ML19256F213
| ML19256F213 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Issue date: | 10/16/1979 |
| From: | Miller H NRC OFFICE OF NUCLEAR MATERIAL SAFETY & SAFEGUARDS (NMSS) |
| To: | Fess K CALIFORNIA, STATE OF |
| References | |
| REF-WM-23 NUDOCS 7912170188 | |
| Download: ML19256F213 (7) | |
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k OCT 161979 Dr. Kenneth B. Fess, Section Chief Radiologic Health Section California Department of Health Services 744 P Street Sacramento, California 95814
Dear Dr. Fess:
With reference to your August 24, 1979 letter, we are evaluating the ore-upgrading operations at the Miracle Mine proposed by Martin-Trost AssrCates. We have not determined whether any formal NRC licensing action on the tailings will be necessary in conjunction with that by the State of California. More information is necessary before we can make such a determination.
However, we will proceed with the review of the proposed operation, to provide our assistance to the State of California in the environmental assessment of the project, as requested in your letter.
From the infor-mation we have thus far, we feel that in this case an environmental appraisal will be adequate instead of a full impact statement.
In our preliminary review we have identified certain additional information requirements needed by the NRC staff to perform the radiological assessments of the ore-upgrading operations and tailings disposal. These information requirements are enclosed.
Please ensure that the applicant supplies the relevant information; conservative estimates may be used where exact numbers are difficult to obtain.
If you have any questions please contact George Wu (301-427-4103) of our staff.
Sincerely, l /$'EC{
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.jd. Miller, Section Leader Oranium Recovery Licensing Branch Division of Waste Management
Enclosure:
As stated cc: Martin-Trost Associates w/ enclosure s
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ENCLOSURE Information Requirements on Ore Upgrading Operations 1.
Describe the characteristics and compositions of the depleted ore, and of the upgraded ore (e.g. average particle size, density, and total volume of crushed rock; acidity; moisture content; concentrations of uranium, radium, and other contaminants; etc.).
Characterize also the process discharge water.
2.
Describe how, where, for how long, and in what capacities waste rock (and upgraded rock) will be stored on the surface.
Describe if any underlinini or cover materials will be used for such storage, and the configuracions and dimensions of the stock piles.
Confirm that there will be no permanent surface disposal of the depleted ore.
Describe the procedures for transportation of the ore from the mine to the surface process and storage area.
3.
Describe the procedures to control drainage, seepage, and erosion of the surface interim storage piles of depleted ore and of upgraded rock.
Describe the. procedures to minimize airborne particulates from surface interim storage piles of tailings and of upgraded rock.
4.
Please provide the following:
a.
Local topography map b.
Local geology map c.
Applicable pertinent information described on the attachment: Appendix A - Site Specific Information and Data.
(Delete sections on yellowcake.)
Information already supplied may be included by re ference.
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APPENDIX A SITE-SPECIFIC INFORMATION AND DATA USED BY THE NRC STAFF IN PERFORMING RADIOLOGICAL IMPACT EVALUATIONS FOR URANIUM MILLING OPERATIONS Table A-1 lists and partially describes most of the information and data commonly ustd by the NRC staff in performing its uranium mill radi-ological impact evaluations.
All the data detailed in Table A-1 are not always available on a site-specific basis, in which case the staff will employ conservative estimates or assumptions.
In some situations, the data identified in Table A-1 may not ce adequate, so the st,aff will attempt to secure additional information.
This situation may ari'se, for instance, when operations at more than one site are involved and the staff is required to evaluate combined impacts.
In most cases, however, p.ovision of the data identified in Table A-1 allows the staff to completely fulfill its respon-sibilities with regard to the preparation of a thorough, knowledgeable, and technically sound radiological impact evaluation.
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t TABLE A-1 i
f PLANT. PLANT OPERATIONS, METEOROLOGICAL. AND ENVIRONMENTAL DATA ROUTINELY USED BY THE NRC STAFF IN PERFORMING RADIOLOGICAL IMPACT EVALUATIONS i
I. PHYSICAL PLANT DATA A.
Detailed site plot plan (overlaid on topographic map, with scale and true north arrow) clearly identifying all locations of 1.
Site property boundaries 2.
Raw ure stcrage pads 3.
Primary crushers
, 1 4.
Secondary crushers 5.
Crushed ore storage areas 6.
Ore grinders 7.
Yellowcake dryer and yellowcake dryer stack
- 8.
Yellowcake packaging area and exhaust stack 9.
Tailings impoundments and their boundaries 10.
Any heap leach piles and their boundaries 11.
Restricted area boundaries if different from site property boundaries 12.
Fences
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l B.
Plant operations data 1.
General data a.
