environmental impacts of uranium mining pdf
These pathways may be direct, as when someone breathes air that contains radon gas or dust, or may be indirect, as when a worm absorbs a chemical from the soil and the worm is eaten by another animal, which may eventually be eaten by other animals, including people. There are several extraction strategies employed in The authoring committee was not asked to recommend whether uranium mining should be permitted, or to consider the potential benefits to the state were uranium mining to be pursued. These tailings pose serious environmental and health risks in the form of Randon emission, windblown dust dispersal and leaching of contaminants including heavy metals and arsenic into the water. Proceedings of the 8th Annual South Texas Environmental Conference, October 18-20, 2000, Corpus Christi, Texas History, Geochemistry and Environmental Impacts of Contaminants Released by Uranium Mining in South Texas Ronald L. Parker Department of Geology and Geophysics Texas A & M University, College Station, Texas 77843 (979) 845-9847 [email protected] Bruce E. Herbert Department of … Documented impacts include water quality effects (e.g., elevated concentrations of trace metals, arsenic, and uranium) caused by acid mine drainage or oxidation of groundwater, localized reduction of groundwater levels, off-site dust transport, and impaired populations of aquatic and terrestrial biota. remove harmful products. %PDF-1.4 %���� historically in the United States and around the globe the negative Open-pit and subsurface mines have different air impacts. In the case of the natural environment, these concerns include the risk of environmental degradation, contamination, reduced ecosystem viability and biodiversity, In addition, specific mitigation plans will also have to be developed and approved. These impacts per unit area disturbed would be comparable to those observed for other types of mining in Virginia, although the surface water quantity effects from tailings management could be greater. 0000001365 00000 n For example, stripping, stockpiling, and replacing the topsoil erases the natural soil horizons that develop over hundreds to thousands of years. Uranium toxicity. The concentration and exposures ultimately affect the extent of ecological effects. Excess sediment is recognized as a principal cause of impairment to freshwater streams and creeks nationwide and throughout Virginia (Suren, 2000; USEPA, 2010). State and local regulations and ordinances require erosion and sediment control measures such as retention ponds, straw bales, and earthen berms, termed best management practices. The disturbance of the land surface by mining, the temporary storage of ores and mining and processing wastes on-site, dewatering of mine workings/pits, and a variety of reclamation activities all have the potential to significantly affect the concentrations and loads of dissolved and suspended materials in surface water off-site. The effects of radiological exposure are related to the total amount of energy deposited, expressed in units termed Gray (Gy) per unit time (the radiological dose rate). Chronic effects of exposure to some constituents in kerosene include changes in liver; harmful effects on kidneys, heart, lungs, and nervous system; increased rates of cancer; and immunological, reproductive, fetotoxic, and genotoxic effects (Irwin et al., 1997). Revegetation with native plants, however, can be a challenge because of changes in soil quality and pressures from invasive species. (2008) showed that the annual load of total phosphorus was a factor of 1.5 times larger from reclaimed mineland compared with forested watersheds. Key pathways would likely include surface water, groundwater, and atmospheric emissions, as well as direct gamma-ray exposure. In contrast to Rum Jungle, the Caldas mine utilized modern tailings and wastewater treatment facilities to collect and treat AMD from the waste rock piles as well as the acidic tailings; liquid and solid tailings were neutralized to pH 9 using calcium carbonate (CaCO3) and lime (CaO) before being discharged to the tailings facility for solid deposition. however, tainted by disasters like Fukushima and its history as a weapon This has to be emphasized because some of the nuclides contained in the uranium decay chains (such … The most significant exposure pathways for ecological resources are anticipated to occur via surface water because of its accessibility and the numerous potential transport mechanisms for dissolved and particle-associated contaminants (e.g., discharge of treated process water into streams; discharge of contaminated groundwater to streams). As noted previously in this chapter, after uranium processing, the majority of the original radioactivity remains in the mill tailings after extraction of the uranium. Mining activity involves the removal of soil and overburden, which directly affects the physical, chemical, and biological properties of soil. As shown at Elliot Lake and elsewhere, lined and capped storage repositories can prevent the spread of tailings by erosion and control contamination of ground-water and surface water systems from seepage (Peacey et al., 2002; Abdelouas, 2006), but no method of isolation is 100 percent effective nor has one been shown to be effective in perpetuity. It also recommended the continued development of a legal framework that is adapted to current site-related risks. their land these problems still exist within other communities today and Control measures would include dust suppression systems, spraying or wetting dust, and washing construction equipment before it leaves the site. for agencies