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• <br />3.0 REGULATORY OVERVIEW <br />On December 27, 1979, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) designated radionuclides as a <br />hazardous air pollutant (HAP), pursuant to section 112 of the Clean Air Act (CAA). On December 15, <br />1989, also pursuant to section 112 of the CAA, EPA promulgated NESHAPs to control radionuclide <br />emissions from several source categories, including underground uranium mines. The Underground <br />Uranium Mine NESHAP is codified in 40 CFR 61, Subpart B. <br />Underground uranium mines are ventilated to protect miners from exposure to substances such as radon. <br />Ventilating to reduce miners' radon exposure may result in radon being emitted to ambient air. The <br />Underground Uranium Mine NESHAP was promulgated to protect members of the public from these <br />potential radon emissions. <br />40 CFR 61, Subpart B applies to the owner or operator of an active underground uranium mine which has <br />mined, will mine, or is designed to mine over 100,000 tons of ore during the life of the mine; or has had <br />or will have an ore production rate greater than 10,000 tons per year, unless it can be demonstrated that <br />the mine will not exceed total ore production of 100,000 tons during the life of the mine. Based on the <br />• permitted uranium ore production rate of 20,000 tons per year at the Van 4 Mine, this mine is subject to <br />the Underground Uranium Mine NESHAP. Mines subject to this regulation may not emit radon-222 (Rn- <br />222) to the ambient air in excess of those amounts that would cause any member of the public to receive <br />in any year an effective dose equivalent of 10 millirem per year (mrem/yr). <br />0 <br />\wAaa -us 1-iuing\co1orado\ran 4\air p-iAsunday inin-pliana ply draflAm 3-1