US EPA

3793554 

Technical Report 

Consideration of Geochemical Issues in Groundwater Restoration at Uranium In-Situ Leach Mining Facilities 

Davis, JA; Curtis, GP 

2007 

NTIS/12150090 

GRA and I 

GRA and I 

Some mining processes use fluids to dissolve (or leach) a mineral from an ore deposit in the ground. Although these in-situ leach mining techniques are considered more environmentally benign then traditional mining and milling practices they still tend to contaminate the groundwater. For this reason, the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) requires licensees to ensure that sufficient funds are maintained by the licensee for restoration of the site to initial conditions following cessation of in-situ leach mining operations. Because groundwater restoration represents a substantial portion of these costs, a good estimate of the necessary volume of treatment water is important for approximating the overall cost of decommissioning. This report discusses the in-situ leach mining process, common restoration methods, historical information on in-situ leach mine restoration, and analytical techniques that may be used for estimating the future costs for restoring these sites.