Reversing Mother Nature Part Three
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Reversing Mother Nature: Part Three
Reversing Mother Nature, Part Three
Summary
We spoke with North America's leading In Situ Leach (ISL) uranium mining engineers to understand exactly how ISL works. These experts have designed or constructed most of the significant ISL operations in the United States. They explained that ISL mining essentially reverses the process of Mother Nature.
Cleaning Up the Project
The work doesn't end with shipping uranium from the ISL plant. The water needs to be purified, and the land must be restored to its original state. Ideally, the ISL operation's footprint should be almost invisible once reclamation is complete. In our earlier article “Wyoming Uranium: Now and the Future,” Pat Drummond from Smith Ranch shared insights on this process:
The company is diligent about returning the landscape to its former condition. This restoration, known as reclamation, may involve farming. Drummond explained, "When we start a well field, by license, we remove the topsoil and store it. When reclaiming, we remove pipes, demolish structures, and seal wells, marking them for future reference. This way, even decades later, the area’s history will be known."
What wasn’t covered previously was the water cleanup after mining. Restoring water to its natural state is crucial because mining elevates sulfates and calcium by lowering the pH. Anthony explained, "The ion exchange circuit may leak chlorides into the lixiviant, resulting in elevated levels of sulfate, chloride, calcium, and bicarbonate." Adding carbon dioxide forms bicarbonate, elevating other ions during mining. Occasionally, arsenic, vanadium, or selenium are also present. The water must be purified to return to its baseline quality.
Options for Water Management
Post-mining water management offers three options, as discussed with Glenn Catchpole. He has experience with ISL operations, being the General Manager of the Inkai project in Kazakhstan and now the Chief Executive of Uranerz Energy.
Catchpole’s first preference is to use a deep disposal aquifer, when available, to send the water down about 4,000 feet into a briny formation of lesser quality. If this isn’t possible, evaporation ponds can be used. The last option is land application, where the waste stream is treated to meet government standards and then spread like irrigation water, allowing it to soak into the soil and reach the groundwater.
Water Circulation and Filtration
Generally, the water circulates through the ore body about eight times for restoration. Anthony noted, "The first pore volume is evacuated and disposed of via a well, drawing native water back into the mine zone." This water is then processed via reverse osmosis, similar to seawater desalination, which filters out ions like sulfate and uranium, producing drinkable water and a brine stream.
The brine, containing 95% of dissolved ions, is disposed of in underground formations unsuitable for use.
Conclusion
Despite the attention given to environmental concerns, it is ISL miners who demonstrate a commitment to preservation. Environmentalists often overlook, or don’t publicize, the environmental impact of coal-fired electricity generation, which poses a greater threat than ISL mining and nuclear power. A prominent example is the Navajo Nation in New Mexico, which banned uranium mining due to environmental concerns, yet benefits from significant coal royalties while facing pollution from coal mining and power plants.
Although ISL uranium mining won't replace conventional methods everywhere, its applications remain significant. The World Nuclear Association noted that ISL contributed 21% of global uranium mining in 2004. Stover cautioned that ISL is only feasible for select deposits, requiring careful characterization and suitable conditions for water flow and leaching.
Advantages and Future Outlook
The low capital costs of ISL?"estimated to be as low as $10 million in some cases?"contrast sharply with the hundreds of millions needed for conventional mining. Labor requirements are also lower. For instance, while the Highland mine employed 4,000 people in its heyday, Cameco’s Smith-Highland Ranch could soon operate with just 100 employees. This is due to the streamlined nature of ISL operations, which mainly involve installing a centralized water treatment plant and wells.
Environmentally, ISL is far less intrusive and shorter in duration, making it more acceptable to the public.
In terms of future prospects, prices remained flat until 2004, according to Norris. The economic climate now supports mine development, though defining ore locations and meeting regulatory requirements takes time. Even with immediate action, production increases would take several years.
You can find the original non-AI version of this article here: Reversing Mother Nature Part Three.
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