Cameco Resources; Smith Ranch-Highland Uranium Project, 48461-48463 [2018-20793]
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Federal Register / Vol. 83, No. 186 / Tuesday, September 25, 2018 / Notices
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48461
82 FR 23075.
Dated: September 20, 2018.
Robert L. Sumwalt, III,
Chairman.
[FR Doc. 2018–20821 Filed 9–24–18; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7533–01–P
NUCLEAR REGULATORY
COMMISSION
[Docket No. 40–8964; NRC–2012–0214]
Cameco Resources; Smith RanchHighland Uranium Project
Nuclear Regulatory
Commission.
ACTION: Environmental assessment and
finding of no significant impact;
issuance.
AGENCY:
The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory
Commission (NRC) is considering the
renewal of NRC source materials license
SUA–1548, to authorize continued
uranium in-situ recovery (ISR)
operations at the sites under the Smith
Ranch-Highland Uranium Project
(Smith Ranch Project) (Docket No. 40–
8964). The NRC has prepared an
Environmental Assessment (EA) and
Finding of No Significant Impact
(FONSI) for this licensing action.
SUMMARY:
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48462
Federal Register / Vol. 83, No. 186 / Tuesday, September 25, 2018 / Notices
The EA referenced in this
document is available on September 25,
2018.
ADDRESSES: Please refer to Docket ID
NRC–2012–0214 when contacting the
NRC about the availability of
information regarding this document.
You may obtain publicly-available
information related to this document
using any of the following methods:
• Federal Rulemaking Website: Go to
https://www.regulations.gov and search
for Docket ID NRC–2012–0214. Address
questions about NRC dockets to Jennifer
Borges; telephone: 301–287–9127;
email: Jennifer.Borges@nrc.gov. For
technical questions, contact the
individual listed in the FOR FURTHER
INFORMATION CONTACT section of this
document.
• NRC’s Agencywide Documents
Access and Management System
(ADAMS): You may obtain publiclyavailable documents online in the
ADAMS Public Documents collection at
https://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/
adams.html. To begin the search, select
‘‘Begin Web-based ADAMS Search.’’ For
problems with ADAMS, please contact
the NRC’s Public Document Room (PDR)
reference staff at 1–800–397–4209, 301–
415–4737, or by email to pdr.resource@
nrc.gov. The ADAMS accession number
for each document referenced (if it is
available in ADAMS) is provided the
first time that it is mentioned in this
document.
• NRC’s PDR: You may examine and
purchase copies of public documents at
the NRC’s PDR, Room O1–F21, One
White Flint North, 11555 Rockville
Pike, Rockville, Maryland 20852.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
James Park, Office of Nuclear Material
Safety and Safeguards, U.S. Nuclear
Regulatory Commission, Washington DC
20555–0001; telephone: 301–415–6954;
email: James.Park@nrc.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
DATES:
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I. Introduction
The NRC is considering the renewal
of NRC source materials license No.
SUA–1548 issued to Power Resources
Inc. (doing business as Cameco
Resources [Cameco]). License SUA–
1548 authorizes Cameco to conduct ISR
operations at the following four sites
under the Smith Ranch Project located
in Wyoming: The Smith Ranch site in
Converse County (which encompasses
the contiguous Smith Ranch, Highland,
and Reynolds Ranch properties); the
North Butte remote satellite site in
Campbell County; the Ruth remote
satellite site in Johnson County; and the
Gas Hills remote satellite site in
Fremont and Natrona Counties.
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17:40 Sep 24, 2018
Jkt 244001
Therefore, as required by part 51 of title
10 of the Code of Federal Regulations
(10 CFR part 51), ‘‘Environmental
Protection Regulations for Domestic
Licensing and Related Regulatory
Functions,’’ the NRC performed an EA.
Based on the results of the EA, the NRC
has determined not to prepare an
environmental impact statement (EIS)
for the amendment, and is issuing a
FONSI.
II. Environmental Assessment
Description of the Proposed Action
The proposed action would allow
Cameco to continue ISR operations at
the four sites under the Smith Ranch
Project. As proposed, Cameco would
continue to recover uranium from
subsurface uranium deposits using the
ISR process, open new wellfield areas
for additional uranium recovery,
perform aquifer restoration in wellfields
where uranium recovery has ended, and
conduct decommissioning activities as
site-wide activities wind down.
