The Activist's Guide to Uranium Mining
(last updated 21 Sep 2013)
4. Existing regulations for uranium mining
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International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)
International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)
- Guidebook on Design, Construction and Operation of Pilot Plants for Uranium Ore Processing
,
Technical Reports Series No. 314, 1990 (1.4M PDF)
- Guidebook on the Development of Projects for Uranium Mining and Ore Processing ,
IAEA TECDOC Series No. 595, 1991 (2.7M PDF)
- Guidebook on the Development of Regulations for Uranium Deposit Development and Production ,
IAEA TECDOC Series No. 862, 1996 (6.7M PDF)
- Environmental Impact Assessment for Uranium Mine, Mill and In Situ Leach Projects ,
IAEA TECDOC Series No. 979, 1997 (4.1M PDF)
- Establishment of Uranium Mining and Processing Operations in the Context of Sustainable Development ,
IAEA Nuclear Energy Series No. NF-T-1.1, 2009 (2MB PDF)
International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP)
1990 Recommendations of the International Commission on Radiological Protection - Publication 60
- 1 mSv/a dose standard for members of the public
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
Regulations:
- 40 CFR Part 61 - National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants:
Subpart B -
National Emission Standards for Radon Emissions From Underground Uranium Mines:
- 10 mrem/y [0.1 mSv/a] dose standard for members of the public from radon-222 emissions of an underground uranium mine
Subpart W -
National Emission Standards for Radon Emissions From Operating Mill Tailings:
- contains regulations on phased disposal to avoid the whole tailings surface area from being exposed at the same time, in order to minimize radon release during operation of the tailings impoundment
- 40 CFR Part 144 - Underground Injection Control Program
- 40 CFR Part 145 - State UIC Program Requirements
- 40 CFR Part 146 - Underground Injection Control Program Criteria and Standards
- 40 CFR Part 147 - State Underground Injection Control Programs
- 40 CFR Part 192 - Health and Environmental Protection Standards for Uranium and Thorium Mill Tailings
Subpart D - Standards for Management of Uranium Byproduct Materials Pursuant to Section 84 of the Atomic Energy Act of 1954, as Amended
- 40 CFR Part 440 - Effluent Guidelines and Standards - Ore Mining and Dressing Point Source Category
U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC)
Regulations:
Regulatory Guides:
International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)
- Uranium Extraction Technology ,
Technical Reports Series No. 359, 1994 (6.1M PDF)
- Guidebook on the Development of Regulations for Uranium Deposit Development and Production ,
IAEA TECDOC Series No. 862, 1996 (6.7M PDF)
- Guidebook on Good Practice in the Management of Uranium Mining and Mill Operations and the Preparation for their Closure ,
IAEA TECDOC Series No. 1059, 1998 (5.6M PDF)
- Methods of Exploitation of Different Types of Uranium Deposits ,
IAEA TECDOC Series No. 1174, 2000 (12.9M PDF)
- Manual of Acid in Situ Leach Uranium Mining Technology ,
IAEA TECDOC Series No. 1239, 2001 (5.2M PDF)
- Impact of New Environmental and Safety Regulations on Uranium Exploration, Mining, Milling and Management of its Waste ,
IAEA TECDOC Series No. 1244, 2001 (7.4M PDF)
- Technologies for the Treatment of Effluents from Uranium Mines, Mills and Tailings ,
IAEA TECDOC Series No. 1296, 2002 (2.1M PDF)
- Treatment of Liquid Effluent from Uranium Mines and Mills ,
IAEA TECDOC Series No. 1419, 2004 (5.2M PDF)
- Best Practice in Environmental Management of Uranium Mining ,
IAEA Nuclear Energy Series No. NF-T-1.2, 2010 (740k PDF)
Others
Environment Australia
International Council on Mining and Metals (ICMM)
ISO 14000 environmental management standards
see also Uranium Mining Legislation
see also Radiation Exposure for Uranium Industry Residents
International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP)
1990 Recommendations of the International Commission on Radiological Protection - Publication 60
- 20 mSv/a dose standard for workers (averaged over 5 years)
U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC)
Regulations:
Regulatory Guides:
International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)
see also Radiation Exposure for Uranium Industry Workers
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
40 CFR Part 61 - National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants:
Subpart T -
National Emission Standards for Radon Emissions From the Disposal of Uranium Mill Tailings:
- Once a uranium mill tailings pile or impoundment ceases to be operational it must be disposed of and brought into compliance with this standard within two years of the effective date of the standard.
