC 
staff has concluded that the proposed action will not significantly 
affect the quality of the human environment. Therefore, the staff 
finds, pursuant to 10 CFR 51.31, that preparation of an environmental 
impact statement is not required for the proposed action, and that a 
FONSI is appropriate.

    Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 4th day of December 2019.

    For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Cinthya I. Roman-Cuevas,
Chief, Environmental Review Materials Branch Division of Fuel Cycle 
Safety, Safeguards, and Environmental Review Office of Nuclear Material 
Safety, and Safeguards.
[FR Doc. 2019-26493 Filed 12-9-19; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 7590-01-P