03 Jan US EPA expected to move forward with new groundwater standards for in-situ uranium mines

http://www.sfgate.com/news/article/SD-to-tackle-livestock-operation-permits-power-6731648.php

URANIUM MINING

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is expected to move forward in 2016 with extensive new standards to protect groundwater from uranium mining.

The EPA proposed the standards in 2015 to account for how nearly all uranium produced in the U.S. nowadays comes from in-situ mining rather than conventional mining. In-situ mining involves pumping into the ground a solution to dissolve minerals, then pumping out of the ground a solution containing uranium. The EPA maintains it has authority under federal laws to update contamination standards for implementation by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. Opponents say the EPA is overstepping its authority and endangering an industry.

http://www.epa.gov/radiation/40-cfr-part-192-2015-proposed-rulemaking-and-background-documents

40 CFR Part 192: 2015 Proposed Rulemaking and Background Documents

“Health and Environmental Protection Standards for Uranium and Thorium Mill Tailings (40 CFR 192)” establish standards for protection of the public health, safety, and environment from radiological and non-radiological hazards associated with uranium and thorium ore processing, and their associated wastes. Since the last revision of 40 CFR 192 in 1995, in-situ recovery (ISR) has become the predominant method of uranium extraction in the United States. On January 26, 2015, EPA proposed new ground water protection standards at facilities that extract uranium using the ISR process. Comments were accepted through May 27, 2015. EPA is evaluating the comments and information received and will proceed to follow the official rulemaking process.

• Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (PDF) (33 pp, 526.54 K, January 26, 2015, About PDF) from the “Federal Register.”