LMS/S10797 Defense-Related Uranium Mines Prioritization Topic Report Final June 2014 This page intentionally left blank LMS/S10797 Defense-Related Uranium Mines Prioritization Topic Report Final June 2014 This page intentionally left blank Contents Abbreviations ................................................................................................................................. iii Executive Summary .........................................................................................................................v 1.0 Introduction and Background .................................................................................................1 2.0 Uranium Mine Regulatory Framework ..................................................................................3 2.1 Major Regulations Affecting Reclamation/Remediation of Uranium Mines ..............6 2.1.1 Regulation of Uranium-Bearing Materials .....................................................6 2.1.2 Uranium Mill Tailings Radiation Control Act (UMTRCA) ...........................6 2.1.3 Resource Conservation and Recovery Act .....................................................8 2.1.4 Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act................................................9 2.1.5 Comprehensive Environmental Response Compensation and Liability Act ....................................................................................................9 2.1.6 Clean Water Act ............................................................................................11 2.1.7 Other TENORM Regulations/Standards .......................................................12 2.1.8 Other Nations’ Regulation of Legacy Uranium Mines .................................13 2.2 EPA Reports on Uranium Mine Waste .....................................................................13 2.2.1 1983 Report to Congress ...............................................................................13 2.2.2 1985 Report to Congress ...............................................................................15 2.2.3 2000 Report to Congress on TENORM ........................................................15 2.2.4 2006/2007 TENORM Reports ......................................................................17 2.3 Remediation Standards ..............................................................................................19 3.0 Status of Other Agencies’ Prioritization/Reclamation .........................................................21 3.1 General Abandoned Hardrock Mine Overview .........................................................22 3.2 General Prioritization Discussion ..............................................................................27 3.3 Agency/State Summaries ...........................................................................................29 3.3.1 U.S. Bureau of Land Management ...............................................................29 3.3.2 DOE Lease Tracts .........................................................................................32 3.3.3 U.S. Forest Service .......................................................................................32 3.3.4 Navajo Nation ...............................................................................................33 3.3.5 National Park Service ...................................................................................35 3.3.6 States .............................................................................................................36 3.3.7 Multi-Party Efforts ........................................................................................40 4.0 Prioritization Approach ........................................................................................................41 4.1 Physical Hazards .......................................................................................................41 4.2 Proximity ...................................................................................................................42 4.3 Radiological Hazards .................................................................................................44 4.4 Environmental Considerations ..................................................................................47 5.0 References ............................................................................................................................57 Figures Figure 1. Uranium Domestic Concentrate Production, 1949–2011 ................................................ 7 Figure 2. Watersheds for the Western United States by Number of Mines .................................. 49 Figure 3. Watersheds for the Western United States by Tons of Ore Produced ........................... 50 Figure 4. Average Annual Precipitation of the Western United States ........................................ 54 U.S. Department of Energy Defense-Related Uranium Mines Prioritization Topic Report June 2014 Final Doc. No. S10797 Page i Tables Table 1. Laws and Regulations Relevant to Abandoned Uranium Mine Cleanup ..................... 4 Table 2. EPA Reports on Uranium Mine Waste ......................................................................... 5 Table 3. Lifetime Cancer Risks Corresponding to Selected Radiation Exposures and EPA Guidances and Regulations for Controlling Exposure of the Public .................. 16 Table 4. Land Ownership of Mines in the LM Mine Database ................................................ 22 Table 5. States with the Most Mines in the LM Mine Database ............................................... 22 Table 6. General Reports on Abandoned Hardrock Mines ....................................................... 23 Table 7. State and Federal Funds Spent During FY 1997 for Cleanup of Hardrock AMLs ..... 24 Table 8. Expenditures to Clean Up Abandoned Hardrock Mines ............................................. 25 Table 9. GAO (2009) Summary of Hardrock AMLs for Selected Western States ................... 26 Table 10. Prioritization Methodologies ...................................................................................... 27 Table 11. Summary of Hazards from BLM State Hardrock AML Work Plans for FY 2007–2013 ............................................................................................................ 31 Table 12. Physical Hazards ......................................................................................................... 42 Table 13. Proximity Ranking Systems ........................................................................................ 43 Table 14. Number of Mines within Distance Intervals from Roads and Schools ....................... 43 Table 15. Number of Mines within Combined Population and Distance Intervals .................... 43 Table 16. Comparison of Land Ownership and Size of Uranium Mines .................................... 45 Table 17. Radiological Hazard Comparison ............................................................................... 45 Table 18. Comparison of Land Ownership and Status of Mines ................................................ 46 Table 19. Comparison of Status and Size of Mines .................................................................... 46 Table 20. Status/Risk/Land Use Summary ................................................................................. 47 Table 21. Watersheds with Greatest Numbers of Uranium Mines ............................................. 51 Table 22. Watersheds with Most Ore Produced ......................................................................... 52 Appendixes Appendix A Definitions Appendix B Cleanup Levels for Uranium Mine Sites Defense-Related Uranium Mines Prioritization Topic Report U.S. Department of Energy Doc. No. S10797 Final June 2014 Page ii Abbreviations AEC U.S. Atomic Energy Commission AML abandoned mine land AMRP Abandoned Mine Reclamation Program ARAR applicable or relevant and appropriate requirement BLM U.S. Bureau of Land Management Bq/g becquerels per gram Bq/m3 becquerels per cubic meter CAA Clean Air Act CERCLA Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act CERCLIS Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Information System cm centimeters CRCPD Conference of Radiation Control Program Directors Inc. CWA Clean Water Act DOE U.S. Department of Energy DRMS Division of Reclamation, Mining and Safety EPA U.S. Environmental Protection Agency FY fiscal year GAO U.S. Government Accountability Office (formerly called the General Accounting Office) GIS geographic information system GMD Grants Mining District LM Office of Legacy Management µg/L micrograms per liter µR/h microroentgens per hour m meters mg/L milligrams per liter mrem/yr millirems per year mSv/yr millisieverts per year NAMLRP Navajo Abandoned Mine Lands Reclamation Program NAS National Academy of Sciences NEPA National Environmental Policy Act NMAML New Mexico Abandoned Mine Land (program) U.S. Department of Energy Defense-Related Uranium Mines Prioritization Topic Report June 2014 Final Doc. No. S10797 Page iii NMED New Mexico Environment Department NORM naturally occurring radioactive material NPL National Priorities List NPS U.S. National Park Service NRC U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission OSM Office of Surface Mining Reclamation, and Enforcement pCi/g picocuries per gram pCi/L picocuries per liter PRP potentially responsible party RCRA Resource Conservation and Recovery Act SMCRA Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act TENORM