| | The long term stabilization of uranium mill tailings |
| | 7,31 | | MB |
| | 309 | | stron |
| | 2495 | | ID | International Atomic Energy Agency |
| | 2004 | | rok |
| | CONTENTS |
| | 1. INTRODUCTION 1 |
| | 1.1. Background 1 |
| | 1.2. Objectives .. 2 |
| | 1.2.1. Overall objective. 2 |
| | 1.2.2. Scientific research objectives 3 |
| | 1.3. The focus of the CRP 4 |
| | 1.4. The structure of the CRP 5 |
| | 2. HISTORICAL PRACTICES .. 6 |
| | 2.1. The 'ages' of uranium production . 6 |
| | 2.2. Age, number, geographic and climatic distribution of uranium mill tailings piles.. 8 |
| | 2.3. Relationship of tailings piles to mine and mill facilities . 11 |
| | 2.4. Historical approaches to tailings placements. 12 |
| | 2.4.1. No effective containment. 12 |
| | 2.4.2. Low embankments.. 13 |
| | 2.4.3. Topographic depressions . 13 |
| | 2.4.4. Valley fill . 13 |
| | 2.4.5. Ring dyke or turkey nest dam 13 |
| | 2.4.6. Mined out pit.. 13 |
| | 2.4.7. Underground mine back-fill 14 |
| | 2.4.8. Deep lake or river 14 |
| | 2.5. Classification of uranium mill tailings . 14 |
| | 2.6. Inappropriate uses of uranium mill tailings 15 |
| | 3. ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS ..16 |
| | 3.1. Events that have led to environmental impacts 16 |
| | 3.2. Impacts on human health. 19 |
| | 3.3. Potential radiological impacts upon the natural environment .. 21 |
| | 3.4. Toxic and hazardous compounds in tailings and their potential impacts 23 |
| | 4. REMEDIATION PROGRAMMES TO REDUCE HAZARDS FROM HISTORICAL URANIUM MILL |
| | TAILINGS .. 24 |
| | 4.1. Driving forces for remedial work 24 |
| | 4.2. Remedial work undertaken. 25 |
| | 4.3. Examples from the USA.. 26 |
| | 4.4. Examples from France.. 26 |
| | 4.5. Examples from Germany. 26 |
| | 4.6. Examples form the Czech Republic .. 26 |
| | 4.7. Examples from Australia . 27 |
| | 4.8. Evaluation of the remedial works at historic tailings piles. 27 |
| | 5. PRESENT DAY PRACTICES 28 |
| | 5.1. Objectives 28 |
| | 5.2. Standards for radiological and environmental protection 29 |
| | 5.3. Member States' regulations, standards and guidelines. 30 |
| | 5.4. Current approaches to tailings containment .. 32 |
| | 5.4.1. Less-favoured options 32 |
| | 5.4.2. Above ground disposal . 33 |
| | 5.4.3. Below ground containment. 36 |
| | 5.4.4. Deep lake . 39 |
| | 5.4.5. Purpose-built containment .. 39 |
| | 5.5. Current approaches to stabilise and isolate uranium mill tailings .. 40 |
| | 5.5.1. Design objectives. 40 |
| | 5.5.2. Containment preparation.. 40 |
| | 5.5.3. Tailings preparation 41 |
| | 5.5.4. Tailings discharge and deposition 43 |
| | 5.5.5. Tailings consolidation 44 |
| | 5.5.6. Tailings surface treatment 46 |
| | 5.5.7. Decant water treatment . 47 |
| | 5.5.8. Seepage control. 47 |
| | 5.5.9. Covers 48 |
| | 6. OUTSTANDING ISSUES 53 |
| | 6.1. Overview .53 |
| | 6.2. Issues relating to the physical properties of tailings.. 53 |
| | 6.3. Issues relating to containment .. 56 |
| | 6.4. Issues relating to tailings chemistry 57 |
| | 6.5. Passive systems.58 |
| | 7. NEW APPROACHES AND RESEARCH 59 |
