The nonuniform distribution of Ra-226 and other radiological contamina
tion of cobbly soil encountered on several Uranium Mill Tailings Remed
ial Action Project sites is presented and discussed, and the concomita
nt challenges to the intent and implementation of the U.S. Environment
al Protection Agency's soil cleanup standards are noted. In response t
o technical assessments and information presented to the U.S. Nuclear
Regulatory Commission by the U.S. Department of Energy, the Nuclear Re
gulatory Commission has recently resolved the dilemma by concluding th
at compliance with Environmental Protection Agency soil cleanup standa
rds for cobbly soil at Uranium Mill Tailings Remedial Action Project s
ites would be adequately attained using bulk radionuclide concentratio
ns, instead of requiring that the radionuclide concentration of the fi
ner soil fraction passing a #4 mesh sieve met the standards. A Nuclear
Regulatory Commission-approved procedure developed for cobbly soil re
mediation is outlined and discussed. The site-specific implementation
of this procedure at Uranium Mill Tailings Remedial Action Project sit
es containing cobbly soil is estimated to save millions of dollars.