[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 219 (Wednesday, November 15, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 78394-78395]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-25213]


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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

[Docket No. 40-1162; NRC-2023-0076]


Western Nuclear, Inc.; Split Rock Site

AGENCY: Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

ACTION: License termination and transfer; issuance.

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SUMMARY: The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is noticing the 
establishment of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) as the long-term 
custodian of the Split Rock site and the transfer of the Split Rock 
site to DOE, under the general license provisions of NRC's regulations. 
The NRC also notices the termination of Western Nuclear, Inc.'s (WNI) 
Wyoming Source Material License No. WYSUA-0056 for the Split Rock 
uranium mill tailings site in Jeffrey City, Wyoming.

DATES: The license termination of Wyoming Source Material License No. 
WYSUA-0056 occurred on October 31, 2023. The transfer of the Split Rock 
site to DOE is effective November 7, 2023.

ADDRESSES: Please refer to Docket ID NRC-2023-0076 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 https://www.regulations.gov and search for Docket ID NRC-2023-0076. Address 
questions about Docket IDs in Regulations.gov to Stacy Schumann; 
telephone: 301-415-0624; 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, at

[[Page 78395]]

301-415-4737, or by email to [email protected]. For the convenience 
of the reader, instructions about obtaining materials referenced in 
this document are provided in the ``Availability of Documents'' 
section.
     NRC's PDR: The PDR, where you may examine and order copies 
of publicly available documents, is open by appointment. To make an 
appointment to visit the PDR, please send an email to 
[email protected] or call 1-800-397-4209 or 301-415-4737, between 8 
a.m. and 4 p.m. eastern time (ET), Monday through Friday, except 
Federal holidays.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Tom Lancaster, Office of Nuclear 
Material Safety and Safeguards, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, 
Washington, DC 20555-0001; telephone: 301-415-6563; email: 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Background

    The Split Rock site is approximately 2 miles northeast of Jeffrey 
City, Wyoming, in southeastern Fremont County. The Split Rock site is 
regulated under title II of the Uranium Mill Tailings Radiation Control 
Act of 1978 (title 42 United States Code section 7901 [42 U.S.C. 
7901]).

II. Discussion

    On October 30, 2023, the NRC concurred with the State of Wyoming's 
determination that applicable standards and requirements for the 
protection of public health, safety and the environment had been met 
for the WNI Split Rock uranium mill tailings disposal site. WNI and the 
U.S. Bureau of Land Management transferred ownership of land at the 
Split Rock site to the DOE, as required by part 40 of title 10 of the 
Code of Federal Regulations (10 CFR), appendix A, criterion 11, prior 
to termination of WNI's Source Material License by the State of 
Wyoming. By letter dated August 11, 2023, the DOE submitted the final 
Long-Term Surveillance Plan (LTSP) for the Split Rock disposal site for 
review and acceptance by the NRC. The NRC staff completed its technical 
review of the LTSP and determined that the LTSP satisfies the long-term 
surveillance requirements in 10 CFR part 40, appendix A, criterion 12, 
and 10 CFR 40.28, for the Split Rock tailings disposal site. 
Additionally, the NRC prepared an environmental assessment (EA) for 
this LTSP in accordance with its regulations. Based on the EA, the NRC 
has concluded that a finding of no significant impact (FONSI) is 
appropriate. The FONSI was noticed in the Federal Register on October 
30, 2023 (88 FR 74211).

III. Notice of Approval

    Accordingly, notice is hereby given that the NRC has accepted the 
LTSP for the Split Rock site. As documented in NRC's letter dated 
November 7, 2023, acceptance of this LTSP established the DOE as the 
long-term custodian and caretaker of the Split Rock site under the 
general license specified in 10 CFR 40.28. The State of Wyoming 
terminated WNI's Source Material License No. WYSUA-0056 for the Split 
Rock site on October 31, 2023, and notified WNI by letter dated October 
31, 2023. The NRC finds these actions complete all requirements for 
closure of the Split Rock site under the Uranium Mill Tailings 
Radiation Control Act of 1978, as amended.

IV. Availability of Documents

    The documents identified in the following table are available to 
interested persons through one or more of the following methods, as 
indicated.

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                    Document description                                     ADAMS accession No.
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Letter dated October 30, 2023, from B. VonTill, NRC, to B.   ML23271A217.
 Obrien, Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality,
 regarding NRC concurrence of meeting all applicable
 standards for the WNI Minerals Corporation Split Rock
 Uranium Mill Tailings Disposal Site.
Letter dated August 11, 2023, from N. Keller, DOE, to T.     ML23223A152 (Package).
 Lancaster, NRC, submitting the final Long-Term
 Surveillance Plan for the Split Rock Disposal Site,
 Jeffrey City, Wyoming.
Letter dated November 7, 2023, from B. VonTill, NRC, to J.   ML23271A189 (Package).
 Glascock, DOE, regarding acceptance of the Long-Term
 Surveillance Plan for the WNI Minerals Corporation Split
 Rock Uranium Mill Tailings Disposal Site.
Letter dated October 31, 2023, from K. Wendtland and T.      ML23311A036.
 Parfitt, Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality, to
 L. Corte, WNI, regarding termination of WNI's Source
 Material License No. WYSUA-0056.
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    Dated: November 9, 2023.

    For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Marc S. Ferdas,
Acting Deputy Director, Division of Decommissioning, Uranium Recovery 
and Waste Programs, Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards.
[FR Doc. 2023-25213 Filed 11-14-23; 8:45 am]
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