Alternative cover design
The special study on Alternative Cover Designs is one of several studies initiated by the US Department of Energy (DOE) in response to the proposed US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) groundwater standards. The objective of this study is to investigate the possibility of minimizing the infiltration of precipitation through stabilized tailings piles by altering the standard design of covers currently used on the Uranium Mill Tailings Remedial Action (UMTRA) Project. Prior. to the issuance of the proposed standards, UMTRA Project piles had common design elements to meet the required criteria, the most important of which were for radon diffusion, long-term stability, erosion protection, and groundwater protection. The standard pile covers consisted of three distinct layers. From top to bottom they were: rock for erosion protection; a sand bedding layer; and the radon barrier, usually consisting of a clayey sand material, which also functioned to limit infiltration into the tailings. The piles generally had topslopes from 2 to 4 percent and sideslopes of 20 percent.
- Research Organization:
- USDOE Albuquerque Operations Office, NM (United States). Uranium Mill Tailings Remedial Action Project Office
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE; USDOE, Washington, DC (United States)
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC04-82AL14086
- OSTI ID:
- 6677116
- Report Number(s):
- DOE/UMTRA-400647-0000; ON: DE93008961
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
Similar Records
Vegetative covers: Special study. [Uranium Mill Tailings Remedial Action (UMTRA) Project]
Vegetative covers: Special study. [Final report]
Related Subjects
12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE WASTES FROM NUCLEAR FACILITIES
COVERINGS
DESIGN
FEED MATERIALS PLANTS
MILL TAILINGS
STABILIZATION
CLAYS
COMPARATIVE EVALUATIONS
NUMERICAL DATA
PROGRESS REPORT
ROCKS
SAND
DATA
DOCUMENT TYPES
EVALUATION
INDUSTRIAL PLANTS
INFORMATION
NUCLEAR FACILITIES
SOLID WASTES
TAILINGS
WASTES
054000* - Nuclear Fuels- Health & Safety
052002 - Nuclear Fuels- Waste Disposal & Storage
053002 - Nuclear Fuels- Environmental Aspects- Radioactive Effluents- (1992-)