like the Nuclear Energy Agency and others to continue to Nevertheless, in 1999 the local administration agreed with AREVA that the radiological situation at the Puy de l’Age mine was “normal” and that further water treatment and environmental monitoring was unnecessary. A study by the Environmental Working Group shows that new mining claims within five miles of Grand Canyon National Park increased from 815 to 1,130, almost a … The following chemicals used in uranium processing have the potential to affect ecological health if significant quantities are spilled: Sulfuric acid. Large amounts of rock are removed during the mining process that contain measurable quantities of uranium but are not economically viable for uranium production (also called protore). As discussed previously in this chapter, acidic surface water and ground-water have been found at uranium sites in Brazil, Portugal, Australia, and Canada. Comprehensive baseline surveys of environmental characteristics are conducted prior to the start of mining and processing operations to provide an understanding of premining and processing conditions. In the case of underground mining, impacts to soil are at a minimum because the surface disturbance is restricted to the relatively small underground entrances. The objective of the study was to measure the possible radioactive contamination (total uranium and lead) in the local … Many of the ecological impacts of uranium mining and processing will be similar to other forms of hard-rock mining, in that both physical impacts and chemical impacts may occur. Although 90-95 percent of the uranium in the ore is extracted during processing (thus reducing uranium concentrations by at least an order of magnitude), most of the uranium decay products (e.g., 230Th, 226Ra, 222Rn), which may comprise the majority of the total radioactivity of the ore, stay in the tailings (Hebel et al., 1978, Van Metre and Gray, 1992). 0000005512 00000 n Depending on water chemistry (especially pH), a variety of metals and metalloids, including copper, iron, aluminum, vanadium, and selenium can be released in high quantities. Chemicals used as part of the processing operations, such as anhydrous ammonia or sulfuric acid used in leaching, could have significant off-site human health impacts under catastrophic accidental releases. Discussion on specific ecological effects of these constituents is provided in Box 6.3. Exposures occur by eating, drinking, breathing, skin contact, or from gamma-ray emissions from radionuclides. This work attempts to provide an integrated account of the evidence for bias in human reasoning across a wide range of disparate psychological literatures. 4. as well as the knowledge regarding the toxicity of these substances. A review of technological options for successful recovery of uranium from a yet-to-be discovered deposit in Alberta has been completed. Uranium mining occurred mostly in the southwestern United States and drew many Native Americans and others into work in the mines and mills. Mining activities can alter several of these variables, consequently changing the quality of the groundwater. In 2000, … Many of the ecological impacts of uranium mining and processing will be similar to other forms of hard-rock mining, in that both physical impacts and chemical impacts may occur. Hydrological interactions between tailings liquid in the JEB tailings disposal pit and the surrounding groundwater system are minimized through the use of tailings compaction and a system of French drains to control groundwater head gradients. FIGURE 6.2 Waste management in the JEB pit at McClean Lake in Saskatchewan, Canada. FIGURE 6.3 Measured potentiometric surface of the Sinnipee aquifer, southwest Wisconsin, during active dewatering of underground zinc-lead mines. Abstract. Measured mean annual concentrations of total dissolved solids, sulfate, chloride, uranium, and molybdenum in Island Lake in 2002 were two or three orders of magnitude higher than during the baseline (i.e., premining) monitoring period. The Jicarilla Apache Tribe has oil and gas energy development. Breaking the uranium ore into finer particles can occur as part of the mining or the processing. ble environmental impact of uranium mining in Greenland and ways that it might be mitigated by charting technological developments in the industry, as articulated by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Devel- Exposure pathways refer to the specific ways in which animals, plants, and people come in contact with environmental agents. These escalate in detail and progressively focus on issues of concern in relation to the proposal, in consultation with state authorities (who in Australia generally operate under an agreement with the Commonwealth to ensure that its concerns are addressed). However, ecological exposures also may occur through air (e.g., dust, radon), contaminated soil, sediments, or from gamma radiation given off by radionuclides in contaminated materials. Use of diversions to reduce overland flow actually increased sediment loads because water that was concentrated in inadequately protected channels caused channel erosion or in other cases overtopped the diversions, causing rill and gully erosion. Candle rites are also a time-honored way to bestow blessings upon loved ones or focus energy on any wish or intention that you may have. Warm and wise, By Candlelight is the most complete guidebook to candle rituals available. and environmental impacts experienced by the Navajo people in the aftermath Overview of decades of uranium mining and milling conducted in and around the Navajo Chairman Opening StatementWaxman's reservation