Issues at White Mesa uranium mill (Utah)
(last updated 17 Apr 2012)
Contents
> See also: Utah Division of Radiation Control - Uranium Mill Facilities - Denison / White Mesa Uranium Mill 
> Download Utah OGM files
> See also: Sierra Club Glen Canyon Group Nuclear Committee
> Download: Glen Canyon Group/Sierra Club Fact Sheet (PDF) (posted with permission)
> View White Mesa mill details
> View Denison Mines Corp. details
Nuclear Fuel Cycle closes for White Mesa Mill...
On Apr. 16, 2012, Energy Fuels Inc. (EFR) and Denison Mines Corp. announced that EFR will acquire all of Denison's mining assets and operations located in the United States from Denison.
The White Mesa Mill, once owned by Energy Fuels Nuclear, Inc., and intermediately owned by International Uranium Corp. and Denison Mines Corp., thus once again will be owned by a company going under the name of "Energy Fuels".
New study finds mild contamination outside White Mesa uranium mill
A new government study has found radioactive contamination just off-site from a controversial uranium mill. But it may not be serious enough to bolster the arguments of the plant's critics.
White Mesa is the nation's only active uranium mill and is currently undergoing relicensing by the state. The Ute Mountain Ute Tribe asked for an independent federal study, apparently because they didn't trust the company or state regulators.
The closest homes are more than a mile away, and those neighbors showed only a mild concern about the mill.
There's no cause for undue alarm, said David Naftz with the U.S. Geological Survey , because there are no people or drinking water sources near the area.
The Ute Tribe has battled the plant for years, insisting it poses a serious health threat on the reservation three miles away. In the latest study, federal scientists sampled dirt, sagebrush and springs. They found some radioactive hits just outside the plant boundary, the chemical fingerprints of uranium ore.
"And all of those fingerprints were high," Naftz said. He says it's probably windblown dust from trucks or the plant site itself.
"It looks like it's coming from uncovered ore storage pads, where they store the ore before it's processed at the mill site," he said.
If some of that contamination came from uncovered trucks, then that part of the problem has be resolved.
"In fact, BLM and the Utah Department of Transportation actually issued a memorandum about three years ago requiring these ore trucks to transport their materials covered," Naftz said.
But the contamination is mild and reaches, at most, a third of a mile from the site and preventing more contamination shouldn't be too hard, according to Naftz.
Naftz said covering the pads, or a more cost-effective remediation might be to install sprinkler systems to wet it down.
The federal scientists recommended drilling more monitoring wells as an early warning system in case there is groundwater contamination. The report also recommended periodic monitoring in areas where the study turned up evidence of off-site migration. It also recommended sampling of sagebrush by the company every three years.
(Deseret News Feb. 22, 2012)
> Download Assessment of Potential Migration of Radionuclides and Trace Elements from the White Mesa Uranium Mill to the Ute Mountain Ute Reservation and Surrounding Areas, Southeastern Utah , by David L. Naftz, Anthony J. Ranalli, Ryan C. Rowland, and Thomas M. Marston, USGS Scientific Investigations Report 2011-5231, 2012, 146 p.
Utah DEQ invites comment on proposed license changes for White Mesa mill tailings cell 4B
The Utah Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) is soliciting comments on its proposed modifications to the existing Ground Water Quality Discharge Permit and an amendment to the Denison Mines (USA) Corp. Radioactive Materials License (RML UT1900479).
Public comments are invited any time prior to 5:00 p.m. on May 10, 2010.
> Download Public Notice of a Modification to the Groundwater Discharge Permit No. UGW37004 and an amendment to Radioactive Materials License No. UT1900479, April 6, 2010 (PDF - Utah DEQ)
> Download related documents (Utah DEQ)
Denison maintains that White Mesa mill is not the cause of excess nitrate and chloride concentrations found in groundwater at the mill site
A Contamination Investigation Report prepared by Intera on behalf of Denison Mines (USA) Corp. finds that "The nitrate and chloride are extensive and appear to originally come from the same source", but "That source is upgradient of the Mill property more than 1.2 miles from the Mill facilities, is not the result of Mill activities and was not caused or contributed to in any manner by Mill activities."
> Download Nitrate Groundwater Contaminant Investigation Report, Dec. 30, 2009 (Utah DEQ)
Groundwater Permit Renewal 2009
On Sep. 1, 2009, Denison Mines (USA) Corp. submitted a groundwater permit renewal application for its White Mesa Mill.
> Download permit renewal application Sep. 1, 2009 (UT DEQ)
State regulator seeks public comment on proposed modifications to White Mesa mill groundwater permit (Utah)
The Utah Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) is soliciting comments on its
proposed modifications to the existing Ground Water Quality Discharge Permit No. UGW370004 of the White Mesa mill in Blanding.
