ML20199H686
| ML20199H686 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Issue date: | 11/20/1997 |
| From: | Joseph Holonich NRC OFFICE OF NUCLEAR MATERIAL SAFETY & SAFEGUARDS (NMSS) |
| To: | Wichers D COGEMA, INC. |
| References | |
| REF-WM-5 NUDOCS 9711260192 | |
| Download: ML20199H686 (2) | |
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UNITED STATES j
,j NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION i
WAsHtNoToN, D.C. 20h0001 I
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Ms. Donna L. Wichers Manager, ISL Environmental and Regulatory Services COGEMA Mining, Inc.
935 Pendell Boulevard P.O. Box 730 Mills, Wyoming 82644
SUBJECT:
REQUEST FOR EXTENSION OF PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD ON DRAFT STANDARD REVIEW PLAN FOR IN SITU URANIUM EXTRACTION LICENSE APP'.lCATIONS
Dear Ms. Witchers:
I am responding to your November 7,1997, 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 Sie < 1 Review Plan (SRP) will provide the staff with those much needed procedures, in addite : 1e 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.
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For example, Appendix D, " Effluent Disposal at Licensed Uranium Recovery Facilities," was issued as staff guidance in 1994. Si ailarly, Appendix E," Recommended Outline for Site-Specific
!n Situ Leach Facility Reclamation and Stabilization Cost Estimates," comes from the staff position on surety instruments whi:h has been publicly available for nearly 10 years. Finally, many of the regulatory guides cite' as acceptance criteria have been availa!.le to the public for more than 10 years.
Not only has nearly all a f.ne information con;ained in the SRP been publicly available fo taany f
years, the NRC staff held a public meeting in Riv~ ton, Wyoming on March 19,1997, to obtain kg suggestions on the content of the proposed " Standard Review Plan for Uranium In Situ Mining Applications." This meeting was attended by members of the National Mining Association, the Wyoming Mining Association, the Uranium Producers of America,individuallicensees, and the Q
general public. Alto, 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.
In summary, it is important to recognize that much of the information currently cited in the SRP (rM[
has been publicly available for many years. The SRP merely pulls together this information in a single, focused document that can be used in futurb reviews. Additionally, because of the limited availability of resources to work on this project, and the pressing need for a single comprehensive review guide, we cannot extend the period of public comment, if it is possible to
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do so, comments received after the end of the public comment period will be considered when halizing the SRP. If they cannot be considered at that time, the staff will consider 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 sent to the Chief, Rules and Directives, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC 20555.
Sincerely, (Original signed by)
Joseph J. Holonich, Chief Uranium Recovery Branch Division of Waste Management Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards DISTRIBUTION:
FILE CENTER PUBLIC NMSS r/f URB r/f CNWRA ACNW CCain MFederline CAbrams MLayton DOC _UMENT NAME: S:\\DWM\\ URB \\WHF\\COGEMA OFC URB URk URB (/
1 NAME WFord;dh DGille\\
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DATE 11/2*/97 11/ /97 \\
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/97 OFFIC%L RECORD COPY