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106237 1 (1978-06-20)

handle is hein.gao/gaobadxzx0001 and id is 1 raw text is: DOCUMENT RESUME 06237 - -B17467781 Cleaninq Up Inactive Uranium Mill Tailings Sites. June 20, 1978. 11 pp. Testimony before the House Committee c¢ Interstate aiid Poreign Commerce: Energy and Power Subcommittee; hy Mcnte Canfield, Jr., Director, Enerqy ard Minerals Div. Contact: Energy and Minerals Div. Organization Concerned: Department of Energy; buclear Regulatory Commissi n. Congressional Relevance: House Committee on Interstate and Foreign Commerce: Energy and Power Sutccmmittee. Authority: Residual Radioactive Materials Ict of !S78; B. R. 12535 (95th Conq.). P.L. 92-314. Twenty-two uranium mills have beer clcsed down since the 1940's, resulting in about 25 million tons of radioactive sand-like waste, called uranium mill tailirgs, in unattended piles and ponds. According to the Department of Energy, these vailinqs are a potential health hazard. The Residual Radicactive Materials Act of 1978 would provide fcr a joint Federal-State remedial action proqram in which the Federal Government would pay up to 75% of the cost of cleaning up these tailing sites and the States would contribute the rest. 1he bill provides for Federal payment of 100% of costs when the sites are located on Indian lands. The advantaqes of such a program include reducing a possible health hazard to the public, taking a firat step toward resolvinq some of the problems involved in safely disposinq of radioactive wastes, and isprcving the depressed value of some .ands on which tailings are located. Disadvantages involve: estimated costs of up to $126 million witi the Federal Government bearing the heaviest burden; the prcgram could be considered a precedent for the Government to pay fcr cleaning up other nuclear facilities; and the technolcgy to stabilize the mill tailings has not been fully developed. Assuming that existinq technology for cleaning up aill tailings is adequate, the proposed leqislaticn should acccmlish the objective of cleaning ip the abandoned mill tailings. The fcllcving areas in the leqislation need to be clarified: time limits for State participation, exclusion of some sill sites frcm the program, ownership ot some mill sites, costs to he torn* by particiFating qovernients, and reports tc the Congress. (BRS)

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