Wyoming Seeks to Be NRC Agreement State
The agency would transfer responsibility for licensing, rulemaking, inspection, and enforcement activities related to the extraction and concentration of uranium and thorium milling and also the management and disposal of milling waste.
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission is considering a request from the Wyoming's governor, Matthew Mead, that the state take over part of the regulatory authority for certain radioactive materials. If accepted by the agency, Wyoming would become the 38th state to sign such an agreement with the NRC.
The agency would transfer responsibility for licensing, rulemaking, inspection, and enforcement activities related to the extraction and concentration of uranium and thorium milling and also the management and disposal of milling waste.
The agency's June 26 news release said if an agreement is approved, the NRC would transfer 14 specific licenses for radioactive material to Wyoming's jurisdiction. But the NRC would retain jurisdiction over commercial nuclear power plants (Wyoming has none), federal agencies using certain nuclear material in the state, and uses of nuclear material that the NRC currently regulates, other than uranium and thorium milling activities.
Comments on the agreement may be submitted until July 26 via www.regulations.gov, docket number NRC-2018-0104.
The agency also announced June 26 that Margaret M. Doane, its general counsel, has been named executive director for operations for the NRC. The post is the highest-ranking career position at the NRC, and Doane is the first woman to serve in the post.