Helped wanted at uranium mines: “excursions”

Comment:  Thanks DL!  Modern uranium mining at work only 27 “excursions”, well duh, uranium mining has never been mined safely anywhere in the world!

Published:Sunday, February 21, 2010
10:05 AM CST
Terence Corrigan

After lying dormant for over nine years, Uranium mining operations in the Powder River Basin are coming back to life.

The Christensen Ranch site in Campbell County and Irigrary site in Johnson County are reopening. The mines were in operation until the end of 2000, owned and operated by COGEMA Mining, Inc. In August 2009, Uranium One purchased the facilities for a reported $35 million.

With license renewal approved, Uranium One is now advertising for help.

Uranium is mined at the Christensen Ranch and Irigrary site with a process called in-situ leach mining (ISL).

To extract uranium using the ISL method, groundwater is mixed with a leaching agent and injected into the below-ground ore. The uranium ore and fluid is pumped to the surface where it is processed.

The process has not been without problems.

The most common problems are “excursions.”

When contaminated water is released by monitoring well pipe breaks or otherwise escapes impoundment, it is called an excursion.

The other, is spilling of contaminated water.

From 1996 to 2004, the Christensen Ranch and Irigrary sites reported 27 incidents.

The Bulletin attempted to reach Uranium One vice-president Donna Wichers twice by phone and once via e-mail last week but our calls were not returned.

Read more:
http://www.buffalobulletin.com/articles/2010/02/21/news/local_news/doc4b7c47df64d3d019953561.txt