
WHITE MESA URANIUM MILL
San Juan County, Utah
WHITE MESA LICENSE RENEWAL
◊ LICENSE RENEWAL COMMENTS
The Utah Division of Radiation Control received extensive comments on the draft License and Safety Evaluation Report for the license renewal of the White Mesa Uranium MIll, San Juan County, Utah. Comments were received from Uranium Watch, and others; the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe, the Sheep Mountain Alliance, and possibly others.
The DRC has initially decided to renew the license for an additional 5 years. Denison Mines (USA) submitted a timely License Renewal Application in 2007. The DRC has been reviewing the Application for almost 5 years.
The 30-day public comment period commenced on Friday, October 14, 2011, and end at 5:00 p.m. on Monday, December 21. Uranium Watch has requested an extension of the comment period.
The Utah Division of Radiation of Radiation Control (DRC) extended the period for comments on the Liense Renewal for the White Mesa Mill to December 21, 2011.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
• DRC Public Notice
Contact John Hultquist
801-536-4250
jhultquist@utah.gov
• Draft License
• Draft Safety Evaluation Report
• License Renewal Application
Mail Comments To:
Rusty Lundberg
Division of Radiation Control
P.O. Box 144850
Salt Lake City, Utah 84114-4850
E-mail Comments To: rlundberg@utah.gov
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◊ MILL OWNER AND OPERATOR:
Denison Mines (USA) Corporation
1050 17th Street, Suite 950
Denver, Colorado 80265
303-628-7798
◊ PERMITS:
Utah Radioactive Materials License No. UT1900479 (Division of Radiation Control)
Ground Water Discharge Permit No. UW370004 (Division of Radiation Control/Div. of Water Quality)
Air Quality Permit (Division of Air Quality)
◊ MINE SAFETY AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATION (MSHA)
MSHA ID NUMBER: 4201429
MSHA Inspection, Accident, Violation, and Employment Information: Click Here
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NEWS
2011
Denison Mines CEO Complains About Citizen Challenges
• Read San Juan Record article - White Mesa Uranium Mill is an economic juggernaut in San Juan - February 16, 2011
2010
Utah Issues Draft License for New Tailing Cell
The Utah Division of Radiation Control (DRC) has issued a Public Notice of an amendment to Radioactive Materials License No. UT1900479 to permit the Construction of a New Tailings Impoundment (Cell 4B) and the Modification to the Groundwater Discharge Permit No. UGW37004. Public comments are invited anytime prior to 5:00 p.m. on May 10, 2010.
The DRC will hold a public meeting to receive oral and written comments on May 4, 2010. The meeting will from 7 pm to 9 pm at the Blanding Arts and Events Center located at 715 West 200 South, Blanding (Utah State/College of Eastern Utah Campus). Comments on the Cell 4B license amendment will be received from 7 pm to 8 pm, and the groundwater discharge permit from 8 pm to 9 pm.
The construction of the new tailings impoundment will destroy ancient pit houses on White Mesa. Pictures of some of the archeological sites that were destroyed when the mill was constructed 30 years ago are shown in a 2004 White Mesa Archeological Sites Report.
• Additional Information:
< Contact Phil Goble at 801/536-4044 or pgoble@utah.gov
< Tailings Cell 4B Proposed Construction Application
< Draft License and Permit, Statement of Basis, Safety Evaluation Report
< White Mesa Archeological Sites Report
< White Mesa Mill
• Send Comments:
E-mail: pgoble@utah.gov
Mail: Division of Radiation Control, P.O. 144850, Salt Lake City, Utah 84114-4850
June 2008
Denison Mines submitted a request to construct a new tailings impoundment - Cell 4B - to the west of tailing Cell 4A. The new impoundment would be 40 acres. The Utah Division of Radiation Control (DRC) is reviewing the license amendment application (see documents below). The review process involves requests for additional information (RAIs) and licensee responses. The DRC will develop an Environmental Report for public review and comment.