Additionally, Cameco requested NRC
approval of increased ground water
flowrates at certain project sites and the
commencement of previously approved
uranium recovery at the Reynolds
Ranch satellite and at the Gas Hills
remote satellite site. The proposed
action is in accordance with the
licensee’s application dated February 1,
2012 (ADAMS Accession Nos.
ML12234A537 and ML12234A539).
Need for the Proposed Action
The proposed action would allow
Cameco to continue recovering uranium
at the Smith Ranch Project sites. The
licensee would process the recovered
uranium into yellowcake at the existing
central processing plant currently
located on the Smith Ranch property
and at the central processing facility
located on the Highland property.
Yellowcake is the uranium oxide
product of the ISR milling process that
is used to produce various products,
including fuel for commerciallyoperated nuclear power reactors.
Environmental Impacts of the Proposed
Action
The NRC staff has assessed the
potential environmental impacts from
Cameco’s continued ISR-related
construction, operation, aquifer
restoration, and decommissioning
activities at the Smith Ranch Project
sites. The NRC staff assessed the
impacts of the proposed action on land
use; historical and cultural resources;
visual and scenic resources;
climatology, meteorology and air
quality; geology, minerals, and soils;
PO 00000
Frm 00054
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
water resources; ecological resources;
socioeconomics; noise; traffic and
transportation; public and occupational
health and safety; and waste
management. Impacts to all resources
except ground water and noise were
determined to be SMALL (i.e., not
detectable or minor); ground water
impacts were determined to be SMALL
to MODERATE and noise impacts
MODERATE (i.e., sufficient to alter
noticeably, but not to destabilize,
important attributes of the resource) to
onsite workers and wildlife. The NRC
staff concluded that renewal of source
materials license SUA–1548 for the
Smith Ranch Project would not
significantly affect the quality of the
human environment. Approval of the
proposed action would not result in an
increased radiological risk to public
health or the environment.
Environmental Impacts of the
Alternatives to the Proposed Action
As an alternative to the proposed
action, the staff considered denial of the
proposed license renewal (i.e., the ‘‘NoAction’’ alternative). Under the NoAction Alternative, Cameco would
transition ongoing ISR operations at the
Smith Ranch and Highland properties
and at the North Butte remote satellite
site from active uranium recovery to
aquifer restoration and
decommissioning. A much smaller
amount of yellowcake would be
produced, resulting from aquifer
restoration activities.
Decommissioning activities also
would occur at the Reynolds Ranch
satellite and the Ruth and Gas Hills
remote satellite sites to remove existing
infrastructure. Cameco would be
required by 10 CFR part 40.42(d) to
submit a detailed decommissioning plan
to the NRC staff for review and approval
at least 12 months before the planned
commencement of final
decommissioning. The NRC concluded
that environmental impacts from the
No-Action Alternative would be not
significant.
Agencies and Persons Consulted
In accordance with its stated policy,
on August 8, 2018, the staff provided
the Wyoming Department of
Environmental Quality (WDEQ) and the
Wyoming State Historic Preservation
Office (WY SHPO), with the draft EA for
review and comment (ADAMS
Accession Nos. ML18211A382 and
ML18215A054). On August 29, 2018,
the WDEQ stated that it had no
comment on the draft EA, but noted one
typographical error in the NRC’s
transmittal letter (ADAMS Accession
No. ML18247A356). The WY SHPO also
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Federal Register / Vol. 83, No. 186 / Tuesday, September 25, 2018 / Notices
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responded on August 29, 2018, stating
that the WY SHPO would not be
commenting, considering its
understanding that Section 106
consultation was completed during the
original licensing for the project
(ADAMS Accession No. ML18242A349).
On August 9, 2018, the NRC staff
made sections of the draft EA
concerning historic and cultural
resources available on the NRC public
web page for the Smith Ranch Project
for public comment at https://
www.nrc.gov/materials/uraniumrecovery/license-apps/smith-ranch/
section106-smith-ranch.html. On the
same date, the NRC staff also made
these same sections of the draft EA
available to the Tribal Historic
Preservation Officers (THPOs) from 27
Native American Tribes for their review
and comment.
