EPA's Proposed Uranium Leaching, Thorium Mill Tailings Standard Sent to OMB

摘要

The White House has received an Environmental Protection Agency proposal to revise health and environmental protection regulations related to uranium and thorium mill tailings and uranium in-situ leaching processing facilities. The proposal, which was received April 22 by the Office of Management and Budget, would alter existing standards under the Uranium Mill Tailings Radiation Control Act of 1978 (40 C.F.R. pt. 192). The standards regulate inactive uranium processing site pollutant emissions and site cleanup for radioactive and nonra-dioactive materials. The proposed changes "tak[e] into particular account the significant changes in uranium industry extraction technologies and their potential impacts to groundwa-ter," said a notice on the OMB website under RIN 2060-AP43.