ML22039A274
| ML22039A274 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | WM-00058 |
| Issue date: | 02/10/2022 |
| From: | Bolz B NRC/NMSS/DDUWP/URMDB |
| To: | Kautsky M US Dept of Energy, Office of Legacy Management |
| Bolz B | |
| References | |
| Download: ML22039A274 (2) | |
Text
UNITED STATES NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION WASHINGTON, D.C. 20555-0001 Mr. Mark Kautsky, Site Manager U.S. Department of Energy Office of Legacy Management 2597 Legacy Way Grand Junction, CO 81503
SUBJECT:
U.S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION STAFF REVIEW OF THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY REPORT ENTITLED DRAFT INVESTIGATION OF MILL AND NON-MILL RELATED GROUNDWATER IN THE FLOODPLAIN AT THE SHIPROCK, NEW MEXICO, DISPOSAL SITE (Docket No. WM--00058)
Dear Mr. Kautsky:
I am writing in response to the U.S. Department of Energys (DOEs) report dated January 4, 2022, entitled Draft Investigation of Mill and Non-Mill Related Groundwater in the Floodplain at the Shiprock, New Mexico, Disposal Site (Agencywide Documents Access and Management System (ADAMS) Accession Number ML22005A318). This report documents the results of isotopic analyses of groundwater and surface water samples mostly collected from the floodplain at the Shiprock site in September 2019 with the intent of identifying and differentiating between mill and non-mill contaminated groundwater thereby determining the lateral extent of the mill-related groundwater contamination in the floodplain alluvial aquifer.
The documented results determined that mill-related groundwater is encountered throughout the floodplain. The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) staff reviewed the report and have the following comment:
NRC staff agrees with the general conclusions of report including that mill-related groundwater is encountered throughout the floodplain. The staff also agrees with the statements in Section 5 of the report that analyses of sulfur, nitrogen, and oxygen isotopes provided results that were difficult to interpret so that, based on those analyses, the origin of the water sampled remained uncertain. The NRC staff concludes that results showing 34S/32S ratios of -10 parts per thousand or less indicates water originating from non-mill-related sources; however, values greater than this are too difficult to interpret. The NRC staff had previously commented on similar difficult to interpret results due to the mixing of different waters with similar sulfur isotope ratios in their letter to the DOE with regard to the investigation of mill-related groundwater in the terrace alluvium (ADAMS Accession Number ML19143A277). [For NRC questions and comments with regard to that report, please refer to the letter dated September 3, 2019, and entitled U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Staff Review of the U.S. Department of Energy Report Entitled Investigation of Non-Mill-Related Water Inputs to the Terrace Alluvium at Shiprock, New Mexico(ADAMS Accession Number ML19233A270).] The results of both the February 10, 2022
M. Kautsky 2
investigation of the terrace groundwater and the investigation of the floodplain groundwater rely on the findings of the uranium isotope analyses to clearly differentiate between mill-and non-mill-affected areas.
In accordance with Title 10 of Code of Federal Regulation (10 CFR) 2.390 of the NRCs Agency Rules of Practice and Procedure, a copy of this letter will be available electronically for public inspection in the NRC Public Document Room or from the Publicly Available Records component of NRCs ADAMS. ADAMS is accessible from the NRC Web site at http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/adams.html.
If you have any questions concerning the NRC comments, please feel free to contact me at 301-415-3284 or at Brittany.Bolz@nrc.gov.
Sincerely, Brittany C. Bolz, Project Manager Uranium Recovery and Materials Decommissioning Branch Division of Decommissioning, Uranium Recovery and Waste Programs Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards Docket No.: WM-00058 Signed by Bolz, Brittany on 02/10/22
Ltr ML22039A274 OFFICE NMSS/DUWP
/URMDB NMSS/DUWP
/RTAB NMSS/DUWP
/URMDB NMSS/DUWP
/URMDB NAME BBolz HArlt RVon BBolz DATE Feb 8, 2022 Feb 9, 2022 Feb 9, 2022 Feb 10, 2022