Uranium Mill Tailings Radiation Control Act of 1978 Nuclear energy policy of the United States

a nuclear waste container coming out of department of energy run nevada national security site on public roads traveling unknown final location, march 2010 (photographer bill ebbesen))

the uranium mill tailings radiation control act of 1978 (umtrca) designed establish programs stabilization , control of mill tailings of uranium or thorium mill sites, both active , inactive, in order prevent or minimize, among other things, diffusion of radon environment. title ii of act gives nrc regulatory , licensing authority on mill tailing @ sites under nrc license on or after january 1, 1978.

this gave doe responsibility of stabilizing, disposing, , controlling uranium mill tailings , other contaminated material @ twenty-four uranium mill processing sites located across ten states , @ approximately 5,200 associated properties.

in 1950s , 1960s, private firms processed uranium ore mined in united states. after uranium mining came under federal control, companies abandoned mill operations, leaving behind materials potential long-term health hazards. these mills contained low-level radioactive wastes , other hazardous substances migrated surrounding soil, groundwater, surface water, , emitted radon gas.

under act, doe established uranium mill tailings remedial action (umtra) project monitor cleanup of uranium mill tailings. umtrca gave nrc regulatory authority on cleanup , licensing of mill tailing facilities @ sites under nrc license. epa had task of developing cleanup strategies , recording standards mills. umtra used on-site disposal methods eleven of mills, while excavating , disposing of wastes found @ remaining thirteen sites remote off-site disposal locations owned doe.