Public comments are invited any time prior to 5:00 p.m. on October 8, 2009.
> Download Public Notice Aug. 27, 2009 (PDF - Utah DEQ)
> Download draft permit and supporting documents (Utah DEQ)
License Renewal 2007
On Feb. 28, 2007, Denison Mines (USA) Corp. submitted a license renewal application for its White Mesa Mill.
> Download license renewal application Feb. 28, 2007 (UT DEQ)
The Utah Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ), Division of Radiation Control (DRC) is soliciting comments on its proposal to renew an existing Radioactive Material License (License) for the Denison Mines, White Mesa Uranium Mill Facility near Blanding, Utah.
A 30-day public comment period will commence on Friday, October 14, 2011.
The public comment period has been extended to 5:00 pm on December 14, 2011.
> Download Public Notice (PDF) · Notice of Comment Period Extension (PDF)
> Download Draft Safety Evaluation Report For The Denison Mines White Mesa Mill 2007 License Renewal Application, October 2011 (PDF)
> Download Draft Revised Licence (PDF)
> Download Reclamation Plan White Mesa Mill Blanding Utah Revision 5.0, Sep. 29, 2011
First uranium from Daneros mine milled at White Mesa mill
> View here
White Mesa mill halts processing of uranium ores
Denison Mines President Ron Hochstein said that Denison's White Mesa Mill, the nation's only operating uranium mill, has ceased its regular milling operations for the remainder of 2009.
"We will stop processing conventional ore through 2009, but will be processing alternate feedstock on a reduced scale, and we'll be laying off some personnel," said Hochstein. "Our costs are higher than the current spot price."
(Telluride Daily Planet May 9, 2009)
Denison exceeds number of permitted truckloads hauling uranium ore from San Miguel County (Colorado) to White Mesa mill (Utah)
Denison Mines Corporation still has the only operating uranium mill in the country, and it is still pulling ore from just one place: San Miguel County. And according to San Miguel County officials, the company is hauling more than they agreed to in their permit.
Mike Rozycki, the county planner, said that the uranium company has exceeded the maximum number of 12 truckloads of ore per day outlined in their permit. Rozycki said that there had been a "misunderstanding," and that the company believed that the maximum number was an average, and that days with less traffic allowed them to haul more at other times.
"We put them on notice that we thought there was a violation," said Rozycki. "We had issues and concerns, and we will have a public hearing when they submit their amendment to the permit."
(Norwood Post Sep. 3, 2008)
Conventional ore processing commences at White Mesa Mill
On Apr. 29, 2008 Denison announced that processing of conventional ore at its White Mesa mill in Utah began on Monday April 28th, 2008.
Over the next 30 to 45 days, the mill will be processing uranium-only ore from the Tony M operation and will then switch to the uranium/vanadium ores from the company's Colorado Plateau mines. Currently, there are approximately 150,000 tons of ore from the various Company owned mines on the stockpile at the mill.
Denison is projecting production of between 1.4 and 1.7 million pounds of U3O8 (538 - 654 t U) and 3.0 to 4.0 million pounds of vanadium pentoxide from White Mesa in 2008.
IUC announces reopening of uranium mines
On June 14, 2006, International Uranium Corp. announced the re-opening of its U.S. uranium/vanadium mines. Mining activity will commence immediately and mined ore will be stockpiled at the Company's wholly-owned White Mesa uranium/vanadium mill in southeastern Utah.
The properties are in three distinct mining districts:
- Colorado Plateau: IUC intends to immediately commence mining activities at the Pandora, Topaz, Sunday and St. Jude mines. This will be followed by two additional mines in the Colorado Plateau region in early 2007. All of IUC's mines on the Colorado Plateau are fully permitted.
- Henry Mountains area: plans are to complete the permitting on the Tony M mine with production slated for late spring 2007. Development of the Bullfrog property will begin in the spring of 2007 and production is projected to begin mid-year 2008.
- Arizona Strip district: IUC will also review and revise the engineering estimates for the fully permitted Arizona 1 Mine with development scheduled to begin early 2007 and production beginning in late summer 2007.
Based on current mine production schedules, processing of the ore would begin late fourth quarter 2007 or first quarter 2008, depending upon securing additional alternate feed material and third party ore. In the initial year, IUC anticipates producing approximately 3.4 million pounds of U3O8 [1308 t U] and 5.9 million pounds of vanadium, thereafter, averaging between 1.5 and 2 million pounds per year of U3O8 and vanadium.
