The Environmental Protection Agency is giving the public an extra 30 days to comment on a proposed rule addressing possible groundwater contamination from in-situ uranium mining operations. The rule was published Jan. 26, and the comment period was originally set to end April 27 (46 ER 294, 1/30/15). The comment period will now be extend to May 27, the EPA said April 10. The proposed rule would amend regulations under the Uranium Mill Tailings Radiation Control Act to take into account groundwater contamination from in-situ uranium extraction, in which the ore is left in place and a solution is pumped underground to dissolve the minerals and bring them to the surface. This method is now the dominant form of uranium mining in the U.S., although concerns have been raised about its potential to contaminate groundwater aquifers that would otherwise be used for drinking water or other purposes. The EPA first announced its intention to propose the rule in 2009 and sent the proposal to the White House for in-teragency review in April 2014 (45 ER 1255, 4/25/14).
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机译：环境保护署将给公众额外30天的时间，以就拟议规则进行评论，该规则解决了原位铀矿开采作业可能造成的地下水污染。该规则于1月26日发布，评论期最初设置为4月27日结束（46 ER 294，1 / 30/15）。 EPA于4月10日表示，意见征询期将延长至5月27日。拟议规则将修订《铀厂尾矿辐射控制法》中的规定，以考虑到原位开采铀所造成的地下水污染。就位，然后将溶液泵入地下以溶解矿物质并将其带到地面。这种方法现在是美国铀矿开采的主要形式，尽管人们对铀矿有可能污染地下水层（否则将其用于饮用水或其他目的）的担忧。 EPA于2009年首次宣布打算提议该规则，并于2014年4月将该提议发送给白宫进行机构间审查（45 ER 1255，4 / 25/14）。
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