ML20236M828
| ML20236M828 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Issue date: | 06/30/1987 |
| From: | Bilhorn S NRC OFFICE OF NUCLEAR MATERIAL SAFETY & SAFEGUARDS (NMSS) |
| To: | Lohaus P NRC OFFICE OF NUCLEAR MATERIAL SAFETY & SAFEGUARDS (NMSS) |
| Shared Package | |
| ML20236M790 | List: |
| References | |
| FOIA-87-670, FOIA-87-A-87 NUDOCS 8711130303 | |
| Download: ML20236M828 (10) | |
Text
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MEMORANDUM FOR:
Paul H. Lohaus Acting Chief Operations Branch Division of Low-Level Waste Management and Decommissioning THRU:
Myron Fliege1 Section Leader s
)
- Uranium Recovery Section f(
- Operations Branch (LLW)
FROM:
Susan G. Bilhorn Uranium Recover Section Operations Branch (LLW)
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 !! sites in Texas. A list of attendees at each site is included as Attachment 1.
for the project management and technical support staff to observeThe prima 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 closure / reclamation.
Since Texas is an agreement State, arrangements to visit the Title II' sites were made through the State representative (Warren Snell).
7 Observations ma'de 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 i
this report.
Photographs and/or slides of these sites are available upon i
request.
Falls Cit.y Title ! Site The Falls City site is located in a rural agricultural setting in southeastern 1
i Texas which has historically been an area of much mining activity.
designated site occusies approximately 385 acres and contains about 2.g million The tons of tailings. The mill was owned and operated by Susquehanna Western, Inc.
until 1973.
Solution Engineerin uranium from the tailings piles.g Inc. occupied the site in 1977 to leach In 1983, the state annulled Solution Engineering's operating license and required Solution Engineering to perform interim restoration.
g lig 03 871110 BUNCH 87-A-87 PDR
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During the site visit, which was conducted the morning of June 4. the participants toured the six on-site tailing piles and on-site borrow area for.
soil cover meterial; the one remaining tai'ings )ond off-si tailings pile and mine; and the' proposed riprap wrro,w area,te; the off-site off-site (see ).
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 heavy 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 boundartes. access to local creeks and arroyos was not possible.
All piles have vegetative cover, except for -ile 7 which was regraded and covered only 2 to 3 months prior to this visi covers have naturally revegetated within 2 tt 3 years. DOE has observed that the l
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.
of a vegetative cover in the remedial action plans for this site. DO 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.
to meet UMTRA design specifications for density and penne v
i
- l The on-site borrow pits (located near pile 7) expose an upper layer of
~
thick, black plastic clayey material which the staff geologist considers Underlying the black soil is poorly 11thified yellowish g It is slightly silty, and contains iron oxides.
to be an unnamed claystone member underlying the Deweesville Sandsto Member (the area's uranium-producing horizon) of the Eocene Whitsett i
Formation.
i borrow material excavation, but were not observed in the pi i
The staff checked several wells located near pile 7 and pile 4.
Wells monitored by Solution Engineering and DOE were both observed.
wells ap The DOE l
However,peared to be more intact than those of' Solution Engineering.
sufficient enough for representative samples of ground water 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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a 3
Pile 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 i
runoff, exposing the underlying yellow fill. The pile.is presently e
designed to prevent runoff from the top down the side slopes. Berns 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 two northwestward.
water collects in low areas atop the pile and is not drained.The l
drainage ditches at the culvert outlets. cover near the culvert inlet V
1 j
Tailings Pond 6 - This pond is the remnant of.an open-pit mine that was mill was closed.
It is on private land now used for grazing. partially filled was observed at a distance by. staff from pile 4. at me site boundary.The p i
Pile 3 - DOE noted that the tailings in Pile 3 was likely transported from q
the mill as slurry.
private land currently used for grazing.At present, pile 3 has a lush g
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observed on the tops of piles 1 and 4. State markers noting the Foundations of the mill and a small unused offica building are the only remnants of buildings on site, and will be removed during reclamation.
j DOE indicated that they will likely chose stabilization on site as the proposed remedial action, which entails moving all contaminated material f
~
This option is favored by the State of Texas.to the area present j
3 Conquista Title II site is no longer under considerationDisposal of tailings at the-l The proposed rip-rap bo
]
we did not have access.rrow area is an active quarry operation, to which characterized.