(IUC June 14, 2006)
Utah to put environmental files online
> See here
Processing of Fansteel residues as alternate feed at White Mesa mill
On Feb. 2, 2007, the Utah Radiation Control Board decided, 7-3, to uphold a permit granted in 2006 to the International Uranium Corp. for its Blanding mill by the state Division of Radiation Control for processing residues from FMRI Inc., in Muskogee, Okla. (Salt Lake Tribune Feb. 3, 2007)
> Download Hearing Transcript Jan. 26, 2007 (511k PDF)
> Download Hearing Transcript Feb. 2, 2007 (110k PDF)
On Sep. 8, 2006, the Utah Radiation Control Board cleared the way for the Glen Canyon Chapter of the Sierra Club to challenge the "alternate feed" rule that allows the International Uranium Corp. mill to recycle material from FMRI Inc., in Muskogee, Okla.
Sarah M. Fields of the Sierra Club has said the Oklahoma material is not "alternate feed." It contains high radium concentrations - as much as 85 times the concentrations federal and state laws allow - so International Uranium should be regulated like a radioactive waste disposal site, she said.
The material also contains large quantities of highly toxic contaminants - including cyanide, lead and tin - that require the site to be regulated as a hazardous waste facility, she said.
(Salt Lake Tribune Sep. 13, 2006)
The Glen Canyon Group of the Sierra Club's nuclear-waste committee has filed a petition with the Utah Division of Radiation Control to stop the waste coming from FMRI Inc., in Muskogee, Okla., into Utah.
(Deseret News July 19, 2006)
On June 13, 2006 the Utah Division of Radiation Control (DRC) has authorized the International Uranium Corporation (IUC) to receive and process alternate feed material from Ponds 2 and 3 of the FMRI's Muskogee Facility located in Muskogee, Oklahoma at IUC's White Mesa uranium mill facility located near Blanding in San Juan County, Utah.
- Cover Sheet (PDF)
- Public Participation Summary - License Amendment Application No. 2 (PDF)
- License Amendment # 2 - License Number UT1900479 (PDF)
- Groundwater Discharge Permit - Permit No. UGW370004 (PDF)
The Utah Department of Environmental Quality is Soliciting Comments on a Proposed Amendment to International Uranium (USA) Corporation's Radioactive Materials License UT1900479 to Allow Acceptance and Processing of an Alternate Feedstock Material. The IUSA submitted a License amendment application to amend its State License to receive and process alternate feed material from Fansteel’s FMRI facility located near Muskogee, Oklahoma (the "Muskogee Facility"). The proposed amendment would allow IUSA to receive and process up to 32,000 short tons of alternate feed material from the Muskogee Facility for its uranium content. The FMRI alternate feed materials are residues resulting from ore processing for the extraction of tantalum and niobium, i.e. byproducts of FMRI processing operations.
> Download DEQ Public Notice, Nov. 2, 2005 (PDF)
> Download DEQ Public Notice Nov. 22, 2005 (PDF)
IUC forms joint venture with NFS to recycle DOE's contaminated low enriched uranium
"International Uranium Corporation
(the "Company") is pleased to announce that it has formed a 50/50
joint venture company, "Urizon Recovery Systems, LLC", with
Nuclear Fuel Services, Inc. ("NFS") to pursue the development of
a new, long-term, alternate feed program (the "USM Ore(TM)
Program") for the Company's White Mesa Mill that, if successful,
is expected to result in the Mill producing two to three million
pounds of yellowcake [containing 769 to 1154 metric tonnes U] per year over at least a six-year period. [...]
The USM Ore(TM) Program that Urizon is pursuing involves the
development of a process and construction of a plant at NFS' facility in Erwin, Tennessee, for the blending of contaminated
low enriched uranium with depleted uranium to produce a natural
uranium ore ("USM Ore(TM)"). The USM Ore(TM) will then be further
processed at the Company's White Mesa Mill to produce
conventional yellowcake.
The primary source of feed for Urizon will be the significant
quantities of contaminated materials within the DOE complex. [...]"
(IUC Nov. 14, 2002)
However, on Jan. 29, 2004, IUC announced that DOE had refused Urizon's request to fund the design costs of the USM Ore(TM) processing facility.
Alternate feed processing run at White Mesa Mill underway
The White Mesa Mill has begun processing the Ashland 1 FUSRAP (Formerly Utilized Site Remedial Action Program) material. As of mid August 2002, the Mill had processed over 40,000 tons of material. Currently the Mill has additional stockpiles of over 200,000 tons of Ashland 1 and Linde material, which will be processed during this mill run.
