UMTRAUranium Mill TailingsRemedial Action ProjectVicinity Property Program

Vicinity Property Program

I. The Uranium Mill TailingsRemedial Action (UMTRA) Project

In November 1978, Congress enacted the"Uranium Mill Tailings Radiation Control Act"(Public Law 95-̂ 04) to stabilize and control the tail-ings in a safe and environmentally sound manner andto minimize or eliminate potential radiation healthhazards to the public.

The Act identified 24 millsite locations nationwide(Figure 1), and authorized the U.S. Department of

Energy (DOE) to enter into cooperative agreementswith the affected States and Indian Tribes to conductan assessment of the problem and to initiate aremedial action program. The cost of the programwas to be shared as 90 percent Federal funds and 10percent State funds; except when the site was locatedon Indian lands, the Federal Government was re-quired to pay the entire cost

Bowman •

Lakeview /Lowman " i Spook '

Riverton

Salt Lake City~ ~1 |l • i_. _Maybell_ ^

/ Grand Junction •Green River* ' • * |-

• Natur'ita* »Gunnison

Mexican Hat. ' 'Slickrock (2) |* Ourango

Monument' l*Shiprock

1. This map Identifies the 24 mllltlte location* Included In the UMTRA Project.

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The Act also authorized the U.S. EnvironmentalProtection Agency (EPA) to promulgate generalstandards to be applied to cleanup work conductedunder the auspices of the Uranium Mill TailingsRemedial Action (UMTRA) Project. In March 1983,the Environmental Protection Agency Published"Standards for Remedial Action at Inactive UraniumProcessing Sites" (40 CFR Part 192). These stan-dards established guidelines for control of the tailingspiles and the cleanup of buildings and open lands.

The Act further requires that the selection and per-formance of all remedial actions undertaken byDepartment of Energy are to be with the full par-ticipation of the affected States and Indian Tribes,and with the full concurrence of the U.S. NuclearRegulatory Commission (NRC). The NuclearRegulatory Commission is responsible for concur-rence in the selection of each disposal site, and par-ticipates in the engineering design, construction

monitoring, certification, and long-term surveillanceand monitoring plan for each site. After remedial ac-tion has been completed, each repository will belicensed by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

The Department of Energy and the NuclearRegulatory Commission entered into a Memorandumof Understanding whereby NRC concurrence wasgranted for all vicinity property sites where remedialaction was to be accomplished in accordance withEPA standards. However, separate concurrence is re-quired by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission forany vicinity property where the Department of Ener-gy proposes to invoke supplemental standards. TheNuclear Regulatory Commission will receive a copyof each Radiologic and Engineering Assessment, acopy of the Property Completion Report, and theDOE Certification Letter on each vicinity propertywhich has been included in the UMTRA Project.

Summary of EPA StandardsTopic Standard

Control of Tailings PilesLongevityRadon emissionWater protection

Clean-up of BuildingsIndoor radon decay productsIndoor gamma radiation

Clean-up of LandSurface

Buried

ExceptionsProcedureApplicability

200-1000 years20 pCi/m2s: or 0.5 pCi/lNo limits, site specific judgment

0.02 WL action; reduce below 0.03 WL20 microR/hr above background

5 pCi/g above background in 15 cm surfacelayer15 pCi/g above background in any 15 cmlayer below surface layer

Supplemental standardsHealth, safety, costs, quantity, and accessibility

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Exposure ReductionSince uranium is a naturally occurring element, its

radioactive decay products are always present in theenvironment. They do not present a hazard to healthor the environment unless they become concentratedand are placed where people can be exposed to them.

The radioactive decay chain for natural uraniumeventually produces lead, which is stable and non-radioactive. Some of the more important steps in thedecay chain are shown below.