DOE staff remarked that this rock had not been-y Chevron Panna Maria Mill Chevron Resources Company since February,197g.The Panna City, about 50 miles southeast of San Antonio. Texas.The site is located near Falls original 300 full-time employees). operating under reduced capacity of a new uranium mine, their Rhode Ranch project, in southeas l
4 additional ore in the near future. Chevron intends to operate the Panna Maria mill until 1992, when the new EPA standards will presumably preclude their continuation due to ifmits on tailings pond capacity and liner requirements.
V Our visit to Panna Maria took place the afternoon of June 4 and consisted of a tour of the mill facilities, with a detailed description of the uranium exfraction processes, and a tour around the tailings pond (Attachment 3).
Observations made during these tours are sussnarized 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 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 905 th the ore grade range from 0.7 to 1.4 pounds per ton. This high recovery rate is hours versus the typical design period of less than 8. achieve 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
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with a combination of benauda grasses.
The staff saw no evidence of erosion on these slopes.
Chevro.n 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.
Conoco Conquista Site O 1
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Conquista is a Title I site where the mill was operated by Conoco from 1972 to b 1982.
Only 9 staff are employed during current activities versus the approximately 500 employeed during operation of the n'111.
within a mile of the Falls City Title I site (Attachment 4).The site is j{
6 1
discussion, supported by yearly aerial photos, and a d tailings impoundment.
The following observations were made during the visit:
The Conquista alli operation was economically feasible when uranium oxid was priced at $25 per pound.
At present a majority of the mill facilities at Conquista have been discantled, with natural vegetation covering much of that area.
Approximately 60% of the tailings pond has been dewatered and covered a I
seeded for vegetation. As with Panna Maria, dewatering and dust supplied by water from within the tailings impoundment. rep Waste materials received from ram earth processim and solution min facilities are bejng received at Conquista and bur ed under the tallingsThese materials are generally contained cover.
materials such as plastic pipes are disposed of without containment.
The sides slopes of the tailings impoundment have been revegetated.
of the outward slope is a problem which requires main While are being placed in the existing gullys to inhibit water flow andHay bales#
encourage vegetative growth.
2 Susan G. 811 horn Uranium Recovery Section
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Operations Branch, LLW Attachments:
1.
List of Attendees 2.
Falls City Site 3.
Panna Maria Site 4.
Conquista Site Location O
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0FFICIAL CONCURRENCE AND DISTRIBUTION RECORD FOR:
Paul.H. Lohaus Acting Chief Operations Branch Division of Low-Level Waste Management and Decommissioning i
THRU:
Myron Fliegel. Section Leader i
Uranium Recovery Section OperationsBranch((LLW)
FROM:
Susan G. Bilhorn Uranium Recovery Section a
Operations Branch (LLW)
SUBJECT:
TRIP REPORT FROM VISIT TO UMTRCA SITES NEAR FALLS CITY, TEXAS, June 4-5, 1987 DATE:
JUN 80 W
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DISTRIBUTION LtWM sf hSSrf LLOB rf SBilhorn MF11egel NYoung JForstrom JGrise MTokar JSurneier JKendig (GPA)
CONCURRENCES ORGANIZATION /CONCUREE INITIALS DATE CONCURRED Lt08/SBilhorn/cc 06/30/87 LLOB/MF11egel
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LIST OF ATTENDEES AT UNTRCA SITES VISITED JUNE 4 - 5. 1987 Falls City Title I Site i
DOE Representatives:
i Frank Bosiljevac, Project Engineer (FTS)427-4145 William Tabor. TAC Site Manager Others:
Cari and Brian Beam, Site Maintenance Contractor NRC Representatives:
Susan Bilhorn Project Manager Michael Young,, Grour.d Water Hydrologist Joel Grim, Geologist /Geomorphologist Jonathan Forstros, Surface Water Hydrologist l
Myron Fliegel Section Leader - Uranium Recovery Section
_ Chevron Panna Maria Mill Site Texas State Representative:
Warren Snell, Cnief (512 835-7000 Uranium and Nuclear Waste Management Progr)am 7,
Chevron Representatives:
Kevin Raabe, Reclamation Specialis,t Frank Baltich, Plant Manager NRC Representatives:
(Same as Falls City visit noted above)
Conoco Conquista Inactive Mill Site Texas State Representative:
Warren Snell I
Conoco Representatives:
Wayne Tiemann, Surveyor Byron Chandler, Environmental Technician NRC Representatives:
Susan Bilhorn Michae1 Young Michae1 F11ege1 l
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