ML20002B685
| ML20002B685 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Issue date: | 10/22/1980 |
| From: | Miller H NRC OFFICE OF NUCLEAR MATERIAL SAFETY & SAFEGUARDS (NMSS) |
| To: | Meyers P NATIONAL RESEARCH COUNCIL |
| References | |
| NUDOCS 8012220484 | |
| Download: ML20002B685 (5) | |
Text
Distribution: b Ib U 2 2 7980 WMUR r/f RAScarano WM r/f REBrowning NMSS r/f JBMartin WMUR c/f f 0' N Mill file Mr. Peter Meyers Abject file Comittee on Radioactive DCS HJMiller Waste Management DEMartin National Research Council M.Haisfield Comission on Natural Resources 2101 Constitution Avenue Washington, DC 20418
Dear Mr. Meyers:
As promised in my presentation before the Consnittee on Radioactive Waste Management on October 2,1980, I am responding to questions raised by the Comittee as presented in your September 26, 1980 memorandum to me.
In responding to your questions, I refer to specific sections of the recently issued Generic Environmental Impact Statement (GEIS) on Uranium Milling and supporting NRC reports. The questions posed are quite detailed and the answers complex; the material referred to treats the matters raised in your questions in detail. Therefore, I consider this manner of response is the most effective way to answer your questions.
I recomend that the Comittee start its review of uranium mill tailings waste disposal by reading the Summary of the GEIS in order to get an overview of the main issues involved.
The specific responses are Attachment A.
Copies of the Final GEIS are now available and can be purchased through the NRC document sales program.
(Several complimentary copies accompany this letter; information on obtaining additional copies is provided in Attachment B). The final regulations on uranium milling and tailings disposal which incorporate conclusions of the GEIS and provisions of recent legislation on the matter were issued on October 3,1980 (4SFR SSS21). A copy of the regulations is Attachment C.
If I can be of further assittance, please contact me.
Sincerely.
Oriainal 515084 37*
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Mubert J. Miller, Section Leader Uranium Recovery Licensing Branch Division of Waste Management 8
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l Attachments:
'i As stated
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1 NRC FO AM 318 (9 76) NRCM 3240 CU.S. GOVERNMENT PRIN TING OFFICE: 1979 289 369
. 2.a -- Chap. 3; Summary, Sec. 4; Sec. 12.2.
2.b -- See response to B.1.d.
3.a -- Sec. 12.6 ; Sec. 9.4.1.
3.5 -- 12.3.11 ; Sec.10.3.3 3.c -- Sec. 9.4.1.2 (e); Sec. 9.3.4.2.2.
4.a. b -- Chap. 4 describes typical site conditions; NUREG/CR-0597 (Annex G).
If specific site conditions are of interest, one of the numerous environmental impact statements issued by the NRC over the past several years should be referred to.
4.c -- Sec. 9.3.4.2.2; Chap. 8; App. T.3.
4.d -- Sec. 9.3.8, Table 9.12 or Table 5 of Summary.
i 5.a. b, c -- There are no direct discharges of tailings solutions to surface streams; Chap. 6; App. E; Annex H and Annex I show by example the kinds of information available in studies at inactive tailing sites by DOE and active sites by NRC, respectively.
(Ref. 4 of Chap. 2).
5.d -- App. G is a comprehensive description of NRC uranium ' mill radiological assessment methods; Chap.10 and App. V describe operational environmental monitoring programs being implemented at uranium mills; App. G-9 briefly summarizes research that has been conducted in development of monitoring programs.
6.a. b, d, e -- Chap. 6; Chap. 9.
6.c -- Over 100,000 years and beyond; Sec. 9.4.1; Sec.12.6.
7.a. b -- It is not possible to give a single, generic answer to this question given the extreme variability and site specific nature of the contaminant transport problem for both mills and mines (cre bodies).
See information in the following NUREG documents; NUREG/CR-0311; NUREG-NUREG/CR-1273; NUREG/CR-0628 (See Annexes J, K and L, respectively)'.
3, a, b, c, d -- Sec.12.3; NRC milling regulations (Attachment C of the forwarding letter).
3.b -- Sec, 12.4 8.d -- Sec. 12.3.3.
9.a b, c, d, e -- See 12.3.3.3.
Attachment A RESPCNSE TO QUESTIONS FRCM CRWM ON URANIUM MILL TAILINGS WASTES The following answers are given in the order presented in the September 25, 1980 memorandum from P. Meyers (CRWM) to H. Miller.
Each specific question within a general question area is identified with a letter designation as shown on the attached marked up copy (Annex A) of tlie September 26 CRWM memo.
Questions are responded to by referring to Sections, Tables, Figures and references of the Generic Environmental Impact Statement (GEIS) on Uranium Milling (NUREG-0706) which address the questions or issues raised.
In some cases, where sporopriate, other documents are referenced.
A.
procerties of the Tailines pile 1.a, b, c -- App. T, Table T.1; Chap. 5, Table 5.3; App. 3, Sec. 3.
1.d -- App. 3, Sec. 2.2.3.
2.a -- Chap. 5, Table 5.3; approximate summary given in Annex B.
2.b -- It is generally found that radioactivity in tailings can be correlated with ore grades, and expecting uranium which is removed in the circuit, it is best to assume that the long-lived radioactive elements are in secular equilibrium with each other.
See also Chap. 5; App. G-1; App. G-9; App. H.
2.c -- Chap. 6, Ref. 35 (NUREG/CR-0573; Anndx C); EPA-520/5-79-004, Sept.,1979, from which pertinent tables have been copied and provided as Annex 0 (Tables 1 and 4).
3.a -- NUREG/CR-149d(Annex E); App. E.
3.b -- Summary, Sec. 2; App. 5; Chap. 3.
4.a b -- NUREG/CR-1494; Chap. 5 4.c -- Summary, Sec. 2; App. 5 Annex B.
5.a, b -- Chap. 3; App. 5 5.c -- Annex 3.
5.d -- Chap. 3, Tabl es 3.11 and 3.12 3.
Environmental Effects 1.a -- Sec. 9.3.8, Fig. 9.1/ Fig.12.1 (Annex F); App. P.
- 1. b, c -- Sec. 12. 3.4. 3, Ta bl e 12.2 1.d -- Sec. 9.4.1; Sec. 12.2.1; Sec. 12.3.3; NRC milling regulations (45 FR 65521, Attachment C to the forwarding letter); App. T.3.
C.
Institutional Ascects 1.a. b -- Chap.13; Annex M.
l.c -- Chap. 2.
2.a. b, c,- NRC has produced the GEIS on uranium milling NUREG-0706 and associated regulations.
3.a -- NRC regulations are Attachment C to the forwarding letter.
See also Annex N.
4.a -- NRC regulations, incorporating the conclusions of the GEIS evaluation of institutional issues (Chap.13 and Chap. la) and recent legislation (P.L.95-604 reprinted App. Q), are considered to establish appropriate institutional controls over uranium mill tailings wastes. The major residual issue relates to upgrading regulation of uranium mills in States where NRC does not regulate.
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ATTACHMENT B i
Federal Register / Vol. 44. No.150 / Menday. August 6.1979 / Notices 46005 1
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