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Rio Algom - Ambrosia Lake

1.0 Site Identification

2.0 Site Status Summary

This is a uranium mill tailings site in the Ambrosia Lake uranium district of New Mexico. It is location approximately 25 miles north of Grants, New Mexico. The tailings impoundment contains 33 million tons of uranium ore and covers an area of approximately 370 acres.

The site status changed from standby to reclamation in August 2003 to reflect the licensee?s intent to begin full demolition and reclamation of the site leading to termination of the specific license. The mill was demolished and disposed of in the tailings impoundment in late 2003. The demolition was completed in accordance with a mill demolition plan approved by NRC in October 2003. The staff issued a license amendment for alternate concentration limits (ACLs) at the site in February 2006. Consequently, all groundwater corrective actions have been discontinued, and Rio Algom is finalizing the site tailings reclamation. A portion of the tailings impoundment is still open for disposal of Atomic Energy Act, Section 11e.(2) byproduct material. A final soil DP entitled, Closure Plan - Lined Evaporation Ponds (Relocation Plan) was submitted to the NRC in November of 2004, and partially approved. A portion of the report, pertinent to the "Section 4" and Pond 9 evaporation pond sediment material has been reviewed and approved. The final licensing action will be the approval of a redesigned channel. The cost for decommissioning is estimated to be approximately $18 million.

3.0 Major Technical or Regulatory Issues

Rio Algom has notified NRC that they intend to sell the property and that the license will be transferred. An application for an indirect change of control was filed by the licensee.

4.0 Estimated Date For Closure

01/01/2010

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