Ore processing rates for all crushers and grinders, MT/d; hr/d and d/yr operational
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by weight, average, and range R w ore grade, % U 03 b.
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i c.
Fractions of uranium, thorium, radium, and lead in raw ore expected to flow through to tailings d.
Expected yellowcake purity, % U 0 3 3 by weight, average, and range, MT/yr produced Expected calendar years of initial ore milling, final e.
ore milling, and completion of tailings area reclamation Part of the input to the NRC staff's impact assessment computer code consists of X, Y, and Z coordinates for various release and receptor locations.
The staff routinely determines these coordinates with respect to the topographic elevation at the location of the yellowcake dryer stack.
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Table A-1 (Continued) 2.
Ore storage data 2
a.
Areas of each pile or bin complex, in m b.
Ore storage masses by weight c.
Ore grades, % U 0 3 3 d.
Antidusting measures routinely implemented Anticipated dusting rates, in MT/yr e.
f.
Anticipated 222Rn releases, in Ci/yr g.
Fractions of input ore sent to storage 3.
Crushing, grinding data Description of ventilaticn air filtration equipment a.
b.
. Design efficiency of exhaust filters c.
Minimum efficiencies of exhaust filters d.
Filter testing procedure and schedule if applicable Fraction of time filters not operational or used e.
f.
Any measured effluent concentrations g.
Stack heights and airflows h.
Anticipated release rates, in kg/hr i.
Anticipated 222Rn release rate, in Ci/yr j.
Fractions of ore throughput reaching filters as dust i
4.
Yellowcake drying and packaging data Processing rates, MT/hr, for drying and packaging if a.
different b.
Hr/d and d/yr drying and packaging operations are carried out Dercription of all ventilation air filtration equipment c.
with design, expected, and minimum efficiencies
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d.
Filtration equipment testing procedures and frequencies Arj measured effluent concentrations e.
f.
Stack heights and airflows g.
Anticipated release rates, in kg/hr, for the dryer stack, the packagir.g area ventilation exhaust, and any yellowcake storage area ventilation exhausts 5.
Tailings impoundment system data Complete physical, chemical, hydrological, and radi-a.
ological description
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c 9 Table A-1 (Continued) b.
Total area, surface areas expected to be under water, saturated, moist, and dry (indicate surface moisture contents used as basis of estimates)
Description of antidusting measures routinely implemented c.
and their expected effectiveness d.
Anticipated dusting rates for saturated, moist, and 2
dry surface areas, in g/m per sec Anticipated 222Rn release rates for underwater, saturated, e.
2 moist, and dry surface areas, Ci/yr per m
'a f.
Estimated drying time required prior to initiation of reclamation pr,ocedures and basis Estimated time required to stabilize and reclaim after g.
drying and basis h.
Postreclamation estimated 222Rn release rate, Ci/yr 2
per m, and basis II. METEOROLOGICAL DATA A.
Joint frequency data 1.
National Weather Service (NWS) station data Locations of all NWS stations within 80 km (50 mi) a.
b.
Available ioint frequency distribution data by wind direction, wind speed, and stability class (3-dimen-sional numerical array) c.
Period of record by month and year d.
Height of data measurement 2.
Onsite meteorological data Location and heights of instrumentation a.
b.
Description of instrumentation Minimum of 1 full year of onsite joint frequency c.
distribution data broken down by wind direction, wind speed, and stability class (3-dimensional array) with f
a joint data recovery of 90 percent or more B.
Miscellaneous data 1.
Annual average mixing depth heights 2.
Description (general) of regional climatology, particularly including frequencies and durations of extreme wind speeds ss 1654 044 h
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Table A-1 (Continued)
III. ENVIRONMENTAL DATA A.
A detailed topographic map of the area within 8 km (5 mi) of the site showing the locations of all 1.
Site boundaries 2.
Lands owned, leased, or otherwise controlled (including mill site claims) by the applicant 3.
Lands privately owned 4.
Lands under the jurisdiction of the U.S. Bureau of Land Management 5.
Lands otherwise publicly held 6.
Lands useable and available for grazing 7.
Private residences or other structures used by the general public*
8.
Vegetable or other crops, identified by type 9.
Private, public, and industrial water wells and natural springs 10.
Milk animals (cows or goats)
B.
Regional data (within 80 km) 1.
Population distributions by direction (16) and radius (0.5, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, and 80 km) for a recent year (no earlier than 1970), for the last year of expected milling (approximate), and for the last year prior to completion of tailings area reclamation (approximate),
with expected age group fractions (if available) 2.
Available county food production data, in kg/yr, for vegetables (by type and totals), meat (all types), and milk; and any available future predictions by local governmental, industrial, or institutional organizations 5
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