EXTR

ACTION O

F URANIU

M

& THE

ENVIR

ONMENTA

L IM

PACTS

9

2

238.

03

HOW?

Uranium resources can be extracted from the ground in three ways:

1. Open pit

2. Underground

3. In-situ leaching (ISL)

OPEN PIT

• For shallow ore bodies

• Involves removal of overburden

• A lot of waste rock removed

• Greatest environmental impacts

(<400ft)

CASE STUDY

Jackpile Mine on Laguna Pueblo was once the largest!

≈ 7,868 acres

≈ 25 million tons extracted

UNDERGROUND

• For deeper ore bodies

• Involves access shafts and tunnels

• Less waste rock removed

• Less environmental impacts

GRADE CONTROL

How is it achieved?

• Measure radioactivity using a radiometric device

• Device detects decay products of uranium

IN-SITU LEACHING

• For ore bodies which lie in groundwater

• Groundwater circulated through underground aquifer

containing uranium

• Leaching solution dissolves uranium

• Dissolved uranium pumped out and recovered as a

precipitate

• Least environmental impacts