No comments were received from
members of the public. In response to
comments received from the THPO for
the Northern Arapaho Tribe (ADAMS
Accession No. ML18247A228), the NRC
staff hosted two conference calls, on
August 28 and 30, 2018, to discuss the
staff’s approach concerning protection
of historic and cultural resources
(ADAMS Accession No. ML18243A262);
no THPOs attended these calls. The
NRC staff also held a conference call
with the Northern Cheyenne THPO on
August 31, 2018 (ADAMS Accession
No. ML18260A046). No written
comments were received from the
Northern Cheyenne THPO. However,
the NRC staff addressed the Northern
Arapaho THPO’s comments provided on
August 31, 2018, conference call in the
final EA.
Additional Information
The NRC staff conducted its
environmental review in accordance
with 10 CFR part 51, which implements
the requirements of the National
Environmental Policy Act of 1969, as
amended (NEPA) and following the
NRC staff guidance in NUREG–1748,
‘‘Environmental Review Guidance for
Licensing Actions Associated with
NMSS Programs’’ (ADAMS Accession
No. ML032450279).
In May 2009, the NRC staff issued
NUREG–1910, ‘‘Generic Environmental
Impact Statement for In-Situ Leach
Uranium Milling Facilities’’ (herein
referred to as the GEIS) (ADAMS
Accession No. ML15093A368 and
ML15093A486). In the GEIS, the NRC
staff assessed the potential
environmental impacts from
construction, operation, aquifer
restoration, and decommissioning of an
in-situ leach uranium milling facility
(also known as an ISR facility) located
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17:40 Sep 24, 2018
Jkt 244001
in four specific geographic regions of
the western United States. Smith Ranch
Project properties are located in two of
these four regions.
Where applicable, this EA
incorporates by reference relevant
portions from the GEIS, and uses sitespecific information from Cameco’s
license renewal application and
responses to NRC staff requests for
additional information, and from
independent sources to fulfill the
requirements in 10 CFR 51.20(b)(8).
License SUA–1548 authorizes Cameco
to conduct ISR operations at four
properties under the Smith Ranch
Project located in Wyoming: The
contiguous Smith Ranch, Highland, and
Reynolds Ranch properties in Converse
County; the North Butte remote satellite
site in Campbell County; the Ruth
remote satellite site in Johnson County;
and the Gas Hills remote satellite site in
Fremont and Natrona Counties.
In the EA, the NRC staff assessed the
potential environmental impacts from
the continued construction, operation,
aquifer restoration, and
decommissioning of the sites under the
Smith Ranch Project. The NRC staff
assessed the impacts of the proposed
action on land use; historical and
cultural resources; visual and scenic
resources; climatology, meteorology and
air quality; geology, minerals, and soils;
water resources; ecological resources;
socioeconomics; noise; traffic and
transportation; public and occupational
health and safety; and waste
management.
In addition to the action proposed by
the licensee, the NRC staff addressed the
No-Action Alternative that serves as a
baseline for comparison of the potential
environmental impacts of the proposed
action. Under the No-Action
Alternative, the NRC staff would deny
renewal of License SUA–1548.
After weighing the impacts of the
proposed license renewal and
comparing to the No-Action Alternative,
the NRC staff, in accordance with 10
CFR 51.91(d), sets forth its NEPA
recommendation regarding the proposed
action (granting the NRC license
renewal request for the Smith Ranch
Project). Unless safety issues mandate
otherwise, the NRC staff
recommendation related to the
environmental aspects of the proposed
action is that a renewed NRC license be
issued. The EA for the proposed
renewal of License SUA–1548 may be
accessed at ADAMS Accession No.
ML18257A071.
III. Finding of No Significant Impact
Based on its review of the proposed
action, and in accordance with the
PO 00000
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Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
48463
requirements in 10 CFR part 51, the
NRC staff has determined that renewal
of source materials license SUA–1548
for the Smith Ranch Project would not
significantly affect the quality of the
human environment. In its license
renewal request, Cameco proposed
increased ground water flowrates at
certain of the project properties with
previously approved uranium recovery
to commence at the Reynolds Ranch
satellite and at the Gas Hills remote
satellite site. No other significant
changes in Cameco’s authorized
operations for the Smith Ranch Project
were requested. Approval of the
proposed action would not result in an
increased radiological risk to public
health or the environment. The NRC
staff has determined that pursuant to 10
CFR 51.31, preparation of an EIS is not
required for the proposed action and
that, pursuant to 10 CFR 51.32, a FONSI
is appropriate.
Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 20th day
of September 2018.
For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Craig G. Erlanger,
Director, Division of Fuel Cycle Safety,
Safeguards, and Environmental Review,
Office of Nuclear Material Safety and
Safeguards.
[FR Doc. 2018–20793 Filed 9–24–18; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7590–01–P
NUCLEAR REGULATORY
COMMISSION
[NRC–2018–0208]
Biweekly Notice; Applications and
Amendments to Facility Operating
Licenses and Combined Licenses
Involving No Significant Hazards
Considerations
Nuclear Regulatory
Commission.
ACTION: Biweekly notice.
AGENCY:
Pursuant to Section 189a.(2)
of the Atomic Energy Act of 1954, as
amended (the Act), the U.S. Nuclear
Regulatory Commission (NRC) is
publishing this regular biweekly notice.
The Act requires the Commission to
publish notice of any amendments
issued, or proposed to be issued, and
grants the Commission the authority to
issue and make immediately effective
any amendment to an operating license
or combined license, as applicable,
upon a determination by the
Commission that such amendment
involves no significant hazards
consideration, notwithstanding the
pendency before the Commission of a
request for a hearing from any person.
SUMMARY:
E:\FR\FM\25SEN1.SGM
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]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 186 (Tuesday, September 25, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 48461-48463]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-20793]
=======================================================================
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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION
[Docket No. 40-8964; NRC-2012-0214]
Cameco Resources; Smith Ranch-Highland Uranium Project
AGENCY: Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
ACTION: Environmental assessment and finding of no significant impact;
issuance.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is considering
the renewal of NRC source materials license SUA-1548, to authorize
continued uranium in-situ recovery (ISR) operations at the sites under
the Smith Ranch-Highland Uranium Project (Smith Ranch Project) (Docket
No. 40-8964). The NRC has prepared an Environmental Assessment (EA) and
Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) for this licensing action.
[[Page 48462]]
DATES: The EA referenced in this document is available on September 25,
2018.
ADDRESSES: Please refer to Docket ID NRC-2012-0214 when contacting the
NRC about the availability of information regarding this document. You
may obtain publicly-available information related to this document
using any of the following methods:
Federal Rulemaking Website: Go to https://www.regulations.gov and search for Docket ID NRC-2012-0214. Address
questions about NRC dockets to Jennifer Borges; telephone: 301-287-
9127; email: [email protected]. For technical questions, contact
the individual listed in the FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT section of
this document.
NRC's Agencywide Documents Access and Management System
(ADAMS): You may obtain publicly-available documents online in the
ADAMS Public Documents collection at https://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/adams.html. To begin the search, select ``Begin Web-based ADAMS
Search.'' For problems with ADAMS, please contact the NRC's Public
Document Room (PDR) reference staff at 1-800-397-4209, 301-415-4737, or
by email to [email protected]. The ADAMS accession number for each
document referenced (if it is available in ADAMS) is provided the first
time that it is mentioned in this document.
NRC's PDR: You may examine and purchase copies of public
documents at the NRC's PDR, Room O1-F21, One White Flint North, 11555
Rockville Pike, Rockville, Maryland 20852.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: James Park, Office of Nuclear Material
Safety and Safeguards, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington
DC 20555-0001; telephone: 301-415-6954; email: [email protected].
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. Introduction
The NRC is considering the renewal of NRC source materials license
No. SUA-1548 issued to Power Resources Inc. (doing business as Cameco
Resources [Cameco]). License SUA-1548 authorizes Cameco to conduct ISR
operations at the following four sites under the Smith Ranch Project
located in Wyoming: The Smith Ranch site in Converse County (which
encompasses the contiguous Smith Ranch, Highland, and Reynolds Ranch
properties); the North Butte remote satellite site in Campbell County;
the Ruth remote satellite site in Johnson County; and the Gas Hills
remote satellite site in Fremont and Natrona Counties. Therefore, as
required by part 51 of title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations (10
CFR part 51), ``Environmental Protection Regulations for Domestic
Licensing and Related Regulatory Functions,'' the NRC performed an EA.
Based on the results of the EA, the NRC has determined not to prepare
an environmental impact statement (EIS) for the amendment, and is
issuing a FONSI.
