An aerial radiological survey of the Durango, Colorado uranium mill tailings site and surrounding area

Technical Report · Mon Jun 01 04:00:00 EDT 1981

OSTI ID:5314625

Hilton, L K

An aerial radiological survey of Durango, Colorado, including the inactive uranium mill tailings piles located southwest of the town, was conducted during August 25--29, 1980, for the Department of Energy's Environmental and Safety Engineering Division. Areas of radiation exposure rates higher than the local background, which was about 15 microrentgens per hour ({mu}R/h), were observed directly over and to the south of the mill tailings piles, over a cemetery, and at two spots near the fairgrounds. The rapidly changing radiation exposure rates at the boundaries of the piles preclude accurate extrapolation of aerial radiological data to ground level exposure rates in their immediate vicinity. Estimated radiation exposure rates close to the piles, however, approached 30 times background, or about 450 {mu}R/h. Radiation exposure rates in a long area extending south from the tailings piles were about 25 {mu}R/h.

• Research Organization: EG and G, Inc., Las Vegas, NV (United States). Remote Sensing Lab.
• Sponsoring Organization: DOE; USDOE, Washington, DC (United States)
• DOE Contract Number: AC08-88NV10617
• OSTI ID: 5314625
• Report Number(s): EGG-10617-1186; ON: DE92014285
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
540230* -- Environment
Terrestrial-- Radioactive Materials Monitoring & Transport-- (1990-)
ABANDONED SITES
AERIAL SURVEYING
BACKGROUND RADIATION
COLORADO
DEVELOPED COUNTRIES
ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION
FEDERAL REGION VIII
FEED MATERIALS PLANTS
GAMMA RADIATION
GEOPHYSICAL SURVEYS
INDUSTRIAL PLANTS
IONIZING RADIATIONS
MILL TAILINGS
NORTH AMERICA
NUCLEAR FACILITIES
ORES
RADIATIONS
RADIOMETRIC SURVEYS
SITE CHARACTERIZATION
SOLID WASTES
SURVEYS
TAILINGS
URANIUM ORES
USA
WASTES