Comments: ISL uranium mining is suppose to be better, yeah sure. Remember Hot Water proved ISL mining has ruin the water from SD to TX! No more uranium mining, it has ruined our water!
Latest major spills and excursions reported from mines exploited by the in situ leach process |
| Crow Butte, Nebraska: Jun. 5, 2013: Radiation dose in unrestricted area exceeds 0.02 mSv/h standard Mar. 14, 2013: Evaporation Pond 1 liner leak Jan. 18, 2013: Well fails mechanical integrity test Oct. 24, 2012: Well fails 20-year mechanical integrity test Aug. 20, 2012: Well fails 5-year mechanical integrity test Smith Ranch, Wyoming: Mar. 12, 2013: Monitor well placed on excursion status Feb. 19, 2013: Monitor well placed on excursion status Oct. 20, 2012: 100 gallon spill of production fluid (31.1 ppm U) Oct. 16, 2012: 50 gallon spill of injection fluid Aug. 20, 2012: Monitor well placed on excursion status PRI Highland, Wyoming: May 5, 2013: 85,000 gallon spill of injection fluid (2 ppm U) Mar. 11, 2013: Monitor well placed on excursion status Feb. 17, 2013: 105 gallon spill of production fluid (5.7 ppm U) Dec. 20, 2012: 1141 gallon spill of production fluid (23.1 ppm U) Aug. 8, 2012: Monitor well placed on excursion status Aug. 1, 2012: Monitor well placed on excursion status Willow Creek (ex Christensen Ranch/Irigaray), Wyoming: Jun. 15, 2013: 1,400 gallon spill of injection fluid (0.8 ppm U) Mar. 7, 2013: Evaporation pond leak Mar. 5, 2013: "potential leaks" at two evaporation ponds Feb. 11, 2013: 2,100 gallon spill of injection fluid Dec. 23, 2012: 800 gallon spill of injection fluid (< 0.4 ppm U) Dec. 22, 2012: 950 gallon spill of disposal well fluid (2.1 ppm U) Dec. 9, 2012: 1,500 gallon spill of injection fluid (< 0.4 ppm U) Oct. 12, 2012: Monitor well placed on excursion status Sep. 10, 2012: spill of injection fluid from unplugged historic drillhole located near injection well Sep. 7, 2012: 1,000 gallon spill of injection fluid Muyunkum (Moinkum), Kazakhstan: Nov. 25, 2011: spill of 240 cubic metres of production solution, after pipeline was severed by truck Beverley, South Australia: Feb. 28, 2012: spill of 30 - 34 cubic metres Beverley North, South Australia: Jan. 17, 2013: 72 m3 injection solution spill May 12, 2012: Monitor well excursion May 2, 2012: Monitor well excursion Honeymoon, South Australia: July 10, 2012: fumes observed emanating from the dry hopper in the Drying and Packaging controlled area Jan. 6, 2012: 30 cubic metre spill of injection solution (2 mg/L U3O8) http://www.wise-uranium.org/new.html Environmental pollution from ISL: inevitable The primary problem with ISL regulation: the NRC acknowledges that, although ISL permits require complete restoration of groundwater conditions after mining operations, some of the “baseline parameters” have proved to be unachievable by mining companies. While the uranium mining industry insists that ISL mining methods are environmentally safe, numerous fines and violations by regulatory agencies have shown just how problematic ISL operations can be. The increase in ISL environmental violations in recent years has led many states to relax environmental standards rather than impose stricter regulations against the mining companies. Of the 8 currently operating ISL operations in the United States, only one has not had any reported environmental violations (Alta Mesa, Texas). Most ISL projects have had numerous spills, contaminated underground aquifers, and have failed to reclaim non-operating on site wells. - See more at: http://www.earthworksaction.org/issues/detail/in_situ_leach_uranium_mining#.Uebpf6vD82w |
