Robert Sh~ph~rd. Sr. 

Chairman 

UNITED STATES ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY 

WASHINGTON. D.C. 20460 

.IAN- 9 2015 

Sisseton-Whapeton Oyate of thl;! Lake Tra,·erse Rcscn·ation 

P.O. Box 509 

Agency Village. South Dakota 57262 

Dear Tribal Leader: 

OFFICE OF 

AIR AfJO RADIATION 

On De<.:cmber 31. 201-+. the U.S. Environmental Pr t~ction Agency's Administrator. Gina McCarthy. 

signed a proposed rule to strengthen the .. llealth and Environmental Protection Standards for Uranium 

and Thorium Mill Tailings ... (40 Code of rederal Regulations Part 192 or 40 CFR 192) by adding ne\\' 

ground water protection standards fur in-situ recovery (ISR) of uranium. The purpose of this letter is to 

invite you to consult on this proposal. 

In this proposed rulemaking. EPA would ~stablish ground \\at~r restoration and monitoring 

requirements at f~tcilities that extract uranium using the in-situ recovery process. the predominant 

method of uranium extraction in the Unitl;!d States. Although the ranium Mill Tailing Radiation 

Control Act ( UMTRCA) requires restoration of ground water chemistry to the state that existed prior to 

commencement of milling operations. curr~nt regulatory requirements do not explicitly address ISR 

operations. A copy of the proposed re,·ision to the -+ 0 CFR 192 regulation is on our website. 

'' ,,·w.epa.gm·/radiation. 

The proposal describes how ground ,,·ater ch~mistry is to be characterized before operations begin and 

also sets groundwater standards for 13 contaminants: their concentrations must remain below the most 

protective standard under Safe Drinking Water Act (SDW A). the Resource Conservation and Recovery 

Act (RCRJ\) or UMTRCA. The proposed rule would specifY conditions for obtaining Alternate 

Concentration Limits. The proposed post-restoration monitoring requirements are wnsistent with 

RCRJ\. with a thirty-year post-restoration monitoring period that may be shortened if monitoring and 

geochemical modeling demonstrate long-term stability of the aquifer. 

The EPA docs not bclie,·e the proposed rule will ha\'e ad\'Crse implications for Tribes because it 

increases the le\'d of cnvironmcntal protection in areas where ISR operations are conducted. To ensure 

that \\'e are aware or your concerns and that your lands and interests arc protected. we in\'ite you to 

consult ,,·ith us and \\'elcome any additional information about the standards or potential impacts of the 

proposed regulatory revisions you \\'auld like to share. It' you \\'auld like to initiate a lorinal consultation 

"ith the EP I\ on this rule. please contact Ingrid Rosencrantz of my staff at rosencrantz.ingridl{/•epa.!!O\'. 

phone (202) 343-9286 or me at cdwards.jonathanfti'epa.!2.ov. phon~ (202) 3-B-9-+37. 

l"l•·tl'd A,ldr~;s, 1URL 1 • 1111p :. :.:. ep,l yJv 

Rccycled Rccycl~bfc • l'll'llt··t :,oil\ Ve,tl'loiiJ'o: Ool o~""j Ink~ on 100 Po~ICOnSlllllCI Pt.X.c'' CI<IOI•I\C Ft.,(: fkqlit;d Paper 
In addition. the EP/\ will accept formal comments ror 90 days after the proposed rule is published in the 

Federal Register. The EP/\ anticipates holding public hearings in f-ebruary and March. \Ve will be 

m·ailable to discuss the proposed revisions in other settings as well. such as during the next ational 

Tribal Air Association/ EPA joint conference call on air quality and ,,·ith Regional Tribal Operations 

Committees. 

We want your input to ensure that we develop the best rule possible. We endcan>r to conduct our efforts 

with sensiti vity to the needs and culture of Tribes and ,,·ith attention to the impact of our actions on 

Tribal so,·creignty. We look forward to recci,·ing yo ur input. 

