Issues at Operating Uranium Mines and Mills - USA 
(last updated 24 Jul 2008)
Contents:
Site Index
Alta Mesa ·
Cañon City ·
Christensen Ranch ·
Cotter mines (CO) ·
Crow Butte ·
Highland (PRI) ·
Hobson ·
IMC Global ·
Irigaray ·
J-Bird·
Kingsville Dome ·
Pandora ·
Pinenut ·
Rosita ·
Schwartzwalder ·
Smith Ranch ·
Sweetwater ·
Vasquez ·
White Mesa
> View deposit info
Denison Mines has been denied a state permit for the reopening of the Pinenut mine.
The Arizona Department of Environmental Quality 
said Denison Mines proposed using outdated, 20-year-old liners and impoundment ponds to capture uranium mine-related runoff. In addition, ADEQ said Denison wasn't specific enough in describing pollution-control measures at the proposed mines.
(Arizona Daily Sun May 14, 2008)
> see extra page !
Fire at Schwartzwalder uranium mine
Emergency crews were responding to a report of a "medium-sized" fire at the Schwartzwalder Mine in Jefferson County.
(MyFox July 10, 2007)
> View old issues
A battle over how state environmental regulations apply to western Colorado uranium mines is heating up in Montrose County's West End, where Cotter Corp. plans to re-open four uranium mines sitting dormant since 2005.
The Colorado Mined Land Reclamation Board christened three of Cotter's dormant mine sites near Naturita as "designated mining operations," or "DMOs," requiring Cotter to comply with strict environmental regulations and create an environmental protection plan.
Cotter is appealing the board's decision because complying with stringent environmental regulations would be a burden on its mining operation and require that it put more effort into planning at the mine, said Glen Williams, Cotter's Western Colorado Manager of Mining.
(Grand Junction Sentinel Jul. 10, 2007)
Cotter Corp. closed six uranium mines in the Uravan area last week and laid off 49 workers, company officials said. Richard Cherry, president of Cotter Corp., said in a statement that he is hopeful production will resume after the company revamps its operations.
(Grand Junction Sentinel Nov. 8, 2005)
The Cotter Corp. this week opened one new Western Slope uranium and vanadium mine and said it plans to open three more in 2005.
The company reopened several mines in Montrose County near Nucla and Naturita in August 2004 after more than a decade of dormancy, and with the recent renewal of the company's license to operate its Cañon City milling operation, Western Slope ore will be what keeps the mill busy.
(Grand Junction Sentinel Dec. 16, 2004)
> View mine info
On April 29, 2008, Bluerock Resources Ltd. announced the first production of uranium development ore at the J-Bird Mine, Montrose Country, Colorado. Uranium ore will be stockpiled at the J-Bird Mine and then transported to Denison Mines' White Mesa Mill under the Company's Ore Purchase and/or Toll Milling Agreement.
By-product uranium production is to 'permanently' cease at IMC Global's Uncle Sam and Faustina facilities in Louisiana. Low
uranium prices are cited as the major reason for the decision by senior
management. The facilities' combined production of 950 000 lbs U3O8
(365.4 tU) last year accounted for approximately 16% of uranium produced
in the US; 1998 production is expected to be similar. Meanwhile IMC's
New Wales and Plant City recovery facilities in Florida have remained on
'stand-by' since 1992. (UI News Briefing 98.49, Dec. 9, 1998)
> View mine details
> View decommissioning issues
Uranium mining at Crow Butte is being opposed by Save Crow Butte
Residents voice opposition to production increase of Crow Butte uranium ISL mine
Crow Butte Resources (CBR), a mining company on the South Dakota and Nebraska border, wants to increase its annual uranium production by 50 percent. To do that, they and their opposition went face to face before the Atomic Licensing Board on July 23, 2008.
At the public hearing, dozens of homeowners from Pine Ridge voiced their opposition to CBR's plan to build a uranium mine near Crawford. They say the company's operation near Chadron is destroying natural resources.
