Managing Environmental and Health Impacts of Uranium Mining

Executive summary 9 Chapter 1.€Introduction and overview 13 -Purpose 13 -Nuclear power and uranium requirements 14 -Uranium supply 15 -Past and present uranium mining practices 16 -Historical development of mining regulation and licensing 17 -Mining types and life cycle operational phases 20 -References 24 Chapter 2. A Comparision of key operational challenges 27 Worker health and safety 27 -Conventional (non-radiological) worker health and safety 27 -Current status 27 -Regulatory and societal expectations 28 -Historical trends 28 -Development of leading practices 28 -Case study: Historic uranium mining in the United States 30 -Case study: McArthur River underground mine, Canada 33 -References 35 Worker radiation protection 36 -Current status 37 -Regulatory and societal expectations 38 -Historical trends 38 -Development of leading practices 38 -Occupational radiation protection 38 -External gamma exposure 39 -Inhalation of long-lived alpha activity (LLAA) 39 -Inhalation of radon decay products (RDPs) 40 -Total occupational doses 42 -Worker radiation exposure at leading practice mining facilities 42 -Case study: Wismut mining health impacts, Germany 43 -Case study: Olympic Dam radiation protection, Australia 46 -References 49 Public health and safety 50 -Current status 50 -Regulatory and societal expectations 51 -Historical trends 51 Development of leading practices 52 Public radiation exposure pathways 52 -Emanation of radon and subsequent inhalation of RDPs 52 -Dust generation and subsequent inhalation of LLAA 53 -Direct gamma exposure 53 -Ingestion of LLAA 53 -Total public doses 54 -Case study: Schlema radon issues arising from past practices, Germany 54 -Case study: Long-term public radiation doses from radon in uranium mill tailings 57 -References 58 Water quality 59 -Current status 59 -Regulatory and societal expectations 60 -Historical trends 60 -Development of leading practices 61 -Case study: Taboshar legacy site, Tajikistan 63 -Case study: Key Lake water management, Canada 66 -References 69 In situ leach (ISL) 69 -Environmental impact assessment (EIA) 71 -Radiation protection 72 -Waste generation and disposal 73 -Case study: Straž pod Ralskem ISL, Czech Republic 74 -Case study: Beverley ISL, Australia 75 -References 77 Tailings 79 -Tailings composition 79 -Tailings containment 79 -Current status 80 -Regulatory and societal expectations 80 -Historical trends 80 -Development of leading practices 81 -Case study: Helmsdorf tailings impoundment, Germany 83 -Case study: Cluff Lake tailings management area, Canada 85 -Case study: McClean Lake tailings management facility (TMF), Canada 87 -References 90 Waste rock 91 -Current status 91 -Regulatory and societal expectations 91 -Historical trends 92 -Development of leading practices 92 -Case study: Pocos de Caldas waste rock disposal, Brazil 92 -Case study: McClean Lake mine rock segregation, Canada 94 -References 96 Chapter 3. Modern life cycle parameters 97 Public consultation 97 -Case study: Talvivaara uranium recovery plant, Finland 99 -References 102 Environmental impact assessment (EIA) 102 -Case study: Moore Ranch Supplemental Environmental Assessment, United States 103 -References 108 Socio-economic impacts/benefits 109 -Case study: Socio-economic impacts of uranium mining, Kazakhstan 111 -References 113 Environmental monitoring 113 -Case study: Athabasca Working Group, Canada 115 -References 116 Financial assurance 117 -Case study: Saskatchewan Institutional Control Program, Canada 119 -References 120 Product transport 121 -Case study: Emergency preparedness in uranium transport, Canada 123 -References 125 Emergency planning 125 -Case study: Uranium production facilities, Kazakhstan 127 -References 129 Security and safeguards 130 -Reporting of nuclear security incidents 131 -References 132 Knowledge transfer 132 -References 134 Chapter 4. Conclusion and recommendations 135 Annex 1. Abbreviations and acronyms 139.