In addition, IUC has a contract with Molycorp, Inc. for receipt and processing of approximately 10,000 tons of uranium-bearing material. This material may begin arriving at the Mill in mid-September 2002, pending resolution of a regulatory hearing. (IUC Aug. 29, 2002)
EPA expresses concerns about expansion of alternate feed business
In a letter to NRC dated Jan. 16, 2002, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency expresses concerns about the proposed expansion of the processing of alternate feed at uranium mills and calls for a thorough review:
"[...] Mill tailings impoundments were designed to serve as a long-term control measure for radon and other hazardous emissions from source material extraction wastes, and to prevent radiation exposures resulting from inadvertent uses of these wastes by members of the public. It appears that these impoundments are being suggested by the petitioner to serve in a different capacity than for which they were designed and approved. Additional uses as a long-term repository (disposal) for a wide variety and volume of low-level, mixed, and hazardous wastes require appropriate consideration. Such consideration would include a formal review of the new uses for these facilities under the National Environmental Policy Act and possibly licensing and authorization under other relevant environmental statutes. To the extent that some of these suggested wastes might not be regulated under the Uranium Mill Tailings Radiation Control Act (e.g., pre-1978 mill tailings), other environmental authorities might still apply.
Such a review may very well conclude that these additional new wastes have no significant impact on the impoundment designs and that environmental authorities are satisfied. However, suggested uses such as 'new alternatives to current disposal options' for large volumes of low-level radioactive waste, and other wastes, deserve a thorough review to ensure the uranium recovery facilities continue to be protective, and the public is aware of the proposed change in the use of these facilities. [...]"
> Download EPA comment (1215k PDF)
IUC requests license amendment to process material from Maywood FUSRAP Site, NJ
By letter dated June 15, 2001, IUC requests a license amendment for processing of up to 600,000 cubic yards (840,000 short tons) of Uranium Material from the Maywood FUSRAP site in New Jersey. The Uranium Material at this site originated from uranium and thorium-bearing monazite sands. Its uranium content ranges from non-detectable to approximately 0.06 weight percent uranium (0.072 weight percent U308), or greater, with an estimated average grade of 0.0018 percent uranium (0.0022 weight percent U308) for the entire Maywood Site. However, IUC intends to accept Uranium Material for processing at the Mill only if a cut-off level of 0.01 weight percent uranium is satisfied (IUC letter Aug.3, 2001).
> See also: Federal Register: Aug. 23, 2001 (Vol. 66, No. 164) p. 44384-44385 (download full notice )
Hearing requests were submitted by the Utah Chapter of the Sierra Club, the City of Moab, and John Darke (FR Oct. 9, 2001, p.51478 )
On Sep 21, 2001, NRC issued its Draft Environmental Assessment
for the Maywood Alternate Feed Request. "The NRC staff has concluded that there are no significant environmental impacts associated with the proposed action."
On Aug. 22, 2002, NRC issued a Finding of No Significant Impact for the processing of the Maywood material.
> Federal Register: August 29, 2002 (Volume 67, Number 168) p. 55435-55436 (download full text )
Members of the public may provide comments on the subject application within 30 days of August 29, 2002.
Walk Against Nuclear Waste
Citizens and environmental groups in southern Utah held a "Walk Against Nuclear Waste" in the last week of May 2001. More than 40 individuals walked simultaneously from Blanding (San Juan County) to Moab. The eighty-mile walk, led by longtime San Juan County activist Ken Sleight, followed U.S. Highway 191. Cosponsoring groups included Moab-based Living Rivers, Glen Canyon Action Network, and the Sierra Club Glen Canyon Group, as well as HEAL-UTAH from Salt Lake City. The groups opposed IUCs recent application to process radioactive lead waste from a site in California. They fear the White Mesa site will end up in similar mess as the Atlas Moab uranium mill tailings site. The groups demanded the closure of the mill and the cleanup of the mill site. (ENN June 7, 2001)
IUC requests license amendment to process material from Molycorp Site, CA
Federal Register: Jan. 9, 2001 (Vol. 66, No. 6) p. 1702-1703 (download full notice ):
"SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory
Commission has received, by letter dated December 19, 2000, a request
from International Uranium (USA) Corporation (IUSA), to amend its NRC
Source Material License SUA-1358, to allow its White Mesa Uranium Mill
near Blanding, Utah, to receive and process up to 17,750 tons of
alternate feed material from the Molycorp Site located in Mountain
Pass, California. The material is a result of extraction of lathanides
and other rare earth minerals and is presently being stored in ponds as
lead sulfide sludge. IUSA and Molycorp estimate the amount of material
for this amendment request to be up to 17,750 tons and the average
uranium content of the material to be approximately 0.15 percent, or
greater. IUSA proposes to receive and process the material for its
uranium content and dispose of the byproduct material in the mill's
tailings cells."
(The above mentioned IUC letter to NRC is available through ADAMS )
On Nov. 30, 2001, NRC staff issued its final Environmental Assessment (EA) and Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) for the proposed action.
> see Federal Register Dec. 11, 2001 (Vol. 66, No. 238) p.64064-64066
> see also correction in Federal Register Dec. 18, 2001 (Vol. 66, No. 243) p.65232
On December 11, 2001, the NRC issued the requested license amendment, on condition that adequate tailings space were available. Otherwise, IUC would have to submit another license amendment request.
