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NRC NEWS
U. S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION |
| Office of Public Affairs |
Telephone: 301/415-8200 |
| Washington, DC 20555-001 |
E-mail: opa@nrc.gov |
No. 96-92 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
(Thursday, June 27, 1996)
NRC TRANSFERS RESPONSIBILITY FOR
SOUTH DAKOTA URANIUM MILL TAILINGS DISPOSAL SITE TO DOE
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission has terminated the Tennessee
Valley Authority's license for a closed, cleaned-up uranium mill tailings
site in Edgemont, South Dakota, and has placed the site under the custody
and long-term care of the Department of Energy.
This is the first commercially operated uranium mill site to be
cleaned up satisfactorily by a licensee--in conformance with NRC
requirements--so that the license can be terminated and the site turned
over to DOE under the Uranium Mill Tailings Radiation Control Act of
1978.
During operation of the mill from 1956 to 1972, about 2.3 million
tons of uranium mill tailings accumulated. TVA bought the facility in
1974, but never operated it.
TVA conducted cleanup activities at the site from 1984 to 1989,
placing about 4.5 million tons of tailings, contaminated native soil,
building equipment and debris in an impoundment designed and engineered
for long-term disposal. The impoundment area has been fenced to prevent
human or animal intrusion.
NRC formally notified DOE on June 27 that its long-term
surveillance plan for the Edgemont site is acceptable. This action and
termination of the TVA license complete all legal requirements for
permanent closure of the site.
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