ML22105A107

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M220422B: Slides - Discussion of the Ten-Year Plan to Address Impacts of Uranium Contamination on the Navajo Nation and Lessons Learned from the Remediation of Former Uranium Mill Sites (Public Meeting)
ML22105A107
Person / Time
Issue date: 04/22/2022
From:
NRC/OCM
To:
Shared Package
ML22096A216 List:
References
M220422B
Download: ML22105A107 (26)
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Cathy Haney U.S Nuclear Regulatory Commission Deputy Executive Director for Materials, Waste, Research, State, Tr i b a l , C o m p l i a n c e , A d m i n i s t r a t i o n and Human Capital Programs NRCs Role in the Ten-Year Plan to Address Uranium Contamination on the Navajo Nation 1

Historic Tailings Dam Failure at the Church Rock Mill Site

  • July 16, 1979: tailings dam failed, and tailings liquid and solids were released
  • Mill was repaired and is in a safe configuration today
  • Today: more stringent requirements to prevent future spills and accidents Breach in Tailings Dam Pasternak, 2010 2

UNC is decommissioning the former mill site Figure taken from NRC EIS

NRC actively participates in the Ten-Year Plan

  • Regulates DOEs management of 4 former mill sites within the Navajo Nation
  • Regulates the UNC Church Rock Mill site near the Navajo Nation
  • Engaged with Navajo Nation on the Church Rock review to bring mine waste to the mill site 4

NRC regulates uranium mill sites L-Bar mill site Photo from Fluor.com

  • NRC does not have role in permitting Calco Mine Photo from Ten-Year Plan uranium mining.
  • NRC oversees DOEs long-term care of the uranium mill sites.

Uranium Milling Sites Uranium Mines Northeast Church Rock Mine Site Cleanup Photo from EPA.gov Old Rifle mill site Photo from energy.gov 5

Jessie M. Quintero U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Office Of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards Chief of the Environmental Review Materials Branch NRCs Review of Church Rock License Amendment Request 6

NRC ensures amendment request meets safety requirements

  • UNC submitted a request to amend their NRC license so they could place Northeast Church Rock mine waste on their NRC-licensed Mill Site
  • NRC is conducting a safety and environmental review
  • Expect to issue the Final EIS and Safety Evaluation Report in May
  • Final NRC licensing decision to be made in June 7

NRCs NEPA process involves multiple opportunities for public input and engagement NRCs preliminary recommendation in the Draft EIS is the environmental impacts do not preclude the approval of the license amendment.

8

NRC conducting thorough NEPA review

  • The EIS includes evaluation of proposed action and no action and two iterations
  • The EIS includes mitigation measures
  • Changes between Draft and Final EIS will include:
  • Highlighting Navajo Nation perspectives
  • Inclusion of Programmatic Agreement (NHPA Section 6 Consultation)
  • Updated impact determinations
  • Final EIS expected to be published in May
  • Will include NRC responses to comments on Draft EIS 9

NRC conducted consultation on cultural resources under NHPA Section 106

  • Resolving the Section 106 Consultation through Programmatic Agreement with multiple signatories
  • U.S. EPA will be lead agency for overseeing the implementation of the Programmatic Agreement 10

NRC coordinated and engaged with Navajo Nation and other stakeholders throughout its review 11

John Lubinski U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards Office Director Lessons Learned from Remediation A c t i v i t i e s a t Fo r m e r U r a n i u m M i l l S i t e s 12

Typical Uranium Mill Lifespan Site Construction Decommissioning Long-Term Care Characterization Licensing Operation License Termination 13

Before and After Decommissioning and Reclamation Rio Algom - Ambrosia Lake Former Mill Site in Grants, NM 1414 Google Earth Map Data ©2022 Google

Google Earth Map Data ©2022 Google Kennecott Sweetwater Site in Wyoming Liner system during construction

  • Liners to prevent seepage and monitoring to detect potential seepage Lessons
  • Collaboration with DOE for efficiency in license termination process Learned
  • Future licenses to include modern safety features 15

16 Lessons Learned

  • Cover design innovation 16

Bill Von Till U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards Chief of the Uranium Recovery and Decommissioning Branch Current Status of Remediation of Former Uranium Mill Sites 17

Former Uranium Mill Sites in Relation to Navajo Nation 1818

Conventional Uranium Mill Sites Undergoing Decommissioning 1919

UMTRCA Title I Sites on Navajo Nation

  • Tuba City Disposal Site near Tuba City, Arizona
  • Mexican Hat Disposal Site near Mexican Hat, Utah
  • Monument Valley Former Processing Site near Google Earth Map Data ©2022 Google Mexican Hat, Utah Aerial Photo of Shiprock Site 20

Seminar at the Navajo Technical Seminar at Salish Kootenai College in Montana University in Crownpoint, NM

  • Collaboration on Ten-Year Plan Tribal Outreach
  • Meetings for potential new uranium mill tailings site applications
  • Seminars at Tribal Colleges on Radiation Effects, Uranium Recovery, & NRCs Regulations pertaining to NEPA 21

Tribal Outreach Contd.

  • 22

Milan, New Mexico Interstate 40 Ongoing Remediation at Former Mill Sites

  • Homestake Mining Company of California, Grants Reclamation Project
  • Active groundwater remediation Reverse Osmosis Building Small Tailings Pile Evaporation Ponds Evaporation Ponds Historic Mill Location Large Tailings Pile Aerial Photo of Homestake Site 23 2323

Ongoing Remediation at Former Mill Sites Contd.

  • UNC Church Rock mill tailings site
  • Groundwater remediation Pipeline Arroyo Northeast Church Rock Mine
  • License amendment in progress
  • Mine waste relocation
  • Improved surface water hydrology in the Pipeline Arroyo
  • Goal to make final licensing decision by June 2022 UNC Mill Site Red Water Pond Google Earth Map Data ©2022 Google Community Aerial Photo of UNC Church Rock Site 24

Ongoing Remediation at Former Mill Sites Contd.

Sequoyah Fuels (pictured right)

  • Final stages of remediation American Nuclear Corporation
  • Fremont County, Wyoming
  • Unfunded but stabilized
  • NRC is working on options for funding Rio Algom - Ambrosia Lake
  • Final stages of remediation Google Earth Map Data ©2022 Google Aerial Photo of Sequoyah Fuels 25

Acronyms

  • DOE - U.S. Department of Energy
  • EIS - Environmental Impact Statement
  • NEPA - National Environmental Policy Act
  • NPHA - National Historic Preservation Act
  • NRC - U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission
  • ROD - Record of Decision
  • STEM - Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics
  • UMTRCA - Uranium Mill Tailings Radiation Control Act
  • UNC - United Nuclear Corporation
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