| | 7.1. Overview .59 |
| | 7.2. Design and siting of containments.. 60 |
| | 7.3. Physical stabilization . 60 |
| | 7.3.1. Consolidation . 61 |
| | 7.3.2. Paste technology .. 62 |
| | 7.3.3. Grouting 63 |
| | 7.4. Chemical stabilization ..63 |
| | 7.4.1. Overview.. 63 |
| | 7.4.2. Geochemical impacts. 64 |
| | 7.4.3. Fixation technologies. 65 |
| | 7.5. Encapsulation and covers 67 |
| | 7.6. Effluent containment and treatment .. 68 |
| | 7.7. Management systems. 69 |
| | 7.8. Long term research priorities. 70 |
| | 8. PERFORMANCE ASSESSMENT OF IMPOUNDMENTS.. 70 |
| | 8.1. Purpose of performance assessment .. 70 |
| | 8.2. Conceptual approaches .70 |
| | 8.3. Performance assessment approaches . 71 |
| | 8.4. Baseline data and regional characterization .. 72 |
| | 8.5. Monitoring..72 |
| | 8.6. Radiological impact73 |
| | 8.6.1. Concept of critical groups 73 |
| | 8.6.2. Scenarios.. 73 |
| | 8.7. Non-radiological impacts 75 |
| | 9.1. Historical practices . 75 |
| | 9.2. Environmental impacts . 76 |
| | 9.3. Remediation programmes 77 |
| | 9.4. Present day practices . 78 |
| | 9.5. Outstanding issues .. 79 |
| | 9.6. New approaches 79 |
| | 9.7. Performance assessment .. 80 |
| | 10. CONCLUSIONS 81 |
| | REFERENCES 83 |
| | GLOSSARY. 99 |
| | ANNEX I. BRAZIL: A CASE STUDY ON THE URANIUM TAILINGS DAM OF POÇOS DE CALDAS |
| | URANIUM MINING AND MILLING SITE 101 |
| | ANNEX II. CANADA: CAMECO RABBIT LAKE IN-PIT TAILINGS MANAGEMENT FACILITY - |
| | TAILINGS INJECTION TRIAL PROGRAMME 121 |
| | ANNEX III. CHINA: STUDIES OF BENTONITE AND RED SOILS AS CAPPING OF THE URANIUM |
| | MILL TAILING IMPOUNDMENTS 145 |
| | ANNEX IV. CZECH REPUBLIC: PREDICTING THE LONG TERM STABILIZATION OF URANIUM |
| | MILL TAILINGS . 161 |
| | ANNEX V. FRANCE: METHODOLOGY TO ASSESS THE RADIOLOGICAL IMPACT OF DISPOSALS |
| | OF URANIUM MILL TAILINGS AFTER REMEDIATION (SHORT TERM IMPACT).. 181 |
| | ANNEX VI. GERMANY: DEVELOPMENT OF TECHNOLOGIES FOR IN SITU REMEDIATION OF |
| | CONTAMINATED SITES BY DIRECTED FORMATION OF NATURALLY OCCURRING SLIGHTLY |
| | SOLUBLE MINERALS 195 |
| | ANNEX VII. KAZAKHSTAN: DEVELOPMENT OF METHOD OF COVERING RAISING DUST |
| | BEACHES OF RADIOACTIVE WASTES STORAGE OUT OF OPERATION. 209 |
| | ANNEX VIII. REPUBLIC OF KOREA: REMEDIATION OF URANIUM MILL TAILINGS USING |
| | NATURAL AND ORGANO-CLAYS .. 223 |
| | ANNEX IX. POLAND I: IMPROVEMENT OF SOIL PROPERTIES APPLIED TO CAPPING AND |
| | MULTI-LAYER BARRIERS 233 |
| | ANNEX X. POLAND II: ROOM TEMPERATURE CERAMICS, THE BREAKTHROUGH MATERIAL |
| | FOR LONG TERM STABILIZATION AND ISOLATION OF LOW-LEVEL URANIUM RESIDUES? . |
| | 249 |
| | ANNEX XI. RUSSIAN FEDERATION: POLYMERIC COATS FOR THE STABILIZATION OF |
| | CONTAMINATED SURFACES.. 265 |
| | ANNEX XII. UKRAINE: RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT OF MEASURES TO BE TAKEN FOR |
| | LONG TERM STABILIZATION AND ISOLATION OF URANIUM MILL TAILINGS . 281 |
| | ANNEX XIII. UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT OF MEASURES |
| | TO BE TAKEN FOR LONG TERM STABILIZATION AND ISOLATION OF URANIUM MILL |
| | TAILINGS.. 297 |
| | LIST OF PARTICIPANTS. 311 |