On January 30, 2002, an NRC Atomic Safety and Licensing Board granted the hearing requests filed by William E. Love and by the Sierra Club (LBP-02-06).
IUC requests license amendment to process material from Lakehurst, NJ
Federal Register: July 17, 2000 (Vol. 65, No. 137) p. 44078-44079 (download full notice ):
"SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory
Commission has received, by letter dated July 5, 2000, a request from
International Uranium (IUSA) Corporation to amend its NRC Source
Material License SUA-1358, to allow its White Mesa Uranium Mill near
Blanding, Utah, to receive and process up to 2000 cubic yards of
alternate feed material from the Heritage Minerals Site located in
Lakehurst, New Jersey. The Heritage site is in decommissioning under
NRC Source Materials License No. SMB-1541. The Final Status Survey Plan
(''Decommissioning Plan'') includes the removal of a monazite sand pile
for shipment off-site. IUSA proposes to process the material for it's
uranium content and dispose of the tailings in their tailings cells."
A request for hearing must be filed within 30 days of July 17, 2000.
(The above mentioned IUC letter to NRC is available through ADAMS )
Tailings capacity at White Mesa mill insufficient for proposed processing of more alternate feed
At the request of NRC, IUC had to admit that the currently available tailings capacity at its White Mesa mill is not sufficient for the requested processing of more alternate feed material.
The currently licensed activities would result in 1,150,550 tons of tailings, while the current capacity is 1,174,000 tons, leaving 23,450 tons of remaining capacity. The requested processing of the W.R. Grace material would add 108,000 tons, and potential alternate feed material from other sources (i.e. Linde, Molycorp and Heritage Minerals) would add another 146,200 tons. (1 short ton = 0.907185 metric tonnes)
(IUC letter to NRC, dated May 5, 2000, available through ADAMS )
USACE agrees to request State approval before sending further material for alternate feed processing at White Mesa mill
The Army Corps of Engineers has now agreed to not send additional shipments of radioactive mill tailings to the White Mesa uranium mill near Blanding without prior approval of the State of Utah. The agreement, however, does not extend to the Army Corp's current contract with International Uranium Corp., the owners of the White Mesa mill, to reprocess thousands of tons of radioactive soils from the FUSRAP site in Tonawanda, New York. (Deseret News, April 25, 2000)
Questions raised about quality of alternate feed material from Tonawanda FUSRAP site
"Meanwhile, the Environmental Protection Agency has launched a criminal investigation into early disposal efforts in Tonawanda, probing whether the contractors hired by the Corps mishandled waste and even manipulated data to disguise radioactive material as less dangerous garbage. California regulators are investigating, too; they claim that more than 2,000 tons of Tonawanda debris was buried illegally at a San Joaquin Valley dump without a federal radioactive waste license. On Wednesday, a Senate committee will hold a hearing on the broader Corps decision to dispose of many of its Manhattan Project leftovers in such landfills." (Washington Post, April 10, 2000)
Note: the hearing on "Low activity radioactive waste" before the Senate Committee of Environment and Public Works had been scheduled for April 12, 2000, but was postponed.
"Some of those materials have made it to the White Mesa mill near Blanding where they are reprocessed for uranium left behind from the original processing." (Deseret News, April 25, 2000)
IUC requests license amendment to process material from Chattanooga, TN
By letter dated April 12, 2000, International Uranium (USA) Corporation requests a license amendment to process 93,000 cubic yards (71,108 cubic meters) material with an estimated average grade of 0.74 percent uranium from the W.R. Grace Corp. site in Chattanooga, Tennessee, as alternate feed in its White Mesa mill, Utah.
The uranium-bearing material results from the processing of monazite sands for the extraction of thorium and other rare earth minerals. A consortium of four companies - Heavy Minerals Company, Crane Company, Vitro Corporation and Pichney Company - began operations at the Chattanooga site in 1957. W.R. Grace purchased the facility in 1965 and continued operations until 1983.
A request for hearing must be filed within 30 days of May 5, 2000.
> View Federal Register: May 5, 2000 (Vol. 65, No. 88) p. 26243-26244
(full text of license amendment request available through ADAMS )
IUC requests license amendment to process more material from Tonawanda, NY
In a letter dated March 16, 2000, International Uranium (USA) Corp. requests a license amendment to process 100,000 cubic yards (76,460 cubic meters) material with an estimated average grade of 0.07 percent uranium from the Linde site in Tonawanda NY as alternate feed in its White Mesa mill, Utah.
The previous license amendments had granted approval for processing the portion of Linde Material that had been transferred to Ashland 1 and 2. This amendment request seeks authorization to process the remainder of the Uranium Material at the original generation and storage site at Linde .
