ML20235M752

Trip Rept of 870604-05 Visit to Umtrap Sites Near Falls City,Tx Re Site Characteristics Prior to Review of Draft RAP & Draft Environ Assessment/Eis

ML20235M752
Person / Time
Issue date:	07/17/1987
From:	Bilhorn S NRC OFFICE OF NUCLEAR MATERIAL SAFETY & SAFEGUARDS (NMSS)
To:	Lohaus P NRC OFFICE OF NUCLEAR MATERIAL SAFETY & SAFEGUARDS (NMSS)
References
REF-WM-65 NUDOCS 8707170299
Download: ML20235M752 (9)

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p MEMORANDUM FOR: Paul H. Lohaus, Acting Chief ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ -

l Operations Branch I Division of Low-Level Waste Management I and Decommissioning THRU: Myron Fliegel, Section Leader

- Uranium Recovery Section '

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f Operations Branch (LLWM)

FROM: Susan G. Bilhorn Uranium Recover Section Operations Branch (LLWM)

SUBJECT:

TRIP REPORT FROM VISIT TO UMTRCA SITES NEAR FALLS CITY, TEXAS - JUNE 4 THROUGH 5, 1987 l

On June 4 and 5,1987, members of the NRC staff visited the Falls City Title I and the Panna Maria and Conquista Title II sites in Texas. A list of attendees at each site is included as Attachment 1. The primary purpose of this trip was .

for the project management and technical support staff to observe I characteristics of the Falls City site prior to review of the draft RAP and draft EA/EIS. Arrangements were also made to tour two sites near Falls City,  ;

in order to gain an understanding of the process involved in milling and site 4 closure / reclamation. Since Texas is an agreement State, arrangements to visit the Title II sites were made through the State representative (Warren Snell).

I Observations made by the staff are noted in the following narratives for each site. Figures depicting the layout of the Falls City site, the Panna Maria mill, and the location of the Conquista site are included as attachments to <

this report. Photographs and/or slides of these sites are available upon request.

Falls City Title I Site The Falls City site is located in a rural agricultural setting in southeastern Texas which has historically been an area of much mining activity. The designated site occupies approximately 385 acres and contains about 2.9 million tons of tailings. The mill was owned and operated by Susquehanna Western, Inc.

until 1973. Solution Engineering, Inc. occupied the site in 1977 to leach uranium from the tailings piles. In 1983, the state annulled Solution Engineering's operating license and required Solution Engineering to perform interim restoration.

9707170299 070717 PDR WASTE WM-65 PDR

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' During the site visit, which was. conducted the mornini of June 4, the participants toured the six on-site tailing piles and on-site borrow area for 'i soil cover material; the one remaining tailings pond, off-site; the off-site

. tailings pile and mine; and the proposed riprap borrow area, off-site (see Attachment 2). The off-site areas were inaccessible and therefore observed from vantage points. The. following observation were made by staff:

- The. site area was very wet, as the previous weeks of h'eavy rain caused flooding in parts of southeast Texas. Standing water and ephemeral

. drainages were observed on site. Due to the heavy rains and private land boundaries, access to local creeks and arroyos was not possible.

All piles have vegetative cover, except for pile 7 which was regraded and covered only 2 to 3 months prior to this visit. DOE has observed that the covers have naturally revegetated within 2 to 3 years.

The side slopes of all the tailings piles, except pile 7, are notably steep,.with a grade of approximately 1:1, and covered by natural vegetation. The staff observed no evidence of significant erosion on the vegetated slopes. DOE stated that they are considering proposal of a vegetative cover in the remedial action plans for this site.

All tailings piles have been covered with yellowish clayey fill and black clayey soil, based on requirements for interim stabilization imposed by the State of Texas. DOE remarked that.the soil cover had not been placed to meet.UMTRA design specifications for density and permeability.

The on-site borrow pits (located near pile 7) expose an upper layer of thick, black plastic clayey material, which the staff geologist considers to be either weathered bedrock or surficial deposits of Quaternary age.

Underlying the black soil is poorly lithified yellowish grey claystone.

It is slightly silty, and contains iron oxides. The yellow unit appears to be an unnamed claystone member underlying the Deweesville Sandstone Member (the area's uranium-producing horizon) of the Eocene Whitsett Formation. Sandstone lenses were encountered in the claystone during borrow material excavation, but were not observed in the pit.

- The staff checked several wells located near pile 7 and pile 4. Wells monitored by Solution Engineering and DOE were both observed. The DOE wells appeared to be more intact than those of Solution Engineering.

However, a majority of the wells observed did not appear to be completed sufficient enough for representative samples of ground water to be collected. 'Most wells were uncapped, ungrouted, and contained evidence of use by local wild life (i.e. spider webs and bird droppings observed).

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3 Pfle 7 - In spite of recent stabilization activities, the black soil cover on the side slopes of pile 7 exhibit rills and gullies, from surface water runoff, exposing the underlying yellow fill. .The pile is presently designed to prevent runoff from the top down the side slopes. Berms encircle the top and cross the width, designed to conduct all pile runoff to three sets of double 12-inch culvets, one draining southeastward, and 'q two northwestward. The grading and berms are not completely effective, as water collects in low areas atop the pile and is not drained. . The pile cover near the culvert inlets was extensively guillied, as were the ,

drainage ditches at the culvert outlets. I Tailings Pond 6 - This pond is the remnant of an open-pit mine that was partially filled with tailings, then allowed to fill with water when the d mill was closed. It is on' private land now used for grazing. The pond was observed at a distance by staff from pile 4 at the site _ boundary.