II. Environmental Assessment
Description of the Proposed Action
The proposed action would allow Cameco to continue ISR operations
at the four sites under the Smith Ranch Project. As proposed, Cameco
would continue to recover uranium from subsurface uranium deposits
using the ISR process, open new wellfield areas for additional uranium
recovery, perform aquifer restoration in wellfields where uranium
recovery has ended, and conduct decommissioning activities as site-wide
activities wind down. Additionally, Cameco requested NRC approval of
increased ground water flowrates at certain project sites and the
commencement of previously approved uranium recovery at the Reynolds
Ranch satellite and at the Gas Hills remote satellite site. The
proposed action is in accordance with the licensee's application dated
February 1, 2012 (ADAMS Accession Nos. ML12234A537 and ML12234A539).
Need for the Proposed Action
The proposed action would allow Cameco to continue recovering
uranium at the Smith Ranch Project sites. The licensee would process
the recovered uranium into yellowcake at the existing central
processing plant currently located on the Smith Ranch property and at
the central processing facility located on the Highland property.
Yellowcake is the uranium oxide product of the ISR milling process that
is used to produce various products, including fuel for commercially-
operated nuclear power reactors.
Environmental Impacts of the Proposed Action
The NRC staff has assessed the potential environmental impacts from
Cameco's continued ISR-related construction, operation, aquifer
restoration, and decommissioning activities at the Smith Ranch Project
sites. The NRC staff assessed the impacts of the proposed action on
land use; historical and cultural resources; visual and scenic
resources; climatology, meteorology and air quality; geology, minerals,
and soils; water resources; ecological resources; socioeconomics;
noise; traffic and transportation; public and occupational health and
safety; and waste management. Impacts to all resources except ground
water and noise were determined to be SMALL (i.e., not detectable or
minor); ground water impacts were determined to be SMALL to MODERATE
and noise impacts MODERATE (i.e., sufficient to alter noticeably, but
not to destabilize, important attributes of the resource) to onsite
workers and wildlife. The NRC staff concluded that renewal of source
materials license SUA-1548 for the Smith Ranch Project would not
significantly affect the quality of the human environment. Approval of
the proposed action would not result in an increased radiological risk
to public health or the environment.
Environmental Impacts of the Alternatives to the Proposed Action
As an alternative to the proposed action, the staff considered
denial of the proposed license renewal (i.e., the ``No-Action''
alternative). Under the No-Action Alternative, Cameco would transition
ongoing ISR operations at the Smith Ranch and Highland properties and
at the North Butte remote satellite site from active uranium recovery
to aquifer restoration and decommissioning. A much smaller amount of
yellowcake would be produced, resulting from aquifer restoration
activities.
Decommissioning activities also would occur at the Reynolds Ranch
satellite and the Ruth and Gas Hills remote satellite sites to remove
existing infrastructure. Cameco would be required by 10 CFR part
40.42(d) to submit a detailed decommissioning plan to the NRC staff for
review and approval at least 12 months before the planned commencement
of final decommissioning. The NRC concluded that environmental impacts
from the No-Action Alternative would be not significant.
Agencies and Persons Consulted
In accordance with its stated policy, on August 8, 2018, the staff
provided the Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality (WDEQ) and the
Wyoming State Historic Preservation Office (WY SHPO), with the draft EA
for review and comment (ADAMS Accession Nos. ML18211A382 and
ML18215A054). On August 29, 2018, the WDEQ stated that it had no
comment on the draft EA, but noted one typographical error in the NRC's
transmittal letter (ADAMS Accession No. ML18247A356). The WY SHPO also
[[Page 48463]]
responded on August 29, 2018, stating that the WY SHPO would not be
commenting, considering its understanding that Section 106 consultation
was completed during the original licensing for the project (ADAMS
Accession No. ML18242A349).
On August 9, 2018, the NRC staff made sections of the draft EA
concerning historic and cultural resources available on the NRC public
web page for the Smith Ranch Project for public comment at https://www.nrc.gov/materials/uranium-recovery/license-apps/smith-ranch/section106-smith-ranch.html. On the same date, the NRC staff also made
these same sections of the draft EA available to the Tribal Historic
Preservation Officers (THPOs) from 27 Native American Tribes for their
review and comment.