(KOTA July 23, 2008)
NRC issues Opportunity To Request a Hearing on license renewal request of Crow Butte uranium ISL mine, and Order Imposing Procedures for Access to Sensitive Unclassified Non-Safeguards Information (SUNSI) for Contention Preparation
A request for a hearing must be filed by July 28, 2008.
Within ten (10) days after publication of this notice of opportunity for hearing any potential party as defined in 10 CFR 2.4 who believes access to SUNSI is necessary for a response to the notice may request access to such information.
Federal Register: May 27, 2008 (Volume 73, Number 102) p. 30426-30430
(download full text )
NRC issues Notice of License Amendment Request of Crow Butte uranium ISL mine, and Opportunity To Request a Hearing
A request for a hearing must be filed by June 6, 2008.
Federal Register: April 7, 2008 (Volume 73, Number 67) p. 18823-18825 (download full text )
Cameco applies for license renewal of Crow Butte uranium ISL mine
By letter dated Nov. 27, 2007, Crow Butte Resources, Inc. applied for the renewal of Source Materials License No. SUA-1534 for the continued operation of the Crow Butte in situ leach uranium mine.
> Download renewal application documents
Cameco to increase production from Crow Butte and Smith Ranch-Highland by 70%
On Dec. 4, 2007, Cameco announced that it is targeting to increase the combined production at its Crow Butte and Smith Ranch-Highland in-situ leach operations by 70% to 4.6 million pounds U3O8 [1,769 t U] annually by 2011. The planned production increase requires the restart of the idle Highland uranium recovery plant.
On April 29, 2008, an NRC Atomic Safety and Licensing Board Panel (ASLBP) ordered as follows:
"In this Memorandum and Order, in addition to ruling on three pending matters on which the participants are in dispute, we find that Petitioners WNRC, Owe Aku, and Debra L. White Plume have shown standing to participate in the proceeding, and admit three of their joint contentions, in modified form. The first two of these concern alleged contamination of water resources and potential resulting environmental and health issues; the third concerns the extent of consultation that is required with tribal leaders regarding a prehistoric Indian camp located in the region of the proposed expansion site, under the National Historic Preservation Act."
> Download Memorandum and Order LBP-08-06, April 29, 2008 (ADAMS Acc. No. ML081200636 )
> Download Revised Memorandum and Order LBP-08-06, May 21, 2008 (ADAMS Acc. No. ML081430342 )
On November 12, 2007, seven Petitioners from parts of the poorest region in the United States asked the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) to participate in decisions relative to uranium mining and its harmful effects in northwestern Nebraska and the Lakota (Sioux) Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in Southwest South Dakota. According to NRC sources, this is the first request to intervene in an NRC proceeding relating to the expansion of an existing uranium mining operation in approximately 17 years. The petitioners are Thomas Cook, Chadron Native American Center, Slim Buttes Agricultural Development Corp., High Plains Community Development Corp., Western Nebraska Resources Council, Debra White Plume, and an Oglala Lakota nonprofit organization called Owe Aku.
(UN Observer Dec. 7, 2007)
On Nov. 8, 2007, the Nebraska Department of Environmental Quality dismissed CBR's petition for aquifer exemption, due to deficiences identified in CBR's Technical Review of Aquifer Exemption Petition dated August 15, 2007.
On May 30, 2007, Crow Butte Resources, Inc. (CBR) submitted a request for an amendment to Source Materials License SUA-1534 for the development of additional uranium in-situ leach mining resources. The proposed development area for use as a satellite facility to the existing main plant is referred to as the North Trend Expansion Area.
> Download application documents (ADAMS Acc. No. ML072540671)
Crow Butte Resources receives permission for increased plant throughput at in-situ leach mine
By letter dated Oct. 17, 2006, Crow Butte Resources requested from NRC a license amendment to increase the plant throughput from 5000 to 9000 gallons per minute (gpm). An additional production of 150,000 to 250,000 pounds of U308 [58 to 96 t U] per year is expected.