in order to meet the federal government's need … permission to copy, distribute and display this work in unaltered form, unless or until detected in monitoring wells around the site. aApplicable at pH 6.5-9.0. Acid mine drainage (AMD) has the potential to be one of the most serious environmental problems caused by uranium mining in the Commonwealth of Virginia if it is not appropriately managed and mitigated. The environmental impacts of uranium mining include the traditional impacts associated with gold or copper mining, as well as additional radiological impacts. Leakage of lower pH, oxygenated water from an unconfined upper aquifer into higher pH anoxic water in a lower confined aquifer through multiaquifer wells has been implicated as the primary cause for elevated uranium concentrations in a public supply well in York, Nebraska (Clark et al., 2008; Landon et al., 2008). Kerosene spills could result in potential acute toxicity to some forms of aquatic life. The committee sought out data from currently operating uranium mining sites, where available, although detailed publicly available environmental effects analyses were limited. Some sampling locations in Langley Bay have consistently exceeded Saskatchewan water quality standards for 226Ra, and further sampling has shown that the primary source of the contamination of the bay is from the periodic release of AMD from the tailings during snowmelt and rainstorm events. Share a link to this book page on your preferred social network or via email. On-site and downstream surface runoff effects would be expected to vary depending upon whether mining is underground, surface, or some combination of the two. Sodium hydroxide. SEMP is an over-arching framework and roadmap addressing the cumulative impacts of existing and potential developments, within which individual projects have to be planned and implemented; measured around twelve Environmental Quality Objectives (EQOs) and the extent to which uranium mining is impacting the central Namib. well as methods of restoring lands through remediation. Construction equipment and transport vehicles are powered by diesel engines, which generate diesel fumes. 0000000966 00000 n These primary impacts are largely contained within the mining site, and the extent of soil impacts resulting from mining activities depends on the type of mining adopted. Additionally, because of mine construction disturbance to the aquifer, local groundwater flow patterns may be permanently altered, which could affect water supply for nearby domestic supply wells, although this effect is likely to be minor overall. A rehabilitation program from 1982 to 1986 aimed at reducing metal loads to surface waters included backfilling open cuts with tailing wastes, recontouring waste rock dumps, constructing engineered soil covers to limit infiltration and AMD production, and rehabilitating the former processing facility and ore stockpile areas. Similarly, Muscatello and Janz (2009a) found selenium accumulation in phytoplankton, benthic invertebrates, and fish in Vulture Lake, which receives treated effluent from the McClean Lake mine site. Soil compaction resulting from the use of heavy, earth-grading equipment during the reclamation process dramatically reduces soil infiltration capacity and increases storm runoff. Environmental Impact There should be assessment of the direct and indirect impacts of the uranium mining and processing operation with associated developments, as proposed in Section (7), based upon the description of the existing environment provided in Section (6). 0000018174 00000 n Finally, a data management plan will need to be developed to (1) ensure that all monitoring data and associated metadata are archived and (2) facilitate easy retrieval of the data and metadata by interested parties (public, regulators). So, private mining corporations swarmed the uranium rich Navajo Nation, bringing with them new mining jobs for the Navajo people. Although protore and waste tailings may not contain enough uranium for processing to be cost-effective, there is still measureable radioactivity, which has off-site exposure potential. The selection of measurement methods with adequate sensitivity is critical. The specific impacts associated with underground mining of uranium in Virginia are, • disruption (or total cessation) of spring flows and stream baseflow on-site due to blasting of rock (with decreased flows propagated to receiving waters downstream), depending on local geology, and. Radiation can easily penetrate solid materials such as soils or drums. Copper. Ionizing radiation—specifically, α, β, and γ particles released through the decay of radionuclides—causes ecological effects via damage to biological tissues in exposed organisms. and reactions that promote leaching, and drainage systems to collect and Carbonate and bicarbonate. Threats to groundwater quality related to modern tailings management originate from two sources: (1) failure of the structures designed to limit the movement of contaminants from the tailings into surrounding groundwater (e.g., tailings retaining structures, failure of the liners(s) and leak collection systems), and (2) inadequate hydraulic isolation in belowgrade disposal facilities (e.g., pump failure in active isolation, inadequate understanding of site hydrogeology, inadequate compaction of tailings in passive hydraulic isolation). Passive hydraulic isolation employs materials of contrasting permeability to direct water flow around rather than through the tailings. Lake Gaston is fed from the Kerr Reservoir which, in turn, is fed by the Dan, Bannister, and Roanoke Rivers in the Roanoke River Basin. For purposes of this report, the materials of concern include some nonradioactive substances (especially dissolved heavy metals and metalloids), as well as naturally occurring radioactive materials (NORM), technologically enhanced naturally occurring radioactive materials (TENORM), and both solid and liquid tailings from processing operations. promote the development of science and technology to improve the Virginia has extensive experience with mining and its impacts, and thus the primary focus of this chapter is on the specific environment impacts of uranium mining. 