The uranium mill tailings present at vicinityproperties may present a potential long-term health

hazard principally because they emit small amountsof radon and some gamma radiation. Radon is morereadily released from tailings because the ore hasbeen finely crushed. Radon progeny, decay productsof radium, can attach themselves to smoke and dustparticles and damage sensitive lung tissues if inhaledover a long period of time.

One of the objectives of the Uranium Mill TailingsRemedial Action Project is to reduce or eliminatehuman exposure to radon and other residual radioac-tive substances that may be present due to the use ofmill tailings.

Radon Bismuth

(Parent) (Daughter)

Lead(stable)

2. Uranium Decay Chain

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Pathways For Human Exposure

WindblownDust

Radon and DecayProducts Accumulated

in Buildings RadioactivityAbsorbed

in Vegetation

3. Human health can be threatened by direct exposure to residual radioactive materials,ingestion of contaminated drinking water or vegetation, or exposure to radon gas that hasaccumulated in closed buildings.

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4. When uranium millsprocessed ore, about98 percent of thematerial whichentered the mill asore came out aswaste in the form ofmill tailings. This is aphotograph of theMexican Hat Mill inUtah.

5. Uranium mill tailingsare a fine, sandymaterial which stillcontain much of theradioactivity that waspresent in theunprocessed ore. Inthis picture thetailings are the lightgray area.

II. Vicinity Properties ProgramLocations away from inactive millsites where tail-

ings were used for construction purposes are called"vicinity properties."

The Department of Energy has used a variety ofmethods to identify vicinity properties which may beincluded in the UMTRA Project. Mobile-van surveys,on-site inspections, and records from uranium millsand processing plants were all used to identify proper-ties.

A master listing of approximately 8,000 designatedvicinity properties has been compiled. These

properties have been identified by the Department ofEnergy to receive inclusion surveys. It is estimatedthat approximately 50 to 60 percent of these proper-ties contain uranium mill tailings in excess of EPAstandards and will require remediation by theUMTRA Project.

The remedial action process for vicinity properties,as performed by the Department of Energy, its con-tractors and subcontractors, follows the steps outlinedbelow.

Obtain OwnerAccess Agreement

Prepare/CoordinateOwner Agreement

—— )».

—— »-

Perform InclusionSurvey

Perform RemedialAction ——— »•

Prepare RemedialAction Design

Verify/CertifyRemedial Action

Completion

6. Vicinity Properties Remedial Action Process

Perform Inclusion SurveyUsing the locations from the designated property

list, the Inclusion Survey Contractor completes apreliminary radiologic survey of a property for anyevidence of mill tailings. A report summarizing thesurvey findings and recommending inclusion or ex-clusion is prepared and submitted to the Departmentof Energy for action.

If contamination levels on a property exceed thestandards published by the Environmental ProtectionAgency, the Department of Energy informs theproperty owner that the property has been included inthe Uranium Mill Tailings Remedial Action Project.

If levels do not exceed EPA Standards, the proper-ty is excluded from the UMTRA Project and theDepartment of Energy so notifies the property owner.

7. The Inclusion Survey Contractor crew doing the preliminary survey of a property.

Prepare Remedial Action Design

Once a property is included in the UMTRA Project, the Remedial Action Contractor is assigned responsibility for completing remedial work so that contamination levels at the property are midgated to comply with Environmental Protecdon Agency stan­dards. After the uranium mill tailings have been removed, the property is restored to a condition similar lo that which existed prior to remedial acdon.

Physical Survey—Prior to preparing the design for remedial action, a physical survey of the property

is completed to map structures, fences, landscaping, sidewalks, or other permanent improvements on the property.

Radiological Survey—Next, a detailed radiologic survey which identifies the specific locations, depths, and extent of tailings is conducted.

Master Drawing—All pertinent information from the physical and radiologic surveys is incorporated into master drawings of the property for use in remedial action design.

