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C INTERNA L US E ONL Y^-*= ^ Are ther e more documents fo rthi s Docke t i n anothe rbox?y*VES\ N O *Fil l ou t Continuatio n Shee t an d go t o Ste p 2 ^ X Interna l SFUN D Bo

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# : r IC F INCORPORATE D Internationa l Square , 185 0 KStreet , Northwest , Washington , D.C

. 2000 6 (202 ) 862-110 0

February26 , 198 6 

## MEMORANDU

M

TO : Barbar a Hostag e

Emergenc yRespons e Divisio n Offic e o f Soli d Wast e an d Emergenc yRespons e FROM : HarveyCohe n an d Stev e Wyngarde n IC F Incorporate d SUBJECT : Potentia l Hazard s Pose d b yRelease s o f Uraniu mOr e During Transportatio n

I n respons e t o you r request , w e hav e performe d a brie f reviewo f th e environmenta l an

d safet yconcern s associate d wit hrelease s o f uraniu mor e fro

m uraniu mmines . Ou r preliminaryfinding s ar e reporte d below . Abrie f descriptio n o f th e existing regulator yprogra

mcovering uraniu

mmine s i s als o give n t o demonstrat e howrelease s fro mmine s ar e currentl ycontrolled . I f necessary , additiona l investigatio n o f thi s issu e wil l b e performed . Regulatio

nof Uraniu

m Mine s According t o a surveyb yth e America n Mining Congress , onl ysi x uraniu m mine s i n th e Unite d State s ar e producing or e a t th e presen t time . Ther e ar e reporte d t o b e a t leas t 1 5 othe r activ e uraniu mmine s i n th e country , bu t productio n fro

mthes e i s o n temporarystandby . Mos t o f th e uraniu mmine s ar e locate d i n wester n state s including Colorado , Texas , Ne wMexico , an d Arizona . Although no t uraniu mores , phosphat e ore s wit hsignifican t concentration s o f uraniu mar e als o mine d i n th e stat e o f Florid a [1] . Regulatio n o f uraniu mmine s i s primaril yth e responsibilit yo f th e states . Stat e contro l o f uraniu mmining operation s varie s fro mstat e t o stat e an d mayinclud e permitting o f min e operators , fiel d inspections , monitoring o f reclaime d lan

d fo r rado n (Rn ) emissions , an d investigation s o f release s int o th e environment . Non e o f th e stat e agencie s tha t w e talke d wit h(Colorado , Texas , an

d Florida ) currentl yha s regulation s o r reporting requirement s specificall ygoverning release s o f radioactiv e ores . However , Colorado' s an d Texas ' Stat e Healt hDepartment s bot hindicate d tha t i n th e even t o f a larg e releas e ( a truckload , fo r example) , theywoul d expec t a releas e repor t an d cleanup . Th e Texa s representativ e state d tha t a cleanu p o f an y uranium-containing materia l woul d b e require d i n orde r t o alla ypubli c concern s [2] . Th e Colorad o representativ e als o sai d tha t an ysubstantia l releas e woul d b e promptl ycleane d u p becaus e i t woul d b e bot heconomicall yan d environmentall ypruden t [3] .P. 3

Othe r regulator

yprogram s covering uraniu mmine s includ e EPA' s Nationa l Emissio n Standard s fo r Hazardou s Ai r Pollutants , o r NESHAP S (4 0 CFR 61) . I n thes e standards , EPAha s establishe d limit s fo r Rn-22 2 emission s fro m undergroun

d uraniu

mmines . Th e Offic e o f Min e Safet yan d Healt ho f th e U.S . Departmen t o f Labo r als o perform s periodi c inspection s o f producing mine s - - primaril yfo r protecting employe e safet y[4] . Th e Nuclea r Regulatory Commissio n (NRC ) doe s no t licens e o r otherwis e regulat e uraniu mmines . Hazard s of Uraniu

m Mine Release s Al l o f th e uraniu

more s no wbeing mine d i n th e U.S . ar e lo wgrade , containing abou t 0. 1 t o 0. 2 percen t UO. , Thi s i s equivalen t t o abou t J o 250-51 0 picocurie s (pCi ) o f uraniu mi n equilibriu

mwit hit s daughters , pe r gra mo f or e [5] . Base d o n a revie wo f relevan t literatur e an d conversation s wit hstat e regulator s (al l source s ar e cite d i n th e referenc e lis t t o thi s memorandum) , smal l release s o f thes e ore s an d associate d mining waste s ar e no t considere d t o pos e a publi c healt ho r environmenta l threat . Th e majo r hazar d pose d b yminin g o f uraniu

more s i s throughinhalatio n o f Rn-22 2 release d during mining operations . Rado n i s a uraniu mdaughte r produc t whic hoccur s i n th e for mo f a gas . EPAha s foun d tha t th e cance r risk s pose d b ymode l uraniu