A request for hearing must be filed within 30 days of May 5, 2000.
> View Federal Register: May 5, 2000 (Vol. 65, No. 88) p. 26242-26243
(full text of license amendment request available through ADAMS )
NRC affirms judge's decision for alternate feed processing
On Feb. 10, 2000, the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission affirmed the decision of a federal administrative judge in favour of processing of alternate feed material at IUC's White Mesa mill in Utah (see LBP-99-5). The ruling implies the company can take any suitable waste as long as it contains at least some uranium.
(Salt Lake Tribune Feb. 18, 2000)
> View Memorandum and Order CLI-00-01
Utah seeking State regulation of uranium mills and tailings
The State of Utah plans to extend its Agreement State status with the U.S. NRC to the regulation of uranium mills and tailings. This would allow the State to regulate the controversial alternate feed processing at the White Mesa mill by its own. [MORE]
Contaminated Tonawanda material spilled in truck accident
On Sep 29, 1999, a truck carrying 20 tons of contaminated material originating from the Ashland 1 FUSRAP site at Tonawanda destined for processing in the White Mesa Mill tipped over near Cisco, Utah, spilling about half of its contents.
(NRC Preliminary Notification Sep 30, 1999 )
NRC approves processing of St.Louis FUSRAP material at White Mesa mill
"Staff Approves Alternate Feed Amendment for White Mesa Uranium Mill
On July 28, 1999, the staff approved an amendment to the International
Uranium Corporation's White Mesa uranium mill license, authorizing the
company to receive and process uranium bearing material from the St. Louis ,
Missouri, Formerly Utilized Site Remedial Action Plan (FUSRAP) site. The
company intends to recover uranium from the material, estimated to be as
much as one million pounds, and dispose of the process tailings in the
facility's impoundment. The company has also been authorized to process
similar material from the Ashland 1 and 2 FUSRAP sites." (NRC Weekly Information Report for the Week ending July 30, 1999)
> See also: Federal Register: May 4, 1999 (Vol. 64, No. 85) p. 23876-23877 (download full text )
Utah Radiation Control Board adopts and suspends rule on alternate feed
On April 9, 1999, the Utah Radiation Control Board adopted a rule setting a requirement for a minimum uranium contents of 0.05% for materials to be accepted as alternate feed material for processing in a uranium mill.
This rule meanwhile was tabled (= suspended).
See details
Utah House passes bill on alternate feed processing at uranium mills
On February 25, 1999, the Utah House passed in a 65-3 vote the revised Brown Bill H.B. 324 S1. The Bill was introduced in the Utah Senate the same day. The bill would make low level waste regulations applicable to the processing of alternate feed material at the White Mesa mill.
> View HB324S1 text · HB324S1 status
State complaints about the planned processing of uranium contaminated material from Tonawanda, NY, at the White Mesa uranium mill near Blanding are unfounded, a federal administrative judge ruled on February 9, 1999 (LBP-99-5).
Utah State officials objected to the shipments, noting IUC received $4,050,000 to handle a material that contained no more than $600,000 worth of uranium. Bill Sinclair called this "sham disposal" because uranium extraction was only a pretext to dispose of the waste in the mill's tailings pond.
The Utah Division of Radiation Control is looking at the possibility of an appeal to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. (The Salt Lake Tribune, Feb. 11, 1999 )
IUC plans to process waste material from St. Louis area
International Uranium Corp (IUC) is planning to request another NRC licence amendment for its White Mesa mill in Utah. IUC wants to process more uranium-bearing material from old defence industry property, with alternate feed stock coming from the St Louis area. IUC is already processing 'Formerly Utilised Sites Remedial Action Programme' (Fusrap) material from a New York site at White Mesa. (Uranium Institute News Briefing 99.05, Feb. 3, 1999)
IUC wants to process more material from Tonawanda, NY
"SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory
Commission (NRC) has received an application, by letter dated October 15, 1998, from International Uranium (USA) Corporation (IUC) to amend NRC Source Material License No. SUA-1358. By this submittal, IUC is requesting NRC approval to process, at IUC's White Mesa Uranium Mill, uranium-bearing material received from the Ashland 1 and Seaway Area D Formerly Utilized Sites Remedial Action Program (FUSRAP) sites, near Tonawanda, New York." [...]
"Pursuant to Sec. 2.1205(a), any person whose interest may be affected by this proceeding may file a request for a hearing. In accordance with Sec. 2.1205(c), a request for a hearing must be filed within thirty (30) days from the date of publication of this Federal Register notice." (Federal Register notice Nov 3, 1998 (Vol. 63, No. 212) p. 59340 )
Processing of the above material was licensed by NRC on February 3, 1999.