40 CFR Part 192 - Health and Environmental Protection Standards for Uranium and Thorium Mill Tailings:
Subpart A -
Standards for the Control of Residual Radioactive Materials from Inactive Uranium Processing Sites:
(to be assured by design)
- effectiveness of up to 1000 years, to the extent reasonably achievable, and, in any case, of at least 200 years
- minimized need for future maintenance
- radon-222 release rate of 20 pCi/(m2s) [0.74 Bq/(m2s)],
- radon-222 concentration in air of 0.5 pCi/liter [18.5 Bq/m3] above background
- groundwater standards, including (among others):
- Combined radium-226 and radium-228: 5 pCi/liter [0.185 Bq/l]
- Combined uranium-234 and uranium-238: 30 pCi/liter [1.11 Bq/l]
(corresponding to 0.044 mg/l for secular equilibrium)
- Gross alpha-particle activity (excluding radon and uranium): 15 pCi/liter [0.555 Bq/l]
Subpart B -
Standards for Cleanup of Land and Buildings Contaminated with Residual Radioactive Materials from Inactive Uranium Processing Sites:
- radium-226 concentration in soil
- 5 pCi/g [0.185 Bq/g] above background (top 15 cm), and
- 15 pCi/g [0.555 Bq/g] above background (deeper than 15 cm)
- radon decay product concentration in buildings: 0.02 WL [75 Bq/m3 EEC] with reasonable effort, and in any case 0.03 WL [112 Bq/m3 EEC] including background
- gamma radiation in buildings: 20 µR/h [175 nGy/h] above background
Subpart C -
Implementation
U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC)
10 CFR Part 40 - Domestic Licensing of Source Material:
Appendix A to Part 40 -
Criteria Relating to the Operation of Uranium Mills and the Disposition of Tailings or Wastes Produced by the Extraction or Concentration of Source Material From Ores Processed Primarily for Their Source Material Content
- (contains further regulations concerning groundwater)
International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)
Safety Guides:
Safety Reports:
Technical Reports:
- Current Practices for the Management and Confinement of Uranium Mill Tailings,
Technical Reports Series No. 335, 1992, 140 p.
- Decommissioning of Facilities for Mining and Milling of Radioactive Ores and Closeout of Residues,
Technical Reports Series No. 362, 1994, 186 p.
- Measurement and Calculation of Radon Releases from NORM Residues ,
Technical Reports Series 474, 85 pp., September 2013
Tecdocs:
- Planning and Management of Uranium Mine and Mill Closures ,
IAEA TECDOC Series No. 824, 1995 (9.4M PDF)
- Closeout of Uranium Mines and Mills: A Review of Current Practices ,
IAEA TECDOC Series No. 939, 1997 (7M PDF)
- Impact of New Environmental and Safety Regulations on Uranium Exploration, Mining, Milling and Management of its Waste ,
IAEA TECDOC Series No. 1244, 2001 (7.4M PDF)
- The Long-Term Stabilization of Uranium Mill Tailings , Final report of a co-ordinated research project 2000–2004,
IAEA TECDOC Series No. 1403, 2004, 311 p. (7.5MB PDF)
see also Uranium Mining Legislation · U.S. NRC Regulatory Guides
see also Bibliography: Cleanup of Radiation Sites
see also Unit Converter