1 See http://www.bape.gouv.qc.ca/sections/archives/oka/docdeposes/documdeposes/DB86.pdf. For example, thermoluminescent detectors could be installed in concentric rings around the facility to detect high levels of airborne radioactivity. View our suggested citation for this chapter. Energy Information Administration, Uranium Production Sediment also can clog the gills of many aquatic animals, leading to impaired growth and physiological function and sometimes death. As one example, uranium and 226Ra concentrations in dewatering water from Cameco’s Key Lake operation have ranged from 3 to 314 µg/L and 0.012 to 0.19 Bq/L, respectively, whereas at the McLean Lake mine the concentrations of these constituents have ranged, BOX 6.1 Increases in the extent of surface runoff contribute to increases in constituent loads (load is the product of concentration and hydrological flux). Depending on the size of the site and the dust control procedures implemented, there may or may not be off-site impacts. Many metals and metalloids are substantially more toxic to aquatic biota than to humans. A monitoring strategy will need clear goals and a feasible strategy by which those goals can be achieved. DOE/EIA-0484(2016), May 2016, pp. Therefore, the presence of sulfide minerals in the uranium ore is a preexisting condition that promotes the release of radionuclides and toxic heavy metals from uranium mines to the environment. In 2002, former ENU employees and community members created the Ambiente em Zonas Uraníferas – Associação Ambiental (AZU, the Environment in Uranium Zones –Environmental … We consideration should be given • increased flows in receiving streams owing to mechanical pumping of groundwater from underground mine workings (with increased flows propagated to receiving waters downstream). Monitoring data can guide facility operators to implement corrective actions (e.g., improved engineering controls or management procedures) when predetermined trigger points are exceeded. Both mine water and treated processing effluents often contain high concentrations of salts. The Navajo Nation Department of Justice provided guidance on federal consultation procedures on November 16, 2007, and The adverse effects observed downstream from the mining and processing operations described above have been attributed to chemical toxicity, rather than to radiological exposures. extraction points. The report can be downloaded here. The level of environmental protection achieved has been very high. 0000001028 00000 n Author: Herbert C. Coombs. These tailings pose serious environmental and health risks in the This Safety Report has been developed as part of the IAEA programme on occupational radiation protection to provide for the application of its safety standards in implementing a graded approach to the protection of workers against exposures ... If active hydraulic isolation is used, an important step would include sending the water for treatment at an on-site water treatment facility prior to releasing it to the environment. Health effects as a result of non-occupational exposure to these elements can include lung cancer and impaired kidney function. All aspects of the full life cycle of a mine It is responsible for the environmental restoration of areas that have been degraded by mining in the country. 42 0 obj<>stream 1980 The Impact of Uranium Mining on the Social Environment of Aborigines in the Alligator Rivers Region.CRES Working Paper No. A wide variety of uranium toxicity studies have been performed using terrestrial plants, soil invertebrates, soil microorganisms, aquatic invertebrates, fish, and mammals. the soil and water. TABLE 6.1 Comparison Between Virginia DEQ Water Quality Criteria for Aquatic Life Protection and for Public Drinking Water. During early mining operations, sulfide-containing tailings were dumped in a waste management area with no additional treatment. It recommended expanding efforts to collect site information and share it with the local population. mining practices and outlines how health and environmental impacts of leading practice uranium mines are managed and minimised. (2009) and Ferrari et al. Switch between the Original Pages, where you can read the report as it appeared in print, and Text Pages for the web version, where you can highlight and search the text. However, exposure to particulate matter can also lead to increased asthma, as documented by increased visits to emergency rooms, and even to death from heart or lung disease (Pope et al., 2009; Anenberg et al., 2010). Sheppard et al. SCOPING COMMENTS 2.1. [5] C. Arnold, "Once Upon a Mine: The Legacy of An equally important aspect is assessing the attainment of best-practice discharge targets, which may be significantly lower than regulatory limits. Comparable increases in sediment loads would be expected from surface mining for uranium in Virginia, but underground mining would not be expected to cause such impacts. However, during active mine operations, there could be significant effects on groundwater quantity.
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