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DOE 2010 Long-Term Surveillance and Maintenance Conference November 17, 2010

URANIUM MILL TAILINGS RADIATION CONTROL ACT STANDARDS UPDATE. DOE 2010 Long-Term Surveillance and Maintenance Conference November 17, 2010. Loren W. Setlow, CPG E-mail: UraniumReview@epa.gov . Office of Radiation and Indoor Air (6608J) U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

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DOE 2010 Long-Term Surveillance and Maintenance Conference November 17, 2010

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  1. URANIUM MILL TAILINGS RADIATION CONTROL ACT STANDARDS UPDATE DOE 2010 Long-Term Surveillance and Maintenance Conference November 17, 2010 Loren W. Setlow, CPG E-mail: UraniumReview@epa.gov Office of Radiation and Indoor Air (6608J) U.S. Environmental Protection Agency 1200 Pennsylvania Ave., N.W. Washington, DC 20460

  2. Existing Regulations 40 CFR Part 192 Regulations issued under authority of Uranium Mill Tailings Radiation Control Act (UMTRCA) Section 206--Section 275 of the Atomic Energy Act (AEA) EPA develops standards Utilized by NRC and its Agreement States, and DOE Regulations applied to byproduct material from conventional mills, In Situ Leach/Recovery (ISL/ISR) facilities, and heap leach facilities Existing Regulations 40 CFR Part 192 Health and Environmental Protection Standards for Uraniumand Thorium Mill Tailings Pg 2

  3. Existing Regulations 40 CFR Part 192 Health and Environmental Protection Standards for Uranium and Thorium Mill Tailings • AEA “Title I” specific inactive (and abandoned mills) • Tailings contaminated soil and buildings • AEA “Title II” mills in operation in 1978 or which might be licensed in the future by NRC (or Agreement States)

  4. Existing Regulations 40 CFR Part 192 Health and Environmental Protection Standards for Uranium and Thorium Mill Tailings • Standards must generally conform with requirements of Solid Waste Disposal Act, as amended (now the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA)) for non-radiological hazards • Statute allows the Agency discretion in setting standards for controlling radiological hazards

  5. Existing Regulations 40 CFR Part 192 Health and Environmental Protection Standards for Uraniumand Thorium Mill Tailings • Many standards for mill tailings impoundments cross- reference RCRA Subtitle C requirements for hazardous waste facilities • Radon emission standards • Limits on groundwater concentrations of hazardous substances including radionuclides • Remediation standards for contaminated soils/buildings • Monitoring, corrective action, post-closure monitoring

  6. Over 25 years since originally finalized, 15 years since last update for groundwater protection Lack explicit provisions for ISL/ISR facilities, now principal means of uranium recovery in U.S., and for heap leach facilities Changes in EPA protective standards for hazardous substances in groundwater and drinking water Changes in economics of extraction & site remediation Reasons for Review Health and Environmental Protection Standards for Uraniumand Thorium Mill Tailings Pg 6

  7. Changes in dose and risk factors for radiation/radon, Principal scenarios for exposure Subsistence and cultural lifestyles of affected communities Potential impacts on children’s health Potential for uranium extraction in different geographic locations than those considered in risk assessments in original standards Reasons for Review Health and Environmental Protection Standards for Uraniumand Thorium Mill Tailings Pg 7

  8. EPA Work Group is conducting analysis of standards in regulations Work Group comparison of existing rule standards with History of performance of Title I and II facilities Implementation of standards by regulatory agencies Impacts on Tribes, environmental justice communities, children’s health, general public Changes in EPA standards, new Executive Orders, new statutes, other national and international protectiveness standards Review Process Pg 8

  9. Review Process • Should the review determine a need for new standards EPA will take into consideration: • How to balance environmental compliance costs and benefits • Public health, environmental protection and safety benefits • Impacts on implementing agencies • Impacts on industry • Economic and societal impacts

  10. Review Process • Input from: • Federal Agency Coordination • Industry • States • Tribes – EJ • Environmental and other NGO’s • General Public

  11. Interactive Internet Site – Discussion Forumhttp://blog.epa.gov/milltailingblog/ Site for public input on discussion topics for this review Calendar of events Library of relevant documents Email address for additional public input:UraniumReview@epa.gov Review Process Pg 11

  12. Thank You ! Pg 12

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