ML20199H746
| ML20199H746 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Issue date: | 11/20/1997 |
| From: | Joseph Holonich NRC OFFICE OF NUCLEAR MATERIAL SAFETY & SAFEGUARDS (NMSS) |
| To: | Sweeney K AFFILIATION NOT ASSIGNED |
| References | |
| REF-WM-5 NUDOCS 9711260209 | |
| Download: ML20199H746 (2) | |
Text
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,* .g" UNITELs STATES
'i* 0 NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION
' W ASHINGToN, D.C. 20nM001
\*****[I5Y November 20. 1997 .
Katie Sweeney Associato General Counsel NationalMining Association 113017th St. N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20036
SUBJECT:
REQUEST FOR EXTENSION OF PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD ON DRAFT STANDARD REVIEW PLAN FOR IN SITU URANIUM EXTRACTION LICENSE APPLICATIONS A
Dear Ms. Sweeney:
\
l am responding to your November 5,1997, 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 .equest of others for an extension, i must inform you that we are unable to extend the public comment period beyond December 3,1997 The Nuclear Regulatory Commission has an immediato 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 inrough 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 rewgnize that the SRP is the firtt 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, " Effluent Disposal at Licensed Uranium Recovery Facilities," was issued as staff guidance in 1994. Similarly, Appendix E,' Recommended Outline for Site-Specific In Situ Leach Facility Recicmation and Stabilization Cost Estimates," comes from the staff position on surety instruments which has been publicly available for nearly 10 years. Finally, many of the regulatory guides cited as acct.ptance criteria have been available to the public for more than 10 vsurs.
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 contsat of the proposed " Standard Review Plan for Uranium in Situ Mining 7 Applications." This meeting was attended by members of the National Mining Association, the Wyoming Mining Association, the Uraniurn Producers of America, individuallicensees, and tho 9 general public. Alr.o, on June 5,1997, a groundwater mini-workshop was held with the uranium mining industry and the public. This workshop covered various groundwaterissues of interest to ba b 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 MOk' has been publicly available for many yea:s. The SRP merely pulls together this information in a single, focused document that can be used in future reviews. Additionally, because of '.he 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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K Sweeney 2 do so, comments received after the end of the public comnient period will be considered when finalizing 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) 415-6830.
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.
Wasnington DC 20555.
Sincereh.
(Original signed by)
Joseph J. Holonich, Chief Uranium Recovery Branch Division of Waste Management Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards 4
DISTRIBUTION: FILE' CENTER! PUBLIC NMSS r/f URB r/f CNWRA ACNW CCain MFederline CAbrams MLayton DOCUMENT NAME: S:\DWM\ URB \WHF\LNMA OFC URB Uk h URQ _\/ h i NAME WFord;dh DGille\ J ich DATE 11/2 /97 11/ /97 \ illgy97 OFFICIAL RECORO COPY
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