NRC issued an Environmental Assessment and Finding of No Significant Impact on Oct. 24, 2007.
> Download Environmental Assessment, Oct. 2007 (ADAMS ML072360287)
> Federal Register: October 31, 2007 (Volume 72, Number 210) p. 61693-61694 (download full text )
NRC issued the requested license amendment on Nov. 30, 2007.
Crow Butte in situ leach uranium mine threatened by wild fire
On July 31, 2006, Crow Butte Resources notified the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission of the wild fires east of Crow Butte Resources Central Processing Plant. The NRC was informed of the possible evacuation of the Crow Butte site should the fires continue to burn out of control.
Crow Butte Resources plans to expand In Situ Leach operations
"Division of Fuel Cycle Safety and Safeguards staff has learned that Crow Butte Resources (CBR) plans to expand its in situ leach (ISL) uranium extraction operations in Nebraska by operating up to four satellite facilities. CBR estimates that it will submit a license amendment application to NRC for the first satellite facility in May 2005, and an application for a second satellite facility is targeted for 2006 - 2007. Depending on economics, applications could be submitted to NRC for license amendments for two additional satellite facilities in the 2007 - 2010 time frame. Although a memorandum of understanding to defer active groundwater regulation at ISLs may be executed with the State of Nebraska before the first license amendment is submitted in 2005, NRC must prepare environmental assessments for each application."
(U.S. NRC SECY-04-0131 WEEKLY INFORMATION REPORT - WEEK ENDING JULY 16, 2004)
NRC denies Wellfield Unit 1 groundwater restoration approval
By letter dated March 29, 2002, NRC, in a rare move, denied approval for the groundwater restoration at Wellfield Unit 1 of the Crow Butte in-situ leach facility.
"Staff's analysis indicates that concentrations of ammonium, iron, radium-226, selenium, total dissolved solids, and uranium show strongly increasing concentration trends over the stability monitoring period. These trends indicate a reasonable likelihood that license limits would be exceeded in the near future."
> See also Federal Register: April 22, 2002 (Volume 67, Number 77) p. 19598
On Nov. 7, 2000, Cameco announced the writedown of the Crow Butte ISL property. Cameco plans to continue to produce 800,000 pounds U3O8 (308 t U) per year.
"The Department is proposing to modify the existing permit by removing the injection limitations on flow rate. The limitation for pH is proposed to be changed from 5.0 - 8.5 to 5.0 - 9.5. Reporting for the temperature of the waste stream is proposed to be removed. The limitations for arsenic, barium, and selenium are proposed to be changed from 1 mg/l to 5 mg/l, 20 mg/l to 100 mg/l, and 2 mg/l to 1 mg/l, respectively. Testing for calcium is proposed to be added to the injection parameters with no injection limitation. Testing for cadmium, chromium, lead, mercury, and silver is proposed to be added with limitations of 1 mg/l, 5 mg/l, 5 mg/l, 0.2 mg/l, and 5 mg/l respectively." [...]
Comments or a request for a public hearing must be submitted by writing to Michael J. Linder, Director, Nebraska Department of Environmental Quality , P.O. Box 98922, Lincoln, Nebraska 68509-8922, prior to October 13, 2000.
The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission has issued a Finding
of No Significant Impact for the proposed license renewal
of the Crow Butte in-situ leach
uranium mine in Nebraska.
Any person whose interest may be affected by this proceeding may
file a request for a hearing within 30 days
from February 23, 1998.
> See notice in Federal Register, February 23, 1998
(Vol. 63, No. 35), p. 9023-9024
(download full
notice ).