April 2008
Dension has begun to process uranium ore (rather than the radioactive waste that it had been processing for the last 10 years) from the Tony M and other Company owned mines, such as the Pandora Mine in La Sal, Utah. Denison is also contracting to receive uranium ore from other mines on the Colrado Plateau
March 2007
Denision Mines has submitted a timely ten-year license renewal application. The DRC is continuing to review the renewal application. The DRC's Environmental Report and an opportunity for public review and comment is expected in 2009. The renewal application is found below.
MILL DOCUMENTS
• Inspection Reports
~ Inspection with NRC - May 9, 2007
~ Inspection - October 16 and 17, 2007
~ 1st quarter insection, March 26, 2008
~ 2nd quarter inspection, May 28 and 29, 2008
Docments below are also available at the DRC website:
http://www.radiationcontrol.utah.gov/Uranium_Mills/index.htm
• Application for New Tailings Cell 4B
~ License Amendment Application - June 11, 2008
~ Proposed Construction - not available
~ Engineering Design Report - December 31, 2007
~ Environmental Report - April 30, 2008
~~ Attachment A - Hydrology
~~ Attachment B - Proposed Development
~~ Attachment C - Radiological Monitoring
~~ Figure 4.1 - Aerial View
~~ Figure 12 - Map
• White Mesa Uranium Mill License Renewal Application - February 28, 2007
~ Volume 1 - License Renewal Application
~ Volume 2 - Appendices A - I
~ Volume 3 - Appendices J - O
~ Volume 4 - Environmental Report
~ Volume 5 -
Environmental Report, Appendices A, B, and C
~ List of Supplemental Information - Documents available at DRC office
• University of Utah Groundwater Age and Isotopic Fingerprinting
~ Preliminary Study - February 1, 2008
~ Final Report - May 19, 2008
• Background Groundwater Quality Report for Existing Wells
~ Revised Addendum to Background Groundwater Quality Report for Existing Wells - November 16, 2007
~ Revised Background Groundwater Quality Report - October 26, 2007
~~ Appendix G
~ Addendum to Background Groundwater Quality Report - April 19, 2007
~~ Appendix A - References
~~ Appendix B - Calculated Travel Times
~~ Maps, Plots, and Figures
~ Background Groundwater Quality Report - December 29, 2006
• Background Groundwater Quality Report for New Wells
~ Main Data Table (MDT) - August 3, 2006
~ MDT: New Data for Analysis
~ MDT: New Data to Add
~ MDT: Data for Analysis
~ MDT: Duplicates - All Uranium Data Dissolved Mass: Lab
~ All Uranium Data Dissolved Mass: Removed Data
~ All Uranium Data Dissolved Mass: For Statistics
~ All Uranium Data Dissolved Mass: Statistics
• Groundwater
~ Chloroform Ground Water Corrective Action Project
~ Chloroform Quarterly Monitoring Reports
~ Ground Water Contaminant Investigation Report
~ Ground Water Corrective Action Plan - August 20, 2007
• Groundwater Permit Renewal Application -September 2009
• White Mesa Licensing Records
• Tailing Impoundments
~ Cell 4A Re-lining Project
• Modification of White Mesa Uranium Mill - Ground Water Discharge Permit No. UGW370004 - September 2009
• Public Notice
• Modification to Groundwater Discharge Permit (red line)
• Statement of Basis
• Attachment 1 - Final Report - Hurst and Soloman
• Attachment 2 - URS Completeness Review
• Attachment 3 - DRC Findings and Recommended Action
• Division of Radiation Control - Notice and Information
DIVISION OF AIR QUALITY
• 2008 Annual 40 CFR Part 61 Subpart W Compliance Report - March 2009 (radon)
• 2010 Annual 40 CFR Part 61 Subpart W Compliance Report - March 2011
• Mill Inspection for Air Quality Compliance - May 2008
Last Updated January 13, 2012