DWQ-2024-003648

May??, 2024Division of Water QualityUtah Department of Environmental QualityPublic Notice of Intent to Renew Ground Water Discharge Permit
No. UGW570002
Purpose of Public Notice
The Utah Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) is soliciting comments on the requestto renew agroundwater discharge permit as described below. The groundwater discharge permit is
issued by the Director of the Division of Water Quality under authority of the Utah Water Quality Act, Section 19-5-106(g) Utah Code Ann. 1953, as amended and Utah Administrative Code
R317-6. Under Section 19-1-301.5, effective May 8, 2012, a person who wishes to challenge a Permit Order may only raise an issue or argument during an adjudicatory proceeding that was
raised during the public comment period and was supported with sufficient information or documentation to enable the Director to fully consider the substance and significance of the
issue. Utah Code Ann. 19-1-301.5 can be viewed at the following internet URL: le.utah.gov/xcode/Title19/Chapter1/19-1-S301.5.html
Permit Information
Permittee:Westinghouse Electric Company LLCWestern Zirconium
Mailing Address:10,000 West 900 South
Ogden, UT 84404-9760
Facility Location:NE1/4 of Section 18, T6N, R3W Salt Lake Base and Meridian,Weber County, Utah
Western Zirconium is an operating unit of Westinghouse Electric Company, located approximately 12 miles west
of Ogden, Utah, that extracts zirconium and hafnium metals from raw materials and fabricates these metals into
products used primarily by the nuclear fuels industry. Wastewater from these processes is discharged into
evaporation lagoons located adjacent to the plant site, in a salt flats area near the Great Salt Lake.
Since 1992, monitoring wells located adjacent to the lagoons have exhibited elevated concentrations of ammonia,
radium and other constituents of the pond wastewater in the shallow ground water at the site. This contaminated
ground water has also discharged to surface water in the salt flats area surrounding the lagoons and migrated away
from the site.
In response to detection of wastewater parameters in monitor wells and surface water surrounding the lagoons,
and a Notice of Violation and Order issued by the Division of Water Quality (DWQ) in 1999, Western Zirconium
constructed a subsurface barrier wall around the lagoons, keyed into a layer of low-permeability sediments
underlying the site, to minimize discharge of lagoon water to the subsurface. In combination with the upward
hydraulic gradient of the site’s ground water, this barrier wall should minimize subsurface flow of wastewater
from the ponds, and also the flow of contaminants to surface water.
Due to the extensive upgrade of wastewater containment, Western Zirconium was required under UAC R317-6-
6.1 to apply for a ground water discharge permit to operate the facility. This permit was first issued in August,
2013. The permit is founded under the concept that the subsurface barrier wall effectively isolates the evaporation
ponds from the surrounding ground and surface water. Compliance with permit conditions will be evaluated by
performance monitoring of the subsurface barrier wall, and also by monitored natural attenuation of the existing
ground and surface water contamination. To demonstrate that the barrier wall is functioning as designed, it is
necessary to review different types of monitoring data from many different points, and assess site-wide
conditions. Because of this, permit compliance will not be tied to numeric levels of contaminant concentrations at
monitor points, but rather on a review of all relevant data needed to demonstrate barrier wall effectiveness.
However, any expansion of the area underlain by contaminated ground water will be evaluated by detection of
wastewater contaminants in monitor wells just outside the current boundary of the plume of contaminated ground
water. For this version of the permit, new monitoring parameters have been added that better reflect wastewater
constituents. Other parameters of environmental concern will continue to be monitored for informational
purposes, but will not be used to evaluate plume expansion.
Public Comments
Public comments are invited any time through close of business on June??, 2024. Written comments may be directed to the Division of Water Quality (DWQ), PO Box 144870, Salt Lake City,
UT 84114-4870. All comments received prior to close of business onJune??, 2024will be considered in the formulation of final conditions to be imposed on the permit.A public hearing
may be held if written requests are received within the first 15 days of this public comment period that demonstrate significant public interest and substantive issues exist to warrant
holding a hearing.
Additional Information
Additional information may be obtained upon request by contacting Woodrow Campbell at [phone]or [e-mail] or by writing to the aforementioned address. Related documents
are available for review during normal business hours at DWQ, 195 North 1950 West in Salt Lake City or on the DWQ web page at deq.utah.gov/public-notices-archive/water-quality-public-notices
In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, individuals with special needs (including auxiliary communicative aids and services) should contact LeAnn Johnson, Office of Human
Resources at [phone], TDD [phone].
DWQ-2024-??????