Notice2026-19649
Homestake Mining Company of California; Grants Reclamation Project; License Amendment Application
Primary source
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Published
September 25, 2026
Issuing agencies
Nuclear Regulatory Commission
Abstract
The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is considering an application for an amendment of License No. SUA-1471 (Docket No. 040- 08903) which would authorize Homestake Mining Company of California (HMC) for its former conventional uranium mill near Grants, New Mexico, known as the Grants Reclamation Project, to replace its Groundwater Corrective Action Program and its currently approved groundwater protection standards with Alternate Concentration Limits. The amendment would revise license conditions 15, 28, 35, 36, and 42.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 91 Issue 185 (Friday, September 25, 2026)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 91, Number 185 (Friday, September 25, 2026)]
[Notices]
[Pages 60990-60992]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2026-19649]
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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION
[Docket No. 40-08903; NRC-2026-4522]
Homestake Mining Company of California; Grants Reclamation
Project; License Amendment Application
AGENCY: Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
ACTION: Opportunity to request a hearing and to petition for leave to
intervene.
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SUMMARY: The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is considering an
application for an amendment of License No. SUA-1471 (Docket No. 040-
08903) which would authorize Homestake Mining Company of California
(HMC) for its former conventional uranium mill near Grants, New Mexico,
known as the Grants Reclamation Project, to replace its Groundwater
Corrective Action Program and its currently approved groundwater
protection standards with Alternate Concentration Limits. The amendment
would revise license conditions 15, 28, 35, 36, and 42.
DATES: A request for a hearing or petition for leave to intervene must
be filed by November 24, 2026.
ADDRESSES: Please refer to Docket ID NRC-2026-4522 when contacting the
NRC about the availability of information regarding this document. You
may obtain publicly available information related to this document
using any of the following methods:
<bullet> Federal Rulemaking website: Go to <a href="https://www.regulations.gov">https://www.regulations.gov</a> and search
[[Page 60991]]
for Docket ID NRC-2026-4522. Address questions about Docket IDs in
<a href="http://Regulations.gov">Regulations.gov</a> to Bridget Curran; telephone: 301-415-1003; email:
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#6624140f02010312482513141407082608140548010910"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="783a0a111c1f1d0c563b0d0a0a191638160a1b561f170e">[email protected]</span></a>. For technical questions, contact the
individual(s) listed in the FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT section of
this document.
<bullet> NRC's Agencywide Documents Access and Management System
(ADAMS): You may obtain publicly available documents online in the
ADAMS Public Documents collection at <a href="https://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/adams.html">https://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/adams.html</a>. To begin the search, select ``Begin ADAMS Public Search.''
For problems with ADAMS, please contact the NRC's Public Document Room
(PDR) reference staff at 1-800-397-4209, at 301-415-4737, or by email
to <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#8cdcc8dea2dee9ffe3f9feefe9cce2feefa2ebe3fa"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="b4e4f0e69ae6d1c7dbc1c6d7d1f4dac6d79ad3dbc2">[email protected]</span></a>. The license amendment request is available in
ADAMS under Package Accession No. ML26183A208.
<bullet> NRC's PDR: The PDR, where you may examine and order copies
of publicly available documents, is open by appointment. To make an
appointment to visit the PDR, please send an email to
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#104054423e4275637f65627375507e62733e777f66"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="92c2d6c0bcc0f7e1fde7e0f1f7d2fce0f1bcf5fde4">[email protected]</span></a> or call 1-800-397-4209 or 301-415-4737, between 8
a.m. and 4 p.m. eastern time (ET), Monday through Friday, except
Federal holidays.
<bullet> Public Library: A copy of the license application can be
accessed at the following public library: Grants Public Library, 1101 N
1st Street, Grants, NM 87020.
<bullet> NRC's Public website: HMC's license application is
available under the NRC's public website at <a href="https://www.nrc.gov/facilities-safety/facility-finder/decommissioning/uranium/homestake">https://www.nrc.gov/facilities-safety/facility-finder/decommissioning/uranium/homestake</a>,
while the application is under review.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Melanie Wong, Office of Nuclear
Material Safety and Safeguards, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission,
Washington, DC 20555-0001; telephone: 301-415-2432; email:
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#bff2dad3ded1d6da91e8d0d1d8ffd1cddc91d8d0c9"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="9dd0f8f1fcf3f4f8b3caf2f3faddf3effeb3faf2eb">[email protected]</span></a>.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. Introduction
The NRC has received, by letter dated June 30, 2026 (ADAMS Package
Accession No. ML26183A208), a license amendment request (LAR) from
Homestake Mining Company of California (HMC) to revise its Groundwater
Corrective Action Program and its currently approved groundwater
protection standards with alternate concentration limits (ACLs) in
accordance with part 40 of title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations,
