DRC-2024-004409

DRC-20 195 North 1950 West • Salt Lake City, UT
Mailing Address: P.O. Box 144880 • Salt Lake City, UT 84114-4880
Telephone [phone] • Fax [phone] • T.D.D. [phone]
www.deq.utah.gov
Printed on 100% recycled paper
State of Utah

SPENCER J. COX
Governor

DEIDRE HENDERSON
Lieutenant Governor
Department of
Environmental Quality

Kimberly D. Shelley
Executive Director

DIVISION OF WASTE MANAGEMENT
AND RADIATION CONTROL

Douglas J. Hansen
Director

MEMORANDUM

TO: Phil Goble

FROM: Chris Leahy

DATE: September 12, 2023

SUBJECT: 2023 Annual Tailings System Wastewater Monitoring Event Groundwater Discharge
Permit No. UGW370004 for the Energy Fuels Resources (USA) Inc. White Mesa
Uranium Mill, near Blanding, Utah

This is a Utah Division of Waste Management and Radiation Control (“Division”) staff summary on the
inspection of the 2023 Annual Tailings System Wastewater Monitoring event (“2023 Event”) that was
completed on August 29, 2023 for the Energy Fuels Resources (USA), Inc. (“EFRI”) White Mesa
Uranium Mill, near Blanding, Utah (“Mill”). EFRI is required to submit a written report of this 2023
monitoring event by December 1, 2023. The 2023 Event was inspected against the following
enforcement documents:

• White Mesa Uranium Mill Ground Water Quality Assurance Plan (“QAP”). Revision 7.7 dated
February 15, 2022.
• Groundwater Discharge Permit No. UGW370004 (“Permit”). Permit version that was signed on
March 8, 2021.
• Tailings and Slimes Drain Sampling Program (“Sampling Plan”) Revision 3.0 dated July 8,
2016.

Summary of Inspection

EFRI informed the Division in a letter dated July 12, 2023, that was received by the Division on July 17,
2023, that EFRI would be sampling the tailings cell wastewater on August 29, 2023. The letter from
EFR provided notice prior to sampling as required in Part I.E.10(d)(6) of the Permit.

EFRI collected tailings cell wastewater samples from Tailings Cells 1, 4A, and 4B, and Tailings Cell 2
Slimes Drain, and Tailings Cells 4B and 4B Leak Detection Systems (“LDS”). See the photographs in
in Attachment 1 below. There was no wastewater in Tailings Cell 3 therefore no wastewater sample was
collected. The LDS for Tailings Cells 1, 2, and 3 were dry and not sampled. Division staff Dean

SJ
Page 2

Henderson and Chris Leahy collected a split sample of Tailings Cell 2 Slimes Drain and witnessed EFRI
staff sample all the other wastewater sample locations. EFRI sampled all available tailing cell
wastewater sample locations as required in Part I.E.10 of the Permit and Section 2.0 of the Sampling
Plan.

It appeared that EFRI staff met the field requirements in the Permit, Part I.E.10, in the QAP, Field
Sampling Quality Assurance Methodology in Section 4.0, Sample Documentation Tracking and Record
Keeping in section 7.0 in the Sampling Plan, and Field Sampling Procedures in section 3.0.

After the 2023 Event was completed a close out meeting was held with the following attendees: Division
staff: Dean Henderson and Chris Leahy and EFR staff: Deen Lyman, Tanner Holliday and Garin
Palmer. In the meeting the Division staff discussed where the samples were collected and that no
problems had been observed.

Conclusion

Based on Division staff observation of EFRI staff performing the sampling and monitoring on August
29, 2023, it appears that EFRI appropriately followed the field requirements in the Permit, QAP and
Sampling Plan. As stated above, EFRI will submit a written report of this 2023 Event by December 1,
2023. The Division will also review this report that will include sample analysis for this 2023 Event as
part of that review to complete the inspection on the 2023 Annual Tailings System Wastewater
Monitoring event.

Page 3

References

Energy Fuels Resources (USA) Inc., February 15, 2022, White Mesa Uranium Mill Ground Water
Monitoring Quality Assurance Plan (QAP), Revision 7.7.

Energy Fuels Resources (USA) Inc., July 8, 2016, White Mesa Uranium Mill Sampling and Analysis
Plan for Tailings Management System, Leak Detection Systems and Slimes Drain, Revision 3.0.

Utah Department of Environmental Quality, March 8, 2021, Modified Utah Ground Water Discharge
Permit No. UGW370004 issued for the Energy Fuels Resources (USA) Inc. White Mesa Uranium Mill.

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Attachment 1

Inspection Photos

Page 5

Figure 1. EFRI staff collecting a wastewater sample from Tailings Cell 1.

Figure 2. EFRI staff collecting a wastewater sample from Tailings Cell 1.

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Figure 3. Division staff collecting a split sample from the Tailings Cell 2 Slimes Drain.

Figure 4. View of Tailings Cell 4A looking East.

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Figure 5. ERFI staff collecting a wastewater sample from Tailings Cell 4A

Figure 6. EFRI staff collecting wastewater in a stainless steel bucket from Tailings Cell 4A LDS.

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Figure 7. EFRI staff collecting wastewater samples from Tailings Cell 4A LDS from a stainless steel
bucket.

Figure 8. EFRI staff collecting a wastewater sample from Tailings Cell 4B.
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Figure 9. EFRI staff collecting a wastewater sample from a stainless steel bucket for Tailings Cell 4B
LDS.

Signature:
Email:[e-mail]