- June 4, 2008: Exceedance of Well Head Manifold Pressure Limitations
- May 31, 2008: Monitor well placed on excursion status
- May 19, 2008: Monitor well placed on excursion status
- April 29, 2008: Five-year mechanical integrity test missed for 42 wells
- September 26, 2006: Monitor well placed on excursion status
- May 5, 2006: leak detected at Pond 4
- January 19, 2006: Monitor well placed on excursion status
- October 27, 2005: Injection well leak detected
- August 4, 2005: Monitor well placed on excursion status
- June 28, 2005: Monitor well placed on excursion status
- June 17, 2005: Monitor well placed on excursion status
- May 2, 2005: Monitor well placed on excursion status
- May 14, 2004: leak detected at Pond 1
- December 23, 2003: Monitor well placed on excursion status
- December 26, 2002: Monitor well placed on excursion status
- September 10, 2002: Monitor well placed on excursion status
- April 4, 2002: Monitor well placed on excursion status
- December 4, 2001: Monitor well placed on excursion status
- March 2, 2001: Monitor well placed on excursion status
- September 10, 2000: Monitor well placed on excursion status
- May 26, 2000: Monitor well placed on excursion status
- April 27, 2000: Monitor well placed on excursion status
- March 6, 2000: Monitor well placed on excursion status
- July 2, 1999: Monitor well placed on excursion status
- August 7, 1998: Spill of 10,260 gallons of injection fluid
- March 21, 1998: Monitor well placed on excursion status
- August 12, 1997: Discovery of Pinhole Leaks in Upper Liner of Process Water Evaporation Pond
(details on post-Nov.1,1999, events available through ADAMS , Docket No. 04008943)
Uranium mining in South Texas is opposed by South Texas Opposes Pollution (STOP) .
TCEQ issues Agreed Order over penalty of $2,000 to Mesteña Uranium LLC
Texas Commission on Environmental Quality: Enforcement Orders:
An agreed order was entered regarding Mesteña Uranium, L.L.C., Docket No. 2007-1010-UIC-E on December 20, 2007 assessing $2,000 in administrative penalties with $400 deferred.
(Texas Register, January 18, 2008, Volume 33 Number 3, Pages 449-634, In Addition)
TCEQ issues Agreed Order over penalty of $2,000 to Mesteña Uranium LLC
Texas Commission on Environmental Quality issues Agreed Order over penalty of $2,000 to Mesteña Uranium LLC for failing to secure acceptable financial assurance. (Texas Register, September 21, 2007, Volume 32 Number 38, Pages 6451-6688, In Addition)
> See older issues
> View Planned uranium processing for Palangana ISL mine
> View decommissioning issues
License renewal for Hobson In Situ Leach processing plant (Texas)
On December 22, 2006, Everest Exploration, Inc. submitted on behalf of South Texas Mining Venture, LLP, an application for renewal of the Hobson Facility Radioactive Material Handling License to the Texas Department of State Health Services. This renewal application allows the Hobson Facility to continue operations as a uranium processing facility and provides the regulatory authorities with necessary information concerning the company's plans to increase the facility's processing capacity to over 1,000,000 pounds of U3O8 (385 t U) per year. (Energy Metals Corporation April 4, 2007)
License Renewal for Everest Exploration Hobson In Situ Leach mine (Texas)
"Everest Exploration for renewal of an Underground Injection Control (UIC) Well, Permit No. WDW-168. The Executive Director has prepared a draft permit.
The applicant currently operates an in-situ uranium mine. Wastes generated on-site are non-hazardous. The injected wastes include: barren solution bleed,
restoration waste stream, process waste streams, and tailings or wastes produced
by or resulting from the extraction or concentration of uranium, other associated
wastes such as ground water and rainfall contaminated by the above authorized
wastes, spills of the above authorized wastes, and wash waters and solutions used
in cleaning and servicing the waste disposal well system equipment which are
compatible with the permitted waste streams, reservoir and well materials.
WDW-168 was initially put in service in 1979. The facility is located 0.5 mile
southwest of Hobson on Farm-Market Road 81, Karnes County, Texas.