Appendix A. The licensee's submittal (ACL LAR) has proposed changes to
license conditions 15, 28, 35, 36, and 42 and is submitted pursuant to
10 CFR part 2 and 10 CFR part 40.
The HMC Grants Reclamation Project (GRP), located 5.5 miles
northeast of Milan, NM, is a conventional uranium mill site under
reclamation. Uranium processing started in the late 1950's and
continued until 1990. The GRP is in the decommissioning phase. In the
ACL LAR, HMC states that further groundwater restoration is not
technically feasible, and that the proposed ACLs, along with
restrictions to access and use of groundwater, will ensure
protectiveness of human health, safety, and the environment at the
points of exposure.
The NRC staff found the application acceptable for a technical
review (ADAMS Package Accession No. ML26226A106). The determination to
accept the LAR for docketing does not constitute a determination that
the ACL LAR should be approved and does not preclude the NRC staff from
requesting additional information as the review proceeds. Prior to
deciding on HMC's application, the NRC will need to make the findings
required by the Atomic Energy Act of 1954 as amended (the Act), and the
Commission's rules and regulations. The NRC's findings will be
documented in a safety evaluation report and an environmental review in
accordance with 10 CFR part 51. The environmental review will be the
subject of a subsequent notice in the Federal Register.
II. Opportunity to Request a Hearing and Petition for Leave to
Intervene
Within 60 days after the date of publication of this notice, any
persons (petitioner) whose interest may be affected by this action may
file a request for a hearing and petition for leave to intervene
(petition) with respect to the action. Petitions shall be filed in
accordance with the Commission's ``Agency Rules of Practice and
Procedure'' in 10 CFR part 2. Interested persons should consult 10 CFR
2.309. If a petition is filed, the Commission or a presiding officer
will rule on the petition and, if appropriate, a notice of a hearing
will be issued.
Petitions must be filed no later than 60 days from the date of
publication of this notice in accordance with the filing instructions
in the ``Electronic Submissions (E-Filing)'' section of this document.
Petitions and motions for leave to file new or amended contentions that
are filed after the deadline will not be entertained absent a
determination by the presiding officer that the filing demonstrates
good cause by satisfying the three factors in 10 CFR 2.309(c)(1)(i)
through (iii).
A State, local governmental body, Federally recognized Indian
Tribe, or designated agency thereof, may submit a petition to the
Commission to participate as a party under 10 CFR 2.309(h) no later
than 60 days from the date of publication of this notice.
Alternatively, a State, local governmental body, Federally recognized
Indian Tribe, or designated agency thereof may participate as a non-
party under 10 CFR 2.315(c).
For information about filing a petition and about participation by
a person not a party under 10 CFR 2.315, see ADAMS Accession No.
ML20340A053 (<a href="https://adamswebsearch2.nrc.gov/webSearch2/main.jsp?AccessionNumber=ML20340A053">https://adamswebsearch2.nrc.gov/webSearch2/main.jsp?AccessionNumber=ML20340A053</a>) and on the NRC's public website
at <a href="https://www.nrc.gov/about-nrc/regulatory/adjudicatory/hearing.html#participate">https://www.nrc.gov/about-nrc/regulatory/adjudicatory/hearing.html#participate</a>.
III. Electronic Submissions (E-Filing)
All documents filed in NRC adjudicatory proceedings, including
documents filed by an interested State, local governmental body,
Federally recognized Indian Tribe, or designated agency thereof that
requests to participate under 10 CFR 2.315(c), must be filed in
accordance with 10 CFR 2.302. The E-Filing process requires
participants to submit and serve all adjudicatory documents over the
internet, or in some cases, to mail copies on electronic storage media,
unless an exemption permitting an alternative filing method, as further
discussed, is granted. Detailed guidance on electronic submissions is
located in the ``Guidance for Electronic Submissions to the NRC''
(ADAMS Accession No. ML13031A056), and on the NRC's public website
(<a href="https://www.nrc.gov/site-help/e-submittals.html">https://www.nrc.gov/site-help/e-submittals.html</a>).