ASLBP grants petition for a hearing of the State of Utah Re: Receipt of Material From Tonawanda, NY
"Pursuant to the Presiding Officer's Memorandum and Order of
September 1, 1998, the petition for a hearing of the State of Utah has
been granted. This proceeding will be conducted pursuant to 10 CFR Part
2, Subpart L, which requires written presentations. The State alleges
that the Ashland 2 materials permitted to be shipped to International Uranium (USA) Corporation contain hazardous waste and that its handling and disposal could violate applicable law and could harm wildlife and natural resources, including ground and surface water. A person whose
interest may be affected, including a State, county, municipality or an
agency thereof, may file a request to participate within 30 days. See
10 CFR 2.1205(e, j, k)." (Federal Register notice Oct 15, 1998 (Vol. 63, No. 199) p. 55412 )
NRC schedules meeting September 17, 1998 in Blanding, Utah
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission will hold a public meeting September 17 in
Blanding, Utah, to discuss regulatory oversight of the International Uranium
Corporation's nearby White Mesa uranium mill.
> View NRC News Release No.98-157 (Sept. 3, 1998)
Utah uranium mill seeks licence to process wastes from Canadian refinery and conversion plants
International Uranium Corp. is reported to be seeking regulatory permission to recycle uranium-bearing materials from Cameco 's Blind River and Port Hope refinery and conversion plants at its White Mesa mill in Utah. If NRC and Canadian approval is granted, IUC plans to process of fluoride product, filter ash, calcined product and regeneration product from the Canadian plants. (UI News Briefing 98.31)
White Mesa mill (Utah) receives license to process alternate feed material from Tonawanda (New York) FUSRAP site
"Acceptance of Uranium Mill Licensee Request to Process Alternate Feedstock Material
On June 23, 1998, the Uranium Recovery Branch, Division of Waste Management
(DWM) approved the International Uranium Corporation's (IUSA's) request to receive and process uranium-bearing materials from the Ashland 2 site,
Formerly Utilized Sites Remedial Action Program (FUSRAP) site, near Tonawanda, New York. The material in question, consisting of approximately
24,000 to 25,000 dry tons of uranium ore processing residues and
contaminated soils that are associated with activities conducted by the
Manhattan Engineering District during the mid-1940s, will be received and
processed at IUSA's White Mesa uranium mill, located near Blanding, Utah. The material is considered alternate feedstock, and the staff processing of such amendments was recently discussed at a June 17, 1998, Commission
Meeting with the National Mining Association . The Ashland 2 site, as well as other FUSRAP sites, are under the management of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE ). In accepting this request, the DWM staff also is supporting the USACE's objective of a cost-effective method of cleaning up FUSRAP sites." (NRC Weekly Information Report for the Week Ending June 26, 1998)
> View F.A.C.T.S. (For A Clean Tonawanda Site) information on Tonawanda FUSRAP site
Utah uranium mill seeks general license for alternate feed material
International Uranium Corporation (IUC)
is requesting NRC approval for a performance-based license
condition (PBLC) regarding the acceptance of alternate feed
materials for processing at its White Mesa Uranium Mill, located
near Blanding, Utah. In the past, the NRC has granted approval
to IUC for the processing of alternate feed materials on several
occasions. With this license condition, IUC would no longer have
to seek NRC approval on a case-by-case basis.
Any person whose interest may be affected by this proceeding may
file a request for a hearing within 30 days from April
14, 1998.
> See notice in Federal Register, April 14, 1998
(Vol. 63, No. 71), p. 18236
(download full
notice ).
Uranium Recovery Licensee Meeting with Deputy Executive Director for Regulatory Programs
"On May 12, 1998, the Deputy Executive Director for Regulatory Programs, the
Directors of the Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards and
Division of Waste Management, and staff from the Uranium Recovery Branch,
met with representatives of International Uranium (USA) Corporation (IUC).
The purpose of this Meeting was to discuss IUC's proposal to modify the
staff's "Final Position and Guidance on the Use of Uranium Mill Feed
Materials Other Than Natural Ores," which was published in the Federal
Register on September 22, 1995. IUC officially submitted the proposed
modifications to the Commission on May 6, 1998.
IUC's presentation focused on two aspects of the staff's "alternate feed"
guidance: (1) the prohibition of uranium mill licensees to receive and
process materials containing hazardous wastes regulated by the
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA); and (2) the need for mill licensees
to address financial considerations in support of any application to
receive and process alternate feed materials. When the staff raised
concerns about the potential for dual regulation with EPA at mill sites,
IUC stated its willingness to have issues related to hazardous materials
addressed at some later Time. If this component was removed from IUC's
proposal, the staff expressed some question about the need for the proposal
given that IUC has received license amendments in the past allowing it to
process alternate feed materials at the White Mesa uranium mill. The staff
also noted that, while it agreed with many of IUC's points concerning the
requirement to address financial considerations, a Presiding Officer's
decision on an earlier Hearing matter raised the need to consider an
economics test in the processing of alternate feed materials.