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Pile 3 - DOE noted that the tailings in Pile 3 was likely transported from the mill as slurry. At present, pile 3 has a lush grass cover and'is on private land currently used for grazing.

State markers noting the presence of buried radioactive tailings were observed on the tops of piles 1 and 4.

Foundations of the mill and a small unused office building are the only remnants of buildings on site, and will be removed during reclamation.

DOE indicated that they will likely chose stabilization on site as the proposed remedial action, which entails moving all contaminated material to the area presently containing piles 1, 2 and 7 (see Attachment 2).

This option is favored by the State of Texas. Disposal of tailings at the j Conquista Title II site is no longer under consideration.

The proposed rip-rap borrow area is an active quarry operation, to which we did not have access. DOE staff remarked that this rock had not been '

4 characterized.

Chevron Panna Maria Mill The Panna Maria Mill is under a Title II license and has been operated by Chevron Resources Company since February,1979. The site is located near Falls City, about 50 miles southeast of San Antonio, Texas. The mill is currently operating original 300under reduced full-time capacity)and employees staff

. However, (approximately Chevron 70 versus plans to start the development of a new uranium mine, their Rhode Ranch project, in southeast Texas to supply L

a 4 I additional ore in the near future. Chevrs i intends to operate the Panna Maria 1 mill. until 1992, when the new EPA standard. will presumably preclude their continuation due to limits on tailings pond spacity and liner requirements.

Our visit to Panna Maria took place the afternoon of June 4 and consisted 4 of a tour of the mill facilitics, with a detailed description of the uranium i extraction processes, and a tour around the tailings pond (Attachment'3).

l Observations made during these tours are summarized below.- It is important,to note the benefits the NRC participants gained from this tour, as it provided an opportunity to understand the characteristics of mill tailings and the j relative importance of tailings control and stabilization.

The original Panna Maria mine has been reclaimed and is currently used for cattle grazing and honey production.

- The recovery rate of uranium oxide from the ore is over 90% with the ore grade range from 0.7 to 1.4 pounds per ton. This high recovery rate is achieved by using relatively long periods of 1 caching, approximately 24 hours2.777778e-4 days <br />0.00667 hours <br />3.968254e-5 weeks <br />9.132e-6 months <br /> versus the typical design period of less than 8.

A majority of the liquid and material samples are analyzed in an on-site chemistry laboratory.

Approximately 1000 drums of yellowcake are presently stored for shipment, on site.-

The tailings impoundment covers approximately 150 acres.

The north / northeast section of the tailings impoundment is filled and drying. Slurry currently is being deposited in the south / southwest side.

The side slopes of the tailings impoundment are steep and have been seeded with a combination of bermuda grasses. The staff saw no evidence of erosion on these slopes.

Chevron plans to use vegetation in their tailings reclamation activities.

_ One well monitoring potential contamination from the tailings impoundment was observed by staff and appear to be adequately complete and in good condition.

i

-Conoco Conouista Site Conquista is a Title I site where the mill was operated by Conoco from 1972 to 1982. Only 9 staff are employed during current activities versus the approximately 500 employeed during operation of the mill. The site is located within a mile of the Falls City Title I site (Attachment 4).

l

5 Our visit to Conquista, conducted the morning of June 5, included a historical

,g discussion, supported by yearly aerial photos, and a driving tour of'the tailings impoundment. The following observations were made during the visit:

- The.Conquista mill operation was economically feasible'when uranium oxide

-was priced at $25 per pound.

- At present a majority of the mill facilities at Conquista have been dismantled, with natural vegetation covering much of that area.

i Approximately 60% of the tailings pond has been dewatered ar.d covered and seeded for vegetation. As with Panna Maria, dewatering and dust-repression are facilitated through use of sprinklers on the beaches supplied by water from within the tailings impoundment.

- .Waste materials received from rare earth processing and solution mining facilities are being received at Conquista and buried under the tailings cover. These materials are generally contained in 55 gallon drums, though materials such as plastic pipes are disposed of without containment.

The sides slopes of the tailings impoundment have been revegetated. While the slopes do not exhibit noticeable errosion, gully formation at the base of the outward slope is a problem which requires maintenance. Hay bales are being placed in the existing gullys to inhibit water flow and encourage vegetative growth.

Susan G. Bilhorn Uranium Recovery Section Operations Branch, LLWM 1

Attachments:

1. List of Attendees

2. Falls City Site

3. Panna Maria Site

4. Conquista Site Location

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1 Attachment'l LIST OF ATTENDEES AT UMTRCA SITES VISITED JUNE 4 - 5, 1987 l Falls City Title I Site l

L DOE Representatives:

Frank Bosiljevac, Project Engineer (FTS)427-4145 Willic.m Tabor. TAC Site Manager Others: I Carl and Brian Beam, Site Maintenance Contractor NRC Representatives:

Susan Bilhorn, Project Manager Michael Young, Ground Water Hydrologist i

Joel Grimm, Geologist /Geomorphologist Jonathan Forstrom, Surface Water Hydrologist Myron Fliegel, Section Leader - Uranium Recovery Section Chevron Panna Maria Mill Site Texas State Representative:

Warren Snell, Chief (512)835-7000 Uranium and Nuclear Waste Management Program 1

Chevron Representatives:

Kevin Raabe. Reclamation Specialist Frank Baltich, Plant Manager NRC Representatives:

(Same as Falls City visit noted above)

Conoco Conquista Inactive Mill Site .

l Texas State Representative:

Warren Snell L Conoco Representatives:

Wayne Tiemann, Surveyor Byron Chandler, Environmental Technician NRC Representatives:

Susan Bilhorn Michael Young Michael Fliegel

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