8. Surveyors map all permanent improvements on a major vicinity property.

0<: 0 5 i

9. Scintillometers areused to develop abroad outline of thetailings deposits.

10. A grid is set up todetermine thedimensions of thearea to receiveremedial action.

11. Soil samples aretaken and analyzedto determine theradium content ofthe soil.

12. Interior surveys maybe conducted if it issuspected that thetailings continuebeneath a structure.

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13. Computer-assisteddrawing (CAD) workstations provide a rapid,efficient method oftransferring surveydetails to a master plotplan.

14. This is a completed CADplot plan.

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Prepare/Coordinate OwnerAgreement

A written Radiologic and Engineering Assessment(REA) is prepared and a meeting is arranged betweenthe Remedial Action Contractor's Architect/Engineerand the property owners to review the survey dataand the construction design. The Radiologic and En-gineering Assessment is the basis for the RemedialAction Agreement (RAA).

The Remedial Action Agreement outlines theresponsibilities of the parties involved and statesowner acceptance of all aspects of the constructionphase (e.g., methods, materials, potential dislocation,and construction time). The Remedial Action Agree-ment is the formal contractual agreement between theproperty owners, the Department of Energy, and theState, and is signed by all parties.

Perform Remedial Action

The Remedial Action Contractor (RAC) solicitscompetitive bids to perform the construction work.

Once a contract is awarded, the construction sub-contractor representative, along with the RAC con-struction inspector and the property owners, conductsa property walk-through to determine and documentits preconstruction condition.

Vicinity properties construction work can rangefrom simple, minor tailings deposit removal (earthremoval in sidewalk bedding, yards, vacant lots, etc.)to significant activities for buildings with internalstructure involvement.

Following tailings removal, the subcontractorrestores the property to a condition similar to thatwhich existed prior to remedial action. The RemedialAction Contractor's construction inspectors carefullymonitor the work during excavation and restorationto ensure that all activities are performed in a safe,cost-effective, and timely manner.

Once the tailings have been removed andreconstruction at the property is completed, theproperty is inspected by all parties. Owners indicatetheir approval of the final condition by signing a"Notice of Final Inspection."

The following are examples of vicinity propertiesconstruction projects.

15. The vicinity property isinspected by the owner,the constructionsubcontractor and theRemedial ActionContractor'sconstruction inspectoron work completion.

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16. Remedial action at thisresidence involvedremoval ol tailings frombeneath the carport anddriveway.

17. Tailings have beenremoved. Clean dirt isused as the backfill forthe new concreteflooring and driveway.

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18. Placing of the concreteis complete.

19. The residence drivewayat the completion ofremedial action.

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20. The land surroundingthis commercial properlycontained extensivetailings deposits.

21. The entrance of thisnewspaper's offices andprinting plant followingrestoration oflandscaping at theproject's completion.

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22. Tailings removal often involves subgrade utilitylines. The technician is checking for "scale"contamination adhering to the lines.

23. The depth of tailingsdeposits at this publicbuilding requiredsubstantial excavation.

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24. Extensive shoringsupport of the buildingfloor was installed.

25. An interior view of thebuilding prior tobackfilling the excavatedareas with cleanmaterials.

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26. The concrete is being removed to allow accessto the mill tailings used as (ill beneath thispublic sidewalk in Edgemont, South Dakota.

27. New sidewalks beinginstalled at thecompletion of theremedial action.

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28. This home had tailingsbeneath the basementfloor.

29. The furnace is hoisted topermit removal of thetailings.

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30. The furnace area afternew concrete flooringinstalled.

31. The subfloor of thisresidence enclosedporch contained tailings.The blue line indicatesthe limits of the area tobe excavated.

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32. The tailings have beenremoved and cleanwashed gravel and rockfilled in.

33. An additional layer ofclean sand is put inbefore replacing thefloor.

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34. The enclosed porch after i^*restoration.

35. This home requiredremoval of the entirebasement family roomfloor. The wood grid isused to photograph theflagstones in place forrepositioning.

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36. The flooring has beenremoved and excavationbegun.

