DRC-2017-005002 - 0901a0688072973f

uzsmoumaw uze zme
P.O. Box 248
Towaoc, Colorado 81334-0248
[phone]
Div of Waste Management
July 6 2017 and Radiation Control
JUL 14 20)7
wc-2oz-o(mz
The Honorable Ryan Zinke
Secretary
Department of the Interior
1849 C Street, N.W.
Washington DC 20240
The Honorable Scott Pruitt
Administrator
USEPA Headquarters
William Jefferson Clinton Building
1200 Pennsylvania Avenue, N. W.
Mail Code: 1101A
Washington, DC 20460
The Honorable Kristine L. Svinicki
Chairman
U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission
Mail Stop 0-16B33
Washington, DC 20555-0001
Dear Secretary Zinke, Administrator Pruitt and Chairman Svinicki
The Ute Mountain Ute Tribe (UMUT) is requesting the Department of Interior (DOI), the
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) enter
into government-to-government consultation with us to fully understand our concerns about the
relicensing of the White Mesa Mill (WMM) and repermitting of its groundwater discharge
permit. At stake is the health and welfare of my people, the water we drink, the air we breathe
and the lands that we live on including all the plants, animals and cultural resources that have
sustained us since time immemorial.
The WMM, located south of Blanding, Utah, is the last remaining conventional uranium mill
operating in the United States. It has become a dump for disposing of radioactive waste
materials from contaminated sites across the entire United States. The UMUT’s White Mesa
Community trust lands sits three miles downwind and downgradient from the WMM facility and
tailing ponds. To say the UMUT is concerned about the current proposed relicensing and
repermitting of the WMM is a gross understatement.
In 1984, the NRC entered into a State Agreement with the State of Utah delegating some but not
all of NRC’s authority to Utah regarding regulation of nuclear materials in the State. This
agreement has been amended twice since that time. However, the trust obligations the United
States owes to Tribes have not and cannot be delegated to the State. It is our hope that these
consultations will better enable you to act on behalf as our Trustee to protect the people, water
and lands of the UMUT.
The State of Utah’s comment period for relicensing is set to close on July 31, 2017 so time really
is of the essence. The UMUT General Counsel, Peter Ortego, will contact your Chief of Staff to
follow up to this letter. Please feel free to reach out to him as well at 970.564.5640 or
[e-mail].
Harold Cuthair
Chairman
Ute Mountain Ute Tribe
cc: The Honorable Orrin Hatch
The Honorable Mike Lee
Mr. Scott Anderson, Utah Dept, of Environmental Quality;'
Ms. Shirlee Silversmith, Utah Div. of Indian Affairs