<.:c: Ingrid Roscncrantz. EPA 

be<.:: Tom Peake. EPA 

Dan Schulthcisz. EPA 

Jessica Wieder. EPA 

Pat Childers. EPA 

Tony 'esky. EP/\ 
DATA BASE MAILING LIST FOR TRIBAL LEITER DATED JANUARY 9, 2015 

First Name last Name Tit le Tribe Address City State 

Randal V1cente Governor Pueblo of Acoma P.O. Box 309 Acoma New Mexico 

Jln1 Shakespear Chairman Arapahoe Tribe of the Wind River P.O. Box 396 Fort Washakie Wyoming 

Reservation 

Tony Secatero President Canocito Navajo Chapter Ex1t 131 RR 56 Laguna New Mexico 

Bill John Baker Principal Chief Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma P.O. Box 948 Tahlequah Oklahoma 

Kevin Keckler, Sr. Chairman Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe P.O. Box 590 Eagle Butte South Dakota 

Darrin Old Coyote Chairman Crow Tribe of Montana P.O. Box 159 Crow Agency Montana 

Anthony Reider President Flandreau Santee Sioux P.O. Box 283 Flandreau South Dakota 

LeRoy 

Wil

Shmgoitewa Chairman Hopi Tnbe of Anzona P.O. Box 123 Kykotsmov Arizona 

fred Whatoname, Sr. Chairman Hualapai Tribe P.O. Box 179 Peach Springs Arizona 

Frank E. Lujan Governor Pueblo of Isleta P.O .Box 1270 Isleta New Mexico 

Michael Toledo, Jr. Governor Pueblo of Jemez P.O. Box 100 Jemez Pueblo New Mexico 

Richard B. luarkie Governor Pueblo of Laguna P.O. Box 194 laguna New Mexico 

Michael Jandreau Chairman Lower Brule Sioux 187 Ovate Circle Lower Brule South Dakota 

M ark Chino President Mescalero Apache Tribe P.O .Box 227 Mescalero New Mexico 

Ben Shelly President Navajo Nation P.O Box 7440 Window Rock Arizona 

Jason Walker Chairman Northwestern Band of Shoshone Nation 707 N. Ma10 Street Brigham City Utah 

John Steele President Oglala Sioux Tribe P.O. Box 2070 Pine Ridge South Dakota 

Rebecca White Chairperson Ponca Tribe of Nebraska P.O. Box 288 N1obrara Nebraska 

Harry Yawe, Sr. President Ramah Navajo HRC 62, Box 13 Ramah New Mex1co 

Malcolm Montoya Governor Pueblo of Sandia 481 Sand1a Loop Bernalillo New M exico 

Robert Shepherd, Sr. Chairman Sisseton-Whapeton Oyate of the Lake P.O. Box 509 Agency V11lage South Dakota 

Traverse Reservation 

Dave Archambault, II Chairman Standing Rock Sioux P.O. Box D Fort Yates North Dakota 

Raymond Secatero President Tohajulee Navajo Chapter (Canonc1to) P.O. Box 3398 Tohajii lee New Mexico 

Manuel Heart Chairman Ute Mountain Tribe of the Ute P.O. Box 248 Towaoc Colorado 

Reservation 

Ronnie Lupe Chairman White Mountain Apache Tribe P.O. Box 700 Wh1teriver Arizona 

Robert Flying Hawk Chairman Yankton S1oux Tnbe of South Dakota P.O. Box 1153 Wagner South Dakota 

Thomas Beauty Chairman Yavapai Apache Tribe of Camp Verde 2400 W. Datsi Camp Verde Anzona 

Ernest Jones. Sr. President Yavapai Prescott Indian Tribe 530 E. Merritt Prescott An zona 

Arlen Quetawki, Sr. Governor Zuni Tribe of the Zuni Reserva tion P.O. Box 339 Zuni New MeXICO