DRC-2017-003541 - 0901a068806fd4d2

State of Utah
GARY R. HERBERT Governor SPENCER J. COX
Lieutenant Governor
Department of
Environmental Quality
Alan Matheson Executive Director DIVISION OF WASTE MANAGEMENT AND RADIATION CONTROL Scott T. Anderson Director

May 23, 2017

Sarah Fields
Program Director
Uranium Watch
P.O. Box 344 Moab, Utah 84532

RE: Response to Letter Dated May 9, 2017
Request for Extension of Time for Submittal of Public Comments
White Mesa Mill License Renewal Radioactive Materials License UT 1900479

Dear Ms. Fields:

The Division of Waste Management and Radiation Control has reviewed your letter dated May 9, 2017 requesting an extension of the public comment period for the renewal of the Radioactive Material
License UT 1900479 and Groundwater Quality Discharge Permit UGW370004.

The Division followed Utah Administrative Code R313-17-2 and R313-17-4 in planning the public
comment period that is currently under way. Below is a table of the requirements and how the Division met the requirements:

Requirement DWMRC Actions
R313-17-2(1)(a)(B) the renewal of RML
UT 1900479 is a major amendment and requires an
opportunity for public comment.
Prepared a public notice announcing opportunity
for public comment.
R313-17-2(3) requires that the public comment
period to be at least 30 days
The public comment period is for 60 days.
Starting May 1, 2017 and ending June 30, 2017.
R313-17-2(5) requires that the public notice for the
public comment period to be published in a newspaper and /or placed on the Division web page
The public notice was published by the Deseret
News, the Salt Lake Tribune and the San Juan Record the week prior to the public comment period starting. It was placed on the Division
DRC-2017-003541 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
webpage on April 27, 2017
R313-17-4(3) requires the opportunity for a
question and answer hearing for major RML
amendments for uranium mill facilities.
The notice documents that the hearing will be held
on June 8, 2017 from 1:00 to 5:00 p.m.

In addition to the hearing, a public meeting will be
held in Blanding to receive oral comments on June 15, 2017.
R313-17-4(4)(a) requires notice of a question and
answer hearing at least 30 days prior to hearing
Noticed published last week of April and hearing
scheduled for June 8, 2017.

The rule requires a minimum public comment period of 30 days. In this matter, the Division anticipated
there would be significant interest in the renewal of the White Mesa Uranium Mill’s RML. Therefore, a 60-day comment period to accommodate that significant interest was established. The Radiation
Control Rules also require a public meeting and a formal transcript. The Division believes that these
procedures are adequate to meet the purposes of public comment in the rules. Nevertheless, I am willing
to grant Uranium Watch an accommodation in this matter by extending the public comment period for
an additional 31 days. As a result, public comments will be accepted until the close of business on July 31, 2017. The dates of the public hearing and public comment meeting will not be changed. These
procedures meet the applicable rules, are reasonable under the circumstances, and provide the public
with more than adequate opportunity to develop and submit comments regarding this matter.

If you have any questions, please call Ryan Johnson at [phone].
Sincerely,

Scott T. Anderson, Director
Division of Waste Management and Radiation Control

STA/RMJ/ka
c: Kirk Benge, Health Officer/Environmental Health Director, San Juan County Health Department
Rick Meyer, Environmental Health Director, San Juan County Health Department
Scott Hacking, P.E., DEQ District Engineer
Bret Randall, Attorney General’s Office