Engineering assessment of inactive uranium mill tailings, Durango site, Durango, Colorado. A summary of the Phase II, Title I
Ford, Bacon and Davis Utah Inc. has performed an engineering assessment of the problems resulting from the existence of radioactive uranium mill tailings at Durango, Colorado. The Phase II, Title I services include the preparation of topographic maps, the performance of core drillings and radiometric measurements sufficient to determine areas and volumes of tailings and other radium-contaminated materials, the evaluation of resulting radiation exposures of individuals and nearby populations, the investigation of site hydrology and meteorology and the evaluation and costing of alternative corrective actions. Radon gas release from the 1.555 million tons of tailings at the Durango site constitutes the most significant environmental impact, although windblown tailings and external gamma radiation are also factors. The eight alternative actions presented range from vegetative stabilization (Option I), to contouring and stabilizing in-place with varying depths of cover material (Options II and III), to removal to an isolated long-term disposal site (Options V to VIII). All options include remedial action costs for offsite locations where tailings have been placed. Costs estimated for the eight options range from $4,340,000 to $13,590,000. Reprocessing the tailings for uranium is sufficiently economically attractive to justify reprocessing in conjunction with each of the options.
- Research Organization:
- Ford, Bacon and Davis Utah, Inc., Salt Lake City (USA)
- DOE Contract Number:
- EY-76-C-13-1658
- OSTI ID:
- 5454831
- Report Number(s):
- GJT-6S; TRN: 78-001421
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
Similar Records
Engineering assessment of inactive uranium mill tailings, Durango Site, Durango, Colorado
Summary of the engineering assessment of inactive uranium mill tailings, Durango Site, Durango, Colorado
Related Subjects
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
COLORADO
RADIOACTIVE WASTE DISPOSAL
MILL TAILINGS
URANIUM ORES
ORE PROCESSING
COST
DRILL CORES
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS
GAMMA RADIATION
HUMAN POPULATIONS
HYDROLOGY
MAPS
METEOROLOGY
RADIATION DOSES
RADON
TOPOGRAPHY
DOSES
ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION
ELEMENTS
IONIZING RADIATIONS
MANAGEMENT
NONMETALS
NORTH AMERICA
ORES
POPULATIONS
PROCESSING
RADIATIONS
RARE GASES
SOLID WASTES
USA
WASTE DISPOSAL
WASTE MANAGEMENT
WASTES
053000* - Nuclear Fuels- Environmental Aspects
050400 - Nuclear Fuels- Feed Processing
510301 - Environment
Terrestrial- Radioactive Materials Monitoring & Transport- Soil- (-1987)