No comments were received from members of the public. In response
to comments received from the THPO for the Northern Arapaho Tribe
(ADAMS Accession No. ML18247A228), the NRC staff hosted two conference
calls, on August 28 and 30, 2018, to discuss the staff's approach
concerning protection of historic and cultural resources (ADAMS
Accession No. ML18243A262); no THPOs attended these calls. The NRC
staff also held a conference call with the Northern Cheyenne THPO on
August 31, 2018 (ADAMS Accession No. ML18260A046). No written comments
were received from the Northern Cheyenne THPO. However, the NRC staff
addressed the Northern Arapaho THPO's comments provided on August 31,
2018, conference call in the final EA.
Additional Information
The NRC staff conducted its environmental review in accordance with
10 CFR part 51, which implements the requirements of the National
Environmental Policy Act of 1969, as amended (NEPA) and following the
NRC staff guidance in NUREG-1748, ``Environmental Review Guidance for
Licensing Actions Associated with NMSS Programs'' (ADAMS Accession No.
ML032450279).
In May 2009, the NRC staff issued NUREG-1910, ``Generic
Environmental Impact Statement for In-Situ Leach Uranium Milling
Facilities'' (herein referred to as the GEIS) (ADAMS Accession No.
ML15093A368 and ML15093A486). In the GEIS, the NRC staff assessed the
potential environmental impacts from construction, operation, aquifer
restoration, and decommissioning of an in-situ leach uranium milling
facility (also known as an ISR facility) located in four specific
geographic regions of the western United States. Smith Ranch Project
properties are located in two of these four regions.
Where applicable, this EA incorporates by reference relevant
portions from the GEIS, and uses site-specific information from
Cameco's license renewal application and responses to NRC staff
requests for additional information, and from independent sources to
fulfill the requirements in 10 CFR 51.20(b)(8).
License SUA-1548 authorizes Cameco to conduct ISR operations at
four properties under the Smith Ranch Project located in Wyoming: The
contiguous Smith Ranch, Highland, and Reynolds Ranch properties in
Converse County; the North Butte remote satellite site in Campbell
County; the Ruth remote satellite site in Johnson County; and the Gas
Hills remote satellite site in Fremont and Natrona Counties.
In the EA, the NRC staff assessed the potential environmental
impacts from the continued construction, operation, aquifer
restoration, and decommissioning of the sites under the Smith Ranch
Project. The NRC staff assessed the impacts of the proposed action on
land use; historical and cultural resources; visual and scenic
resources; climatology, meteorology and air quality; geology, minerals,
and soils; water resources; ecological resources; socioeconomics;
noise; traffic and transportation; public and occupational health and
safety; and waste management.
In addition to the action proposed by the licensee, the NRC staff
addressed the No-Action Alternative that serves as a baseline for
comparison of the potential environmental impacts of the proposed
action. Under the No-Action Alternative, the NRC staff would deny
renewal of License SUA-1548.
After weighing the impacts of the proposed license renewal and
comparing to the No-Action Alternative, the NRC staff, in accordance
with 10 CFR 51.91(d), sets forth its NEPA recommendation regarding the
proposed action (granting the NRC license renewal request for the Smith
Ranch Project). Unless safety issues mandate otherwise, the NRC staff
recommendation related to the environmental aspects of the proposed
action is that a renewed NRC license be issued. The EA for the proposed
renewal of License SUA-1548 may be accessed at ADAMS Accession No.
ML18257A071.
III. Finding of No Significant Impact
Based on its review of the proposed action, and in accordance with
the requirements in 10 CFR part 51, the NRC staff has determined that
renewal of source materials license SUA-1548 for the Smith Ranch
Project would not significantly affect the quality of the human
environment. In its license renewal request, Cameco proposed increased
ground water flowrates at certain of the project properties with
previously approved uranium recovery to commence at the Reynolds Ranch
satellite and at the Gas Hills remote satellite site. No other
significant changes in Cameco's authorized operations for the Smith
Ranch Project were requested. Approval of the proposed action would not
result in an increased radiological risk to public health or the
environment. The NRC staff has determined that pursuant to 10 CFR
51.31, preparation of an EIS is not required for the proposed action
and that, pursuant to 10 CFR 51.32, a FONSI is appropriate.
Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 20th day of September 2018.
For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Craig G. Erlanger,
Director, Division of Fuel Cycle Safety, Safeguards, and Environmental
Review, Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards.
[FR Doc. 2018-20793 Filed 9-24-18; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7590-01-P
