Evaluation of liners for a uranium-mill tailings disposal site: a status report

Technical Report · Fri May 01 04:00:00 EDT 1981

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/6155351· OSTI ID:6155351

Buelt, J L; Hale, V Q; Barnes, S M; Silviera, D J

The United States Department of Energy is conducting a program designed to reclaim or stabilize inactive uranium-mill tailings sites. This report presents the status of the Liner Evaluation Program. The purpose of the study was to identify eight prospective lining materials or composites for laboratory testing. The evaluation was performed by 1) reviewing proposed regulatory requirements to define the material performance criteria; 2) reviewing published literature and communicating with industrial and government experts experienced with lining materials and techniques; and 3) characterizing the tailings at three of the sites for calcium concentration, a selection of anions, radionuclides, organic solvents, and acidity levels. The eight materials selected for laboratory testing are: natural soil amended with sodium-saturated montmorillonite (Volclay); locally available clay in conjunction with an asphalt emulsion radon suppression cover; locally available clay in conjunction with a multibarrier radon suppression cover; rubberized asphalt membrane; hydraulic asphalt concrete; chlorosulfonated polyethylene (hypalon) or high-density polyethylene; bentonite, sand and gravel mixture; and catalytic airblown asphalt membrane. The materials will be exposed in test units now being constructed to conditions such as wet/dry cycles, temperature cycles, oxidative environments, ion-exchange elements, etc. The results of the tests will identify the best material for field study. The status report also presents the information gathered during the field studies at Grand Junction, Colorado. Two liners, a bentonite, sand and gravel mixture, and a catalytic airblown asphalt membrane, were installed in a prepared trench and covered with tailings. The liners were instrumented and are being monitored for migration of moisture, radionuclides, and hazardous chemicals. The two liner materials will also be subjected to accelerated laboratory tests for a comparative assessment.

• Research Organization: Battelle Pacific Northwest Labs., Richland, WA (USA)
• DOE Contract Number: AC06-76RL01830
• OSTI ID: 6155351
• Report Number(s): DOE/UMT-0200; PNL-3679; ON: DE81023671
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

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54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
ABANDONED SITES
ASPHALTS
BENCH-SCALE EXPERIMENTS
BENTONITE
BITUMENS
BUILDING MATERIALS
CLAYS
COLORADO
CONCRETES
ELEMENTS
ENVIRONMENTAL TRANSPORT
FEED MATERIALS PLANTS
FIELD TESTS
FLUIDS
GASES
GROUTING
INDUSTRIAL PLANTS
ION EXCHANGE
LINERS
MANAGEMENT
MASS TRANSFER
MATERIALS
MATERIALS TESTING
MEMBRANES
MILL TAILINGS
MINERALS
MOISTURE
NONMETALS
NORTH AMERICA
NUCLEAR FACILITIES
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC POLYMERS
OTHER ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
PH VALUE
POLYETHYLENES
POLYMERS
POLYOLEFINS
RADIOACTIVE WASTE DISPOSAL
RADIONUCLIDE MIGRATION
RADON
RARE GASES
ROCKY MOUNTAIN REGION
SAND
SOILS
SOLID WASTES
STABILIZATION
TAILINGS
TAR
TEMPERATURE EFFECTS
TESTING
USA
WASTE DISPOSAL
WASTE MANAGEMENT
WASTES