SIGNED MAY 7, 1999" (TNRCC Items Signed by Executive Director 7 May 1999 )
Vasquez in-situ leach mine (Texas)
Vasquez ISL mine production below expectations
"Production costs for the third quarter of 2006 were $56.92 per pound compared with $23.57 per pound in the prior year's third quarter. The higher production costs were primarily due to higher capital and operating costs compared with the prior year and also due to the change in the estimated recovery factor of for the Vasquez project from 70% to 50%."
"The Vasquez project has provided significant technical challenges since its inception in 2004 due to the unique geochemical composition of its ore body and the degree of re-reduction found in the uranium deposited within the formation. When uranium has been "re-reduced" it has in nature been oxidized, reduced and then subjected to additional reductants which results in the uranium being less accepting of oxidation for extraction. These factors have contributed to our production costs at Vasquez rising from $20.32 per pound in 2005 to over $46.00 per pound in 2006."
"Our third quarter production consisted of 26,074 pounds [10 t U] from our Vasquez project [...]. Last year's third quarter production of 65,797 pounds [25.3 t U] was produced completely from the Vasquez project. As discussed, given the challenges at this property, its level of production has measurably declined and was below expectations."
(URI Nov. 14, 2006)
"[...] Vasquez has continued to operate below expectations. At the beginning of the project in 2004, our mining plan indicated we could produce the Vasquez property at an annual rate of 700,000 pounds [269 t U]. The geological and chemical problems we experienced in 2005 caused us to revise that estimate downward to an annual capacity of 400,000 pounds [154 t U]. [...]" (URI Sep. 19, 2006)
> See older issues
Startup of Rosita ISL mine delayed
On June 09, 2008, Uranium Resources, Inc. announced that there has been a delay in the startup of its Rosita wellfield as a result of a number of aquifer related technical issues.
Production starts from new wellfield at Kingsville Dome ISL mine
Uranium Resources, Inc. announced on July 19, 2007, that it started production at Wellfield 14 located on the Company's Kingsville Dome project in South Texas. The Company expects to produce 120,000 to 140,000 pounds U3O8 [46 to 54 t U] over a one-year period from this wellfield. Total production costs are projected to fall within the range of $25 to $30 per pound.
The Company plans to bring its next wellfield at Kingsville Dome online in the fourth quarter of this year. The new wellfield should also produce approximately 120,000 to 140,000 pounds U3O8 within a twelve-month period.
The Company produced a total of 109,000 pounds U3O8 [42 t U] during the first quarter, and 136,000 pounds U3O8 [52 t U] during the second quarter 2007.
Restart of Kingsville Dome and Rosita ISL mines delayed
"Delays in restarting production at Kingsville Dome and Rosita have continued. Kingsville was restarted in April 2006. We planned to bring on three new wellfields, one in August and two in September. Weather problems and a shortage of available drill rigs and logging trucks have pushed off the expected startup of these wellfields by at least one month. At Rosita, the shortage of drill rigs and logging trucks has delayed estimated production until the first quarter of 2007. The shortage of drill rigs and logging trucks is the result of intense industry-wide competition for exploration and development tools." (URI Sep. 19, 2006)
License renewal for Kingsville Dome ISL mine
Hearing request granted on license renewal for waste disposal injection wells at Kingsvill Dome ISL facility
On July 14, 2004, the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality granted the hearing requests by Eleuterio & Enedelia Saenz, Kleberg County and the STOP organization on the applications by URI, Inc., for renewal of permits for two
Underground Injection Control wells, WDW-247 (this well has not been constructed) and WDW-248 (constructed), which authorize the continued disposal of industrial nonhazardous waste. The wells are located at the Kingsville Dome Uranium Mine in Kleberg County, approximately eight miles southeast of the City of Kingsville, five miles east of the City of Ricardo, east of Highway 77, and adjacent to Farm Road 1118.
(TEXAS COMMISSION ON ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY, marked agenda, July 14, 2004)
Extension of Kingsville Dome ISL mine (3rd production area)
Texas regulator approves extension of Kingsville Dome ISL uranium mine
State regulators have given a uranium company the go-ahead to expand its mine near the small South Texas town of Ricardo, despite the protests of residents who say the operation is fouling the groundwater.