mmine s i s dominate d b ylun g cance r du e t o Rn-22 2 daughte r exposur e [6] . Currently , undergroun d uraniu

mmine s utiliz e highvolume ventilatio n system s t o reduc e Rn concentration s i n th e min e atmosphere , an d EPAlimit s th e rado n emission s fro mmining activitie s throughth e NESHAPS . Th e reference s cite d i n th e attache d lis t indicat e tha t th e ris k pose d b y Rn-22 2 release d fro msmal l amount s (u

p to , an

d including truckloads ) o f uraniu mor e i s minima l unles s th e ga s i s release d int o a restricte d environmen t wher e the rado n an d it s daughte r product s coul d potentiall y accumulate . EPAfoun d tha t soli d uraniu mmining waste s (ores , sub-ores , an d wast e rock ) "ar e potentiall yhazardou s whe n use d a s building material s o r whe n building s ar e constructe d o n lan d containing suc hwaste . Th e hazar d arise s principall yfro

mincrease d lun

g cance r ris k du e t o Rn-222 " [6] . However , thi s i s a problemassociate d wit hdisposa l o f larg e quantitie s o f mining ore s an d tailing s rathe r than wit hsmal l release s o f or e occurring during transportatio n o r othe r activities . Inhalatio n o f uraniu man d thoriu

mdus t fro

man or e spil l i s als o a potentia l concer n associate d wit hrelease s fro mmines . However , U.S . uraniu m ore s (generall yfro msand s an

d sandstones ) ten

d t o contai n fro

m6 t o 1 4 percen t moistur e an d onl yabou t 1. 0 percen t respirabl e dus t b yweigh t [7] . EPAha s estimate d tha t th e healt hris k pose d b yparticulat e uraniu man d thoriu mresulting fro

merosio n o f or e pile s an d loading/unloading operation s i s smalle r (b

ya facto r o f 100 ) tha n th e ris k fro mrado n [5] . Using worst-cas e assumptions , th e maximu mdos e t o an individua l expose d t o al l th e dus t tha t coul d b e release d fro ma truckload o f or e wa s modele d t o b e 0.1 3 re m a t 50 0 meter s [7] . Mor e realisti c dose s resulting fro mrelease s o f smal l quantitie s ar e expecte d t o b e muc hlower .P. 4

-3

- Anothe r radiologica l consideratio n associate d wit huraniu mmining spill s i s th e potentia l fo r healt han d environmenta l damag e cause d b ydirec t radiation . Representative s o f th e Colorad o an d Texa s Department s o f Healt h fel t tha t th e ris k pose d b ydirec t contac t wit ha piec e o f lo wgrad e uraniu

m or e wa s verysmal l t o non-existent . Th e Texa s Departmen t o f Healt h representativ e eve n state d tha t th e radionuclid e content s o f uraniu more s i n hi s stat e ar e lo

wenoug htha t thos e ore s ar e no t considere d radioactiv e materia l b

yth e stat e Departmen t o f Transportation . Bot hth e NRC an

d EPAhav e establishe d guideline s an d regulation s restricting th e disposa l o f material s containing lo wlevel s o f uranium . However , thes e guideline s ar e intende d t o restric t th e us e an d disposa l onl y o f larg e volume s o f thes e material s - - i n particular , t o assur e acceptabl e healt h risk s t o person s occupying home s buil t o n larg e area s o f contaminate d land . Fo r example , th e NRC' s uraniu mconcentratio n guidelin e fo r radioactiv e waste s whic hmayb e dispose d o f i n an unrestricte d manne r i s 1 0 pCi/ g [8] . Th e EP Acleanu

p leve l fo r inactive uraniu mmilling site s i s 5 pCi/ g o f radium-226 . Thes e guideline s wer e develope d t o mitigat e an ypotentia l hazard s t o person s livin

g i n clos e associatio n wit hradioactiv e material s fo r an extende d perio d o f time (years) . Neithe r guidelin e i s considere d applicabl e t o a releas e o f smal l volume s o f uraniu mor e int o th e environment . I n 1983 , whe n EPAstudie d uraniu mmin e soli d waste s a s a separat e clas s o f materials , th e agencyconclude d tha t regulatio n o f thes e waste s wa s unwarrante d becaus e o f thei r lo

wlevel s o f radioactivit yan d undesirabilit ya s building materials . On e fina l are a o f potentia l concer n shoul d b e addresse d - - th e hazard s o f nonradiologica l contaminant s associate d wit huraniu more . Uraniu

more s an

d soli d mining waste s frequentl ycontai n nonradioactiv e metal s suc ha s molybdenum , selenium , arsenic , manganese , vanadium , copper , zinc , an d lead ; mercuryan

