ML20199H673
| ML20199H673 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Issue date: | 11/21/1997 |
| From: | Joseph Holonich NRC OFFICE OF NUCLEAR MATERIAL SAFETY & SAFEGUARDS (NMSS) |
| To: | Paulson O KENNECOTT CORP. |
| References | |
| REF-WM-5 NUDOCS 9711260189 | |
| Download: ML20199H673 (2) | |
Text
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hg UNITED STATES -
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W NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION 9
f WASHINGTON, D.C. 20565-0001-f November 21, 1997 j
Oscar Paulson Facility Supervisor Sweetwater Uranium Facihty Kerrecott Uranium Company P.O. Box 1500 Rawlins,WY 82301
SUBJECT:
REQUEST FOR EXTENSION OF PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD ON DRAFT STANDARD REVIEW PLAN FOR IN SITU URANIUM EXTRACTION LICENSE APPLICATIONS Dear Mr. Paulson I am responding to your November 10,1997, request to extend the public comment period on the Draft Standard Review Plan for In Situ Uranium Extraction License Applications. After considering your request along with the request of others for an extension, I must inform you that we are unable to extend the public comment period beyond December 8,1997. The Nuclear Regulatory Commission has an immediate need for a focused set of procedures in the review of in situ leach applications. This Standard Review Plan (SRP) will provide the staff with those much needed procedures. In addition, the resources available to work on this activity are only available through March 1998. The December 8,1997, comment date was based on the time frame needed to receive and consider comments consistent with a March 1998 completion date.
I recognize that the SRP is the first time all of the NRC review procedures and acceptance criteria have been consolidated into a single report. However, much of the information currently contained in the SRP has previously been made available to the industry for quite some time.
For example, Appendix D, "Effiuent Disposal ut Licensed Uranium Recovery Facilities," was issued as staff guidance in 1994. Similarly, Appendix E, " Recommended Outline for Site-Specific in Situ Leach Facility Reclamation and Stabilization Cost Estimates," comes from the staff position on surety instruments which has been publicly available for nearly 10 years, i
Finally, many of ine regulatory guides cited as acceptance criteria have been r.vailable to the
\\ '0 public for more than 10 years.
Not only has nearly all of the information contained in the SRP been publicly available for many years, the NRC staff held a public meeting in Riverton, Wyoming on March 19,1997, to obtain suggestions on the content af the proposed " Standard Review Plan for Uranium in Situ Mining hg Applications." This meeting was attended by members of the National Mining Association, the
. yoming Mining Association, the Uranium Producers of America,iadividuallicensees, and the W
general public. Also, on June 5,1997, a groundwater mini-workshop was held with the uranium mining industry and the public. This workshop covered various groundwater issues of interest to the uranium in situ mining industry; including a presentation on the status of the SRP.
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do so, comments received after the end of the public comment period will be considered when finalizing the SRP. If they cannot be considered at that time, the staff will cona,ider those comments in any future revisions to the SRP.
If you have any questions on the SRP schedule, please feel free to contact the NRC Project Manager for the SRP development, William Ford. Mr. Ford can be reached at (301) 415-6630.
However, as stated in the October 22,1997, notice in the Federal Register; all comments should be written and be sont to the Chief, Rules and Directives, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC 20555.
Sincerely, (Original signed by)
Joseph J. Holonich, Chief l
Uranium Recovery Branch Division of Waste Management Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards DISTRIBUTION:
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