Cameco Crow Butte Uranium Mine Evaporation Pond Requirements Amendment-Teleconference Tuesday 2.30 to 3.30 PM EDT (DC Time)

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Crow Butte Evaporation Impoundment (“Pond”).

“PUBLIC MEETING ANNOUNCEMENT
Title: Evaporation pond requirements amendment
April 11, 2017, 02:30 PM to 03:30 PM Date(s) and Time(s):
Location: Teleconference

Category: This is a Category 1 meeting. The public is invited to observe this meeting and will have one or more opportunities to communicate with the NRC after the business portion of the meeting but before the meeting is adjourned.

Purpose: To discuss Crow Butte Resources, Inc.’s evaporation pond requirements amendment request for Materials License SUA-1534

Contact: Ronald Burrows
301-415-6443
ronald.burrows@nrc.gov

NRC
Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards
Participants: External

Crow Butte Resources, Inc.
Docket No: 04008943

Comments: Interested members of the public can participate in this meeting via teleconference. For additional details, please call the NRC meeting contact(s) listed on the NRC Meeting Schedule or call the NRC’s toll-free number, 1-800-368-5642, and ask the operator to be connected to the meeting contact Ronald A. Burrows or the DWMEP Administrative Assistant at 301-415-6009.”
https://adamswebsearch2.nrc.gov/webSearch2/view?AccessionNumber=ML17082A300

Click to access ML17034A044.pdf

They don’t bother to explain what this is about.

It may have to do with this new US EPA requirement – either application of the requirement or avoiding it.

Notice that they couldn’t even bother to keep the impoundments completely wet to decrease radon discharges into the air by 99%! Instead they are supposed to keep the radioactive materials damp, which decreases by 95%. And, how much is the remaining 1% and 5%?
“Revisions to National Emission Standards for Radon Emissions From Operating Mill Tailings
A Rule by the Environmental Protection Agency on 01/17/2017
“We proposed that non-conventional impoundments maintain one meter of liquid above any solid materials in the impoundment. Our analyses indicate that liquids effectively attenuate radon emissions, and that one meter of liquid would reduce the radon emissions by greater than 99%, to a level nearly indistinguishable from background. Based on public comment regarding feasibility and cost associated with the
Start Printed Page 5145
water demand to maintain the liquid level in the impoundment, the final rule requires only that solid materials remain saturated. Saturation will effectively reduce radon emissions by approximately 95% compared to dry uranium byproduct material or tailing. The water demand to maintain saturation should also be considerably reduced compared to the proposal.” https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2017/01/17/2016-31425/revisions-to-national-emission-standards-for-radon-emissions-from-operating-mill-tailings

Somewhere there was a change in measuring technique too.