Also in attendance at this Meeting were representatives from the U.S. Army
Corps of Engineers (USACE), which manages the Formerly Utilized Sites
Remedial Action Program (FUSRAP ). Much of the material on FUSRAP sites can be considered as alternate feed materials, and the USACE sees recycling this material as a cost-effective way of cleaning up FUSRAP sites." (U.S. NRC Weekly Information Report for the Week Ending May 15, 1998)
NRC Authorizes Utah Uranium Mill to Receive and Process
Material from Pennsylvania
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission staff has granted a request
from International Uranium Corporation
to receive and process uranium-bearing material from the Cabot
Corporation's facility near Boyertown, Pennsylvania, at
International Uranium's NRC-licensed White Mesa uranium mill near
Blanding, Utah.
View NRC Press Release (Aug.15, 1997)
Leaking Cabot containers discovered in Toronto
On October 27, 1997, the Atomic Energy Control Board (AECB)
(Canada) notified the NRC and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
that liquid leakage was discovered in Toronto, Canada from
intermodal containers marked as containing radioactive material
that were shipped by railroad from Cabot Corporation (Cabot),
Boyertown, Pennsylvania. The material in the containers is a
clay-like residue resulting from processing of ores containing
uranium and thorium to recover tantalum. The residue contains
about 1 percent total uranium and thorium by weight in an
insoluble form.
View NRC Preliminary Notifications PNO-I-97-066 (Oct.28, 1997) and PNO-I-97-066A (Nov.17, 1997) .
> Download NOV and Civil Penalty History for the DUSA Mines Uranium Mill (PDF - Utah DEQ)
Solution freeboard limit exceeded in tailings disposal cell #3
On July 30, 2010, wastewater elevation in the Mill's tailings Cell 3 exceeded the freeboard limit for that Cell by approximately 7.2 inches [18.3 cm].
(Denison Mines Aug. 4, 2010, letter to Utah DEQ )
IUC fails to keep record of exact disposal locations in tailings disposal cell
"The licensee had failed since CY 2002 to maintain records that documented the specific location of each 11e.(2) shipment buried in Tailing Cell No. 3. This failure to maintain records was identified as a violation of License Condition 10.5(D)"
(NRC Inspection Report 40-08681/03-001 and Notice of Violation, Aug. 25, 2003 , ADAMS Acc. No. ML032370365)
Solution freeboard limit exceeded in tailings disposal cell #3
Between late February and mid March 2003, the solution freeboard limit in tailings disposal cell #3 was exceeded by up to 0.41 feet (12.5 cm). According to IUC, this was due to a number of factors, including:
- An error in the survey co-ordinates in the spreadsheet used to calculate the
freeboard,
- A problem with the pump used to transfer tailings solutions from Cell 3 to
Cell 1-I,
- A number of rain events over the past several days.
"The potential for the exceedance to have contributed to a breach or overtopping of the Cell 3 dike is highly unlikely", according to IUC.
Source: Annual Technical Evaluation of the White Mesa Uranium Mill Tailings Management System For the Period of June 2002 through May 2003, International Uranium (USA) Corporation, by Harold R. Roberts, P.E., June 18-19, 2003
Empty Transportation Containers Exceeding Contamination Limits
NRC Preliminary Notification PNO-IV-00-008 (March 2, 2000)
High Chloroform levels found in groundwater
Chloroform at levels 47 times higher than allowed by Utah state rules was found in a groundwater monitoring well at the White Mesa uranium mill. The discovery prompted the Utah Department of Environmental Quality to issue a "notice of violation" of the state's groundwater-protection rules. Denver-based International Uranium Corp. was given 30 days to develop a plan to determine the source of the contamination. (Salt Lake Tribune, Deseret News, Aug 31, 1999)
IUC proposes slurry pipeline for Atlas tailings relocation to White Mesa Mill site
> view details
NRC to approve reclamation plan
from Federal Register Notice Jan 4, 2000 (Vol. 65, No. 2) p.308-309 (download full text ):
"SUMMARY: The International Uranium (USA) Corporation (IUC) requested
that the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) amend its NRC Source
Material License SUA-1358, to approve its Reclamation Plan, as amended,
for the White Mesa Uranium Mill near Blanding, Utah. An Environmental
Assessment (EA) was performed by the NRC staff in accordance with the
requirements of 10 CFR Part 51. The conclusion of the EA is a Finding
of No Significant Impact (FONSI) for the proposed licensing action."
Any person whose interest may be affected by this proceeding may file a request for a hearing within thirty (30) days from the date of publication of the Federal Register notice.