Summary of the engineering assessment of inactive uranium mill tailings: Belfield Site, Belfield, North Dakota
Ford, Bacon and Davis Utah Inc. has evaluated the Belfield site in order to assess the problems resulting from the existence of radioactive ash at Belfield, South Dakota. This engineering assessment has included drilling of boreholes and radiometric measurements sufficient to determine areas and volumes of ash and radiation exposures of individuals and nearby populations, the investigations of site hydrology and meteorology, and the evaluation and costing of alternative corrective actions. Radon gas released from the 55,600 tons of ash and contaminated material at the Belfield site constitutes a significant environmental impact, although external gamma radiation also is a factor. The four alternative actions presented in this engineering assessment range from millsite and off-site decontamination with the addition of 3 m of stabilization cover material, to removal of the ash and contaminated materials to remote disposal sites, and decontamination of the Belfield site. Cost estimates for the four options range from about $1,500,000 for stabilization in-place, to about $2,500,000 for disposal at a distance of about 17 mi from the Belfield site. Reprocessing the ash for uranium recovery is not feasible because of the extremely small amount of material available at the site and because of its low U/sub 3/O/sub 8/ content.
- Research Organization:
- Ford, Bacon and Davis Utah, Inc., Salt Lake City, UT (USA)
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC04-76GJ01658
- OSTI ID:
- 5915284
- Report Number(s):
- DOE/UMT-0122S; FBDU-360-21S; ON: DE82004038; TRN: 82-000187
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
FEED MATERIALS PLANTS
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS
MILL TAILINGS
LAND RECLAMATION
COST BENEFIT ANALYSIS
STABILIZATION
RADIOACTIVE WASTE DISPOSAL
RADON
RADIATION MONITORING
DECONTAMINATION
HEALTH HAZARDS
HUMAN POPULATIONS
NORTH DAKOTA
RECOVERY
URANIUM ORES
URANIUM OXIDES
ACTINIDE COMPOUNDS
CHALCOGENIDES
CLEANING
ELEMENTS
FLUIDS
GASES
HAZARDS
INDUSTRIAL PLANTS
MANAGEMENT
MONITORING
NONMETALS
NORTH AMERICA
NUCLEAR FACILITIES
ORES
OXIDES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
POPULATIONS
RARE GASES
ROCKY MOUNTAIN REGION
SOLID WASTES
TAILINGS
URANIUM COMPOUNDS
USA
WASTE DISPOSAL
WASTE MANAGEMENT
WASTES
052001* - Nuclear Fuels- Waste Processing
052002 - Nuclear Fuels- Waste Disposal & Storage
510500 - Environment
Terrestrial- Site Resource & Use Studies- (-1989)
510300 - Environment
Terrestrial- Radioactive Materials Monitoring & Transport- (-1989)
510200 - Environment
Terrestrial- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport- (-1989)