37. Plywood has beeninstalled to protect thewood paneling.

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38. A subfloor radoncollection system isinstalled prior toreplacing the floor.

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6"-DIA.

SEAL-ANT

MEWPARTITION

SAMP BED

VAPOR BARRIERWASHED

39. This illustration shows installation of a subfloorcollector vent. This system intercepts radonbeneath the floor slab and passively vents itfrom the structure.

«ADOIM__//

• " PIPE

UNPERSLAB VENT STACK

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40. The concrete floor isnow in place.

41. Replacement of theflagstones is in progress.

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Verify/CertifyOnce the remedial action process is completed, a

gamma survey is conducted of the exterior and soilsamples are taken before backfilling to verify thatradium-in-soil concentrations are below Environmen-tal Protection Agency standards. Air monitors are in-stalled in structures to verify that radon levels havebeen mitigated to below the limits specified by theEnvironmental Protection Agency.

Several types of active and passive monitoringdevices are routinely used. These measurementdevices are placed in the lowest habitable rooms of

the structures where the maximum radon-daughterconcentration is expected.

Active measurement devices are calibrated in theGrand Junction Projects Office Radon-Daughter En-vironmental Chamber. Passive measurement devicesare also chamber-exposed and included for process-ing and read-out with devices exposed for remedialaction validation. All calibration exposures are madeby the Technical Measurements Center, confirmedwith the U.S. Department of Energy EnvironmentalMeasurements Laboratory and other lead labora-tories, and are ultimately traceable to the U.S. Bureauof Standards.

42. This monitoring device obtains air sample measurements of radon daughterconcentrations and prlnta out hourly measurement readings.

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After final inspection and followup monitoring,the Property Completion Report is produced by theRemedial Action Contractor. The report documentsthe effectiveness of the remedial action and demon-strates that the property is in compliance with theapplicable EPA standards. It also includes pre-remedial action measurements and the results of theverification survey (post-remedial action measure-ments). In addition, the location, concentration, andvolume of any contamination in excess of EPA stan-dards left on a property is documented in the report.For properties which exceed the radon working-levelstandard because of natural background, soil samples

are taken, analyzed, and the results are included inthe Completion Report to verify whether tailings ornatural materials are causing the elevated workinglevels.

Once the Completion Report is approved by theDepartment of Energy, a Certification of Decon-tamination letter is distributed by the Department ofEnergy to the property owners, the State, and others,as appropriate. The certificate states that remedial ac-tion has been accomplished and the property is incompliance with Environmental Protection Agencystandards.

Department of EnergyPost Office Box 2567

Grand Junction, Colorado 81502-2567February 11, 1987

Location No.: GJ-00000Address: XYZ Street

Grand Junction, CO

John DoeXYZ StreetGrand Junction, CO 81501

Dear Mr. Doe:

Under the Uranium Mill Tailings Radiation Control Act of 1978, Public Law 95-804, the Department of Energy (DOE) In cooperation with the ColoradoDepartment of Health, has completed remedial action at the property addresslisted above. Review of the available data indicates that your property hasbeen cleared of residual radioactive contamination to the extent required bythe Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) standards (40 CPR 192). Therefore,the DOE certifies that your property is in compliance with the EPA standards.

The current status of your property will be recorded by the State on theappropriate property records, per requirements of Public Law 95-604. Recordsof UMTRA vicinity properties are archived with the State and the United StatesDepartment of Energy.

Should you have any questions regarding the project or your property, pleasecall me at 303-242-8621 or 6. A. Pram, III, Supervisory Health Physicist.Colorado Department of Health, at 303-248-7165. Your cooperation in thesuccessful accomplishment of this work has been greatly appreciated.

Very truly yours.

O.A. Franz. Ill - CDHC. Moore - JEG/ALM. Madson - UNCR. Sena - OOE/ALR. Brich - NRC (2)

Michael K. TuckerCertification Official

43. This is an example of a Certification of Decontamination letter.

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