d cadmiu

mar e presen t onl yrarely . Whe n associate d wit huraniu mor e i n elevate d levels , thes e metal s mayb e presen t i n th e waterborn e effluen t fro mmine s an

d coul d caus e deleteriou s environmenta l an d healt heffects . However , EPAha s conclude d tha t airborn e emission s o f nonradioactiv e metal s fro mmining activitie s caus e a n insignifican t healt hris k [6] . Consequently , airborn e release s o f thes e metal s i n conjunctio n wit ha spil l o f uraniu mor e o r wast e roc k ar e no t expecte d t o b e a caus e fo r concern . I n addition , becaus e release s o f or e o r wast e roc k during transi t ar e expecte d t o b e small , an yreleas e o f nonradiologica l contaminant s t o wate r source s woul d als o b e small . Th e Stat e Healt hDepartmen t representative s w e spok e wit hdi d no t fee l tha t a truckload o f or e accidentl ydumpe d int o a rive r woul d pos e a seriou s healt hthrea t [2] . Conclusio

n Althoughw e hav e no t collecte d dat a o n th e exac t siz e an d frequencyo f release s o f uraniu

mor e an

d mining wastes , suc hrelease s undoubtedl yoccu r during routin e uraniu mmining activities . Lik e othe r mining an d minera l operation s wher e earthe n material s ar e handle d i n bul k quantities , smal l release s surel yoccu r whil e i n transpor t b ytruc k t o uraniu

mmills . Release s ar e als o expecte d a t th e min e sit e fro mloading operations , fro mabove-groun

dP. 5

• 4

- pile s o f mining wast e (due t o win d an d wate r erosio n o f sub-ore s an d wast e rock) , an

d fro mothe r activities . Th e principa l healt hconcern associate d wit hmining activitie s i s th e releas e o f radon , an d i t i s importan t t o manag e larg e quantitie s o f uraniu mmin e waste s i n a manne r tha t prevent s thei r us e a s constructio n materia l o r a s fil l aroun d building s wher e rado n mayaccumulat e indoors . However , base d o n th e referenc e material s w e reviewe d an d ou r conversation s wit hstat e regulators , smal l release s o f uraniu mor e an

d minin g waste s during transportatio n shoul d no t b e a concer n because :

• Rado n pose s a seriou s problemonl ywhe n larg e quantitie s o f uraniu mor e o r mining waste s ar e involved , suc ha s a t th e min e itsel f o r whe n bul k quantitie s o f wast e ar e use d i n an d aroun d constructio n sites . Occasiona l road spill s ar e no t expecte d t o b e i n larg e enoug hquantitie s t o presen t a rado n hazard an

d ar e unlikel yt o caus e an yrado n t o accumulat e i n a restricte d environment .

• Th e releas e o f uraniu man d thoriu

mdus t an

d resulting healt hconcern s a t activ e min e site s i s smal l compare d t o th e releas e an d risk s o f radon . Becaus e rado n i s no t expecte d t o b e a problem associate d wit hspill s i n transit , neithe r i s th e airborn e releas e o f uraniu mand/o r thoriu

m particulates .

• Th e direc t radiatio n hazar d associatio n wit h uraniu mor e i s small .

• Nonradioactiv e contaminant s ar e generall ypresen t i n uraniu

more s i n lo

wconcentration s an d an y chemica l (a s oppose d t o radiological ) hazard s associate d wit hth e releas e o f ore s o r wast e roc k i n transi t ar e expecte d t o b e small .P. 6

-5 - Reference s
1 . Economi c Profil e o f th e Uraniu mMinin g Industry , Jac k Faucet t Associates , Apri l 1985 . JACKFAU-85-311-13-A . 2 . Telephon e Communication . HarveyCohen , ICF , an d Rif f Meyer , Texa s Departmen t o f Health , Radiologica l Contro l Division , February13 , 1986 . 3 . Telephon e Communication . HarveyCohen , ICF , an d E d Cray , Colorad o Departmen t o f Health , Radiatio n Division , February13 , 1986 . 4 . Telephon e Communication . Steve Wyngarden , IC F an d Richar d L . Smith , U.S . Departmen t o f Labor , Offic e o f Min e Safet yan d Health , February13 , 1986 . 5 . Draf t Backgroun d Informatio n Document : Propose d Standard s o f Radionuclides , EPA1983 , EPA520/1-83-001 . 6 . Potentia l Healt han d Environmenta l Effect s o f Uraniu mMin e Wastes , EPA 1983 , EPA520/1-83-007 . 7 . Generi c Environmenta l Impac t Stud yo n Uraniu

mMilling , Nuclea r Regulatory Commission , 1979 . 8 . Disposa l o r On-Sit e Storag e o f Thoriu mo r Uraniu

mWaste s fro

mPas t Operations , U.S . Nuclea r RegulatoryCommission , Branc hTechnica l Position , Federa l Register , Octobe r 23 , 1981 .