Vol. 3 | No. 5 | December 2O1O
DENISON STARTS SUBMITTING MONTHLY RADON REPORTS
At the end of October 2010, Denison began submitting monthly reports of their radon emissions from their La Sal mines.
The 2009 Annual Compliance Report showed that the mines were not in compliance with the emission standard for 6 of 8 receptors.
Therefore, Denison was required to file monthly reports starting with April 2010, pursuant to the 40 C.F.R. Part 61 Subpart B regulations.
The October Report was for the radon emissions in September; data is provided in the SENES report, Modeling of Radon Emissions from Denison La Sal Mine. Using the approved COMPLY-R computer model, the amount of radon received by the Catholic Church and the Maintenance Shed on Wilcox Rd. off of Hwy. 46 exceeded the standard of 10 millirems per year.
SENES calculated the yearly exposure, based on the September results. Using the COMPLY-R model, 3 residences and the Maintenance Shed would exceed the standard in 2010.
In the August 2010 Notice of Violation the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) found that Denison was using radon monitoring devices, Method A-7, rather than A-6, without EPA approval.
Denison has committed to using the required type of monitoring devices on some of the vents in order to compare the results with those of the existing monitoring devices. The September results are questionable anyway, because Denison relies on wind speed and direction data from the Grand Junction Airport, not from La Sal, and does not take into consideration cold air drainage from the La Sal Mountains. The EPA does not require actual monitoring at the nearest residences, elementary school, or other nearby points of exposure to radon.
Additional Information: April 2010 EPA Inspection Report
ONGOING INSPECTION OF LA SAL MINES RESULTS IN 5 VIOLATIONS
The Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) has cited Denison for 3 violations as a result of a regular health and safety inspection of the mine that began on December 6.
Denison owns and operates the Beaver Shaft Mine.
The violations are associated with the storage of explosives: need to keeping the 25 ft area clear around storage facility, lack of awareness of the regulations, and need to keep a storage facility securely locked unless all access to the mine is either locked or attended.
Reliance Resources, the operator of the Pandora Mine, was cited for 2 violations: one associated with the escape and evacuation plan requirements; one related to inspection and cover plates on electrical equipment.
MSHA has still not posted the amounts of the penalties that were incurred as a result of the fatal accident on May 26, 2010.
The May inspection reports have not been released, pending the outcome of the enforcement proceeding. La Sal Mines (Pandora Complex) MSHA ID # 4200470.
http://www.msha.gov/drs/drshome.htm
Read more:
http://www.uraniumwatch.org/utahbulletin_3.5_101214.htm