To comply with the procedural requirements of E-Filing, at least 10
days prior to the filing deadline, the participant should contact the
Office of the Secretary by email at <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#4109242033282f266f052e222a2435012f33226f262e37"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="743c1115061d1a135a301b171f1100341a06175a131b02">[email protected]</span></a>, or by
telephone at 301-415-1677, to: (1) request a digital identification
(ID) certificate, which allows the participant (or their counsel or
representative) to digitally sign submissions and access the E-Filing
system for any proceeding in which it is participating; and (2) advise
the Secretary that the participant will be submitting a petition or
other adjudicatory document (even in instances in which the
participant, or their counsel or representative, already holds an NRC-
issued digital ID certificate). Based upon this
[[Page 60992]]
information, the Secretary will establish an electronic docket for the
proceeding if the Secretary has not already established an electronic
docket.
Information about applying for a digital ID certificate is
available on the NRC's public website (<a href="https://www.nrc.gov/site-help/e-submittals/getting-started.html">https://www.nrc.gov/site-help/e-submittals/getting-started.html</a>). After a digital ID certificate is
obtained and a docket is created, the participant must submit
adjudicatory documents in the Portable Document Format. Guidance on
submissions is available on the NRC's public website (<a href="https://www.nrc.gov/site-help/electronic-sub-ref-mat.html">https://www.nrc.gov/site-help/electronic-sub-ref-mat.html</a>). A filing is
considered complete at the time the document is submitted through the
NRC's E-Filing system. To be timely, an electronic filing must be
submitted to the E-Filing system no later than 11:59 p.m. ET on the due
date. Upon receipt of a transmission, the E-Filing system time-stamps
the document and sends the submitter an email confirming receipt of the
document. The E-Filing system also distributes an email that provides
access to the document to the NRC's Office of the General Counsel and
any others who have advised the Office of the Secretary that they wish
to participate in the proceeding, so that the filer need not serve the
document on those participants separately. Therefore, applicants and
other participants (or their counsel or representative) must apply for
and receive a digital ID certificate before adjudicatory documents are
filed in order to obtain access to the documents via the E-Filing
system.
A person filing electronically using the NRC's adjudicatory E-
Filing system may seek assistance by contacting the NRC's Electronic
Filing Help Desk through the ``Contact Us'' link located on the NRC's
public website (<a href="https://www.nrc.gov/site-help/e-submittals.html">https://www.nrc.gov/site-help/e-submittals.html</a>), by
email to <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#5a1709121e74083f29352f28393f1a342839743d352c"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="eaa7b9a2aec4b88f99859f98898faa849889c48d859c">[email protected]</span></a>, or by a toll-free call at 1-866-672-
7640. The NRC Electronic Filing Help Desk is available between 9 a.m.
and 6 p.m., ET, Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays.
Participants who believe that they have good cause for not
submitting documents electronically must file an exemption request, in
accordance with 10 CFR 2.302(g), with their initial paper filing
stating why there is good cause for not filing electronically and
requesting authorization to continue to submit documents in paper
format. Such filings must be submitted in accordance with 10 CFR
2.302(b)-(d). Participants filing adjudicatory documents in this manner
are responsible for serving their documents on all other participants.
Participants granted an exemption under 10 CFR 2.302(g)(2) must still
meet the electronic formatting requirement in 10 CFR 2.302(g)(1),
unless the participant also seeks and is granted an exemption from 10
CFR 2.302(g)(1).
Documents submitted in adjudicatory proceedings will appear in the
NRC's electronic hearing docket, which is publicly available on the
NRC's public website (<a href="https://ehd.nrc.gov">https://ehd.nrc.gov</a>), unless otherwise excluded
pursuant to an order of the presiding officer. If you do not have an
NRC-issued digital ID certificate as previously described, click
``cancel'' when the link requests certificates and you will be
automatically directed to the NRC's electronic hearing docket where you
will be able to access any publicly available documents in a particular
hearing docket. Participants are requested not to include personal
privacy information such as social security numbers, home addresses, or
personal phone numbers in their filings, unless an NRC regulation or
other law requires submission of such information. With respect to
copyrighted works, except for limited excerpts that serve the purpose
of the adjudicatory filings and would constitute a Fair Use
application, participants should not include copyrighted materials in
their submission.
Authority: 42 U.S.C. 2011 et seq.
Dated: September 22, 2026.
For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Jane Marshall,
Director, Division of Decommissioning, Closure, Analysis, and Financial
Oversight, Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards.
[FR Doc. 2026-19649 Filed 9-24-26; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7590-01-P
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