Hydrology and water-quality monitoring considerations, Jackpile uranium mine, northwestern New Mexico
The Jackpile Uranium Mine, which is on the Pueblo of Laguna in northwestern New Mexico was operated from 1953 to 1980. The small storage coefficients determined from three aquifer tests indicate that the Jackpile sandstone is a confined hydrologic system throughout much of the mine area. Sediment from the Rio Paguate has nearly filled the Paguate Reservoir near Laguna since its construction in 1940. The mean concentrations of uranium, Ra-226, and other trace elements generally were less than permissible limits established in national drinking water regulations or New Mexico State groundwater regulations. No individual surface water samples collected upstream from the mine contained concentrations of Ra-226 in excess of the permissible limits. Ra-226 concentrations in many individual samples collected from the Rio Paguate from near the mouth of the Rio Moquino to the sampling sites along the down-stream reach of the Rio Paguate, however, exceeded the recommended permissible concentration of Ra-226 for public drinking water supplies. After reclamation, most of the shallow groundwater probably will discharge to the natural stream channels draining the mine area. Groundwater quality may be monitored as: (1) Limited monitoring, in which only the change in water quality is determined as the groundwater flows from the mine; or (2) thorough monitoring, in which specific sources of possible contaminants are described.
- OSTI ID:
- 6897960
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
540250 -- Environment
Terrestrial-- Site Resource & Use Studies-- (1990-)
540330* -- Environment
Aquatic-- Radioactive Materials Monitoring & Transport-- (1990-)
ACTINIDES
ALKALINE EARTH ISOTOPES
ALPHA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
CARBON 14 DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
DRINKING WATER
ECOLOGICAL CONCENTRATION
ELEMENTS
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS
ENVIRONMENTAL TRANSPORT
EVEN-EVEN NUCLEI
FEDERAL REGION VI
HEAVY ION DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
HEAVY NUCLEI
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
ISOTOPES
LAND RECLAMATION
MASS TRANSFER
MAXIMUM PERMISSIBLE LEVEL
METALS
MINES
MONITORING
NEW MEXICO
NORTH AMERICA
NUCLEI
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
POLLUTION
RADIATION MONITORING
RADIOECOLOGICAL CONCENTRATION
RADIOISOTOPES
RADIONUCLIDE MIGRATION
RADIUM 226
RADIUM ISOTOPES
SAFETY STANDARDS
STANDARDS
UNDERGROUND FACILITIES
URANIUM
URANIUM MINES
USA
WATER
WATER POLLUTION
YEARS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES