A Novel Method for Conducting a Geoenvironmental Assessment of Undiscovered ISR-Amenable Uranium Resources: Proof-of-Concept in the Texas Coastal Plain

Minerals

Katie Walton-Day¹  Tanya J. Gallegos²  Steven Cahan²  Douglas B. Yager³  Johanna Blake⁴  Kent D. Becher⁵  Victoria G. Stengel⁵  Andrew Teeple⁵  Delbert Humberson⁵ 

[1] Colorado Science Center, U.S. Geological Survey, Denver, CO 80225, USA;Geology, Energy and Minerals Science Center, U.S. Geological Survey, Reston, VA 20192, USA;Geology, Geochemistry and Geophysics Science Center, U.S. Geological Survey, Geology, Denver, CO 80225, USA;New Mexico Water Science Center, U.S. Geological Survey, Albuquerque, NM 87113, USA;Oklahoma-Texas Water Science Center, U.S. Geological Survey, Austin, TX 78754, USA;

关键词: uranium mining;    geoenvironmental assessment;    uranium resources;    in situ recovery (ISR);    Texas Coastal Plain;    mineral resources;   

DOI  :  10.3390/min12060747

来源: DOAJ

【 摘 要 】

A geoenvironmental assessment methodology was developed to estimate waste quantities and disturbances that could be associated with the extraction of undiscovered uranium resources and identify areas on the landscape where uranium and other constituents of potential concern (COPCs) that may co-occur with uranium deposits in this region are likely to persist, if introduced into the environment. Prior to this work, a method was lacking to quantitively assess the environmental aspects associated with potential development of undiscovered uranium resources at a scale of a uranium resource assessment. The mining method of in situ recovery (ISR) was historically used to extract uranium from deposits in the Goliad Sand of the Texas Coastal Plain. For this reason, the study’s methodology projected the following types of wastes and disturbances commonly associated with ISR based on historical ISR mining records: the mine area, affected aquifer volume, mine pore volume, water pumped and disposed during uranium extraction and restoration, and radon emissions. Within the tract permissive for the occurrence of undiscovered uranium resources, maps and statistics of factors were derived that indicate the potential contaminant pathways. The percentage of days meeting the criteria for air stagnation indicate the potential for radon accumulation; the geochemical mobility of COPCs in groundwater in combination with effective recharge indicates the potential for infiltration of surface-derived COPCs; the geochemical mobility of COPCs in groundwater combined with hydraulic conductivity indicates the propensity for transmitting fluids away from contaminated or mined aquifers; and finally, geochemical mobility of COPCs in surface water combined with the factor for climatic erosivity (R factor) indicates the potential for COPCs to persist in surface waters due to runoff. This work resulted in a new methodology that can be applied to any undiscovered mineral resource to better understand possible wastes and disturbances associated with extraction and identify areas on the landscape where COPCs are likely to persist.

【 授权许可】

Unknown