The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality ruled on Feb. 22, 2006, that Dallas-based Uranium Resources Inc. could begin mining near the rural Kleberg County community.
Commissioners even overruled a Texas administrative law judge who had recommended that the company only be allowed to open the new mine after it cleaned up the groundwater in two older mining areas.
(San Antonio Express News Feb. 23, 2006)
> Download Texas Commission on Environmental Quality Commissioners' Marked Agenda Feb. 22, 2006 (PDF)
Hearing request granted on application for third production area authorization for the Kingsville Dome Mine
On July 14, 2004, the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality granted the hearing requests by URI, Kleberg County and the STOP organization on the application by URI, Inc., for a third production area authorization for the Kingsville Dome Mine Site under existing Permit No. UR02827-001. The proposed production area authorization number is UR02827-031. The site is located in Kleberg County, approximately eight miles southeast of the City of Kingsville, five miles east of the City of Ricardo, east of Highway 77, and adjacent to Farm Road 1118. The authorization would allow injection into specified zones for the purpose of uranium production. The production zone is the Goliad formation at a depth of 420 feet to 810 feet.
(TEXAS COMMISSION ON ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY, marked agenda, July 14, 2004)
URI plans to resume mining at Kingsville Dome
During 2004, URI plans to continue actively working towards the completion of the permitting for the Kingsville Dome property. It is anticipated that this will be complete by early 2005 allowing the commencement of production at Kingsville Dome later that year. (URI March 23, 2004)
Kingsville Dome and Rosita ISL facilites to be placed on standby
In view of the depressed uranium market, Uranium Resources, Inc. announced that it plans to shut-in and place on stand-by its Kingsville Dome and Rosita in-situ leaching facilites in South Texas no later than the end of the first quarter of 1999. The Company will maintain certain activities at the Kingsville Dome and Rosita sites including the continuation of its ongoing restoration efforts. (URI release Nov. 16, 1998)
Uranium Spill - URI, Incorporated - Kingsville, Texas
"On January 24, 2000, the Licensee notified the Agency of a spill of 'bleed water' that occurred on October 26, 1999, when a feed line became disconnected from a main trunk line. A well field operator discovered a flange connection between a feed line and a main trunk line had separated resulting in a 2000 gallon (7.6 m3) spill. The area was on higher ground causing the water to flow down and collect in a low area inside the fenced property. The spill covered an area of approximately 4800 square feet (446 m2) and was contained onsite."
[SUMMARY OF INCIDENTS FOR FORTH QUARTER 1999, Texas Department of Health, Bureau of Radiation Control]
Spill of Radioactive Material - URI, Inc. - Kingsville, Texas
"On June 1, 1999, the Licensee notified the Agency of a spill of approximately 9000 gallons (34 m3) of restoration water containing 2.7 parts per million of uranium. The spill was due to a disconnect in the flow line from the well to the disposal pond. All spilled water was contained on-site."
[SUMMARY OF INCIDENTS FOR THIRD QUARTER 1999, Texas Department of Health, Bureau of Radiation Control]
Uranium Spill - URI, Inc. - Kingsville, Texas
"On January 22, 1998, the Licensee notified the Agency of a uranium spill involving 15,000 gallons" (57 m3) "of mine solution fluid containing 35 parts per million uranium that occurred on January 22, 1998. The spill occurred along an extraction line and was contained within the licensed area."
[SUMMARY OF INCIDENTS FOR FIRST QUARTER 1998, Texas Department of Health, Bureau of Radiation Control]
Uranium Spill - URI - Kingsville, Texas
"On September 29, 1997, the Licensee notified the Agency of a uranium spill involving 5000 gallons" (19 m3) "of pregnant mine solution containing 81 parts per million uranium that occurred on September 29, 1997. The spill occurred along an extraction line and was contained within the licensed area."
[SUMMARY OF INCIDENTS FOR FOURTH QUARTER 1997, Texas Department of Health, Bureau of Radiation Control]
Uranium Spill - URI - Kingsville, Texas
"On September 16, 1997, the Licensee notified the Agency of a uranium spill involving 3000 gallons" (11 m3) "of barren mine solution containing 6.7 parts per million uranium that occurred on September 16, 1997. The spill occurred at the end of a lateral line and was contained within the licensed area."
[SUMMARY OF INCIDENTS FOR FOURTH QUARTER 1997, Texas Department of Health, Bureau of Radiation Control]
Uranium Spill - URI, Inc. - San Diego, Texas
"On December 17, 1997, the Licensee notified the Agency of a uranium spill involving 7000 gallons" (26 m3) "of pregnant solution that occurred on December 17, 1997. The spill occurred on the extraction side of a lateral line. The spill was contained and 2500 gallons were recovered and deposited in a disposal pond."
[SUMMARY OF INCIDENTS FOR FOURTH QUARTER 1997, Texas Department of Health, Bureau of Radiation Control]
Uranium Spill - URI, Inc. - San Diego, Texas
"On December 4, 1997, the Licensee notified the Agency of a uranium spill involving 7000 gallons" (26 m3) "of pregnant solution that occurred on December 4, 1997. The spill occurred on the extraction side of a lateral line. The spill was contained and 3500 gallons were recovered and deposited in a disposal pond."
[SUMMARY OF INCIDENTS FOR FOURTH QUARTER 1997, Texas Department of Health, Bureau of Radiation Control]
Uranium Spill - URI, Inc - San Diego, Texas
"On October 13, 1997, the Licensee notified the Agency of a uranium spill involving 6600 gallons" (25 m3) "of pregnant solution that occurred on October 13, 1997. The spill occurred from the extraction side of a line that was attached to a main trunk line to the plant. The spill was caused by improper fusion of two joints. The spill was contained within a licensed area."
[SUMMARY OF INCIDENTS FOR FOURTH QUARTER 1997, Texas Department of Health, Bureau of Radiation Control]
Uranium Spill - URI - San Diego, Texas
"On September 30, 1997, the Licensee notified the Agency of a uranium spill involving 5000 gallons" (19 m3) "of pregnated solution that occurred on September 30, 1997. The spill occurred at the injection side of a lateral line and covered approximately 400 square feet. The spill was contained and deposited in a disposal pond."
[SUMMARY OF INCIDENTS FOR FOURTH QUARTER 1997, Texas Department of Health, Bureau of Radiation Control]
Uranium Spill - URI - San Diego, Texas
"On September 1, 1997, the Licensee notified the Agency of a uranium spill involving 30,000 gallons" (114 m3) "of barren injection water containing 1.5 parts per million uranium that occurred on September 1, 1997. The spill occurred at a booster pump on the main barren trunk line covering approximately 1200 square feet."
[SUMMARY OF INCIDENTS FOR THIRD QUARTER 1997, Texas Department of Health, Bureau of Radiation Control]
Southern Nevada Water Authority blames uranium mining near Moab for uranium in Colorado River
Southern Nevada's top water official is raising concerns about "measurable quantities" of uranium showing up in the Colorado River, the region's primary source for drinking water.
Southern Nevada Water Authority chief Pat Mulroy blames uranium mining, particularly near Moab.
In a letter Monday to federal Interior Secretary Dirk Kempthorne, Mulroy urges the department to "carefully evaluate" the effect on water quality before authorizing new mining claims near the river.
(Salt Lake Tribune June 20, 2008)
Pandora mine (Deer Creek complex, Utah)
On Sep. 14, 2006, International Uranium Corp. announced
it has reached an agreement with Reliance Resources, LLC to conduct contract mining at the Company's Pandora Mine, located near LaSal, Utah. The Pandora Mine is a previously developed mine last operated in the late 1980's. Mining activities are underway and ore shipments to the Company's White Mesa Mill in Blanding, Utah will begin in early October 2006.
> See extra page !
> View extra page