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All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2020

Oil and Natural Gas Development near and beneath Uranium Tailings Cells and Other Remediated Sites - 20358

DOE LM is responsible for maintaining remedies at more than 50 remediated sites that require active long-term surveillance and maintenance (LTS and M). Institutional controls (ICs) were established to limit human and environmental exposures to residual contamination by controlling land use, restricting access to potential hazards, and making the public aware of potential dangers from the residual contamination. ICs for each site were developed based on current and foreseeable conditions; however, these controls should evolve to mitigate potential human health and other environmental risks from unanticipated changes in activities or site conditions. Activities conducted beyond the DOE long-term care boundaries by non-DOE parties may impact the effectiveness of ICs or even the long-term stability of disposal cells and groundwater remedies. Several sites that LM manages or that will transfer to LM for LTS and M are in active oil and gas production basins. The sites are associated with uranium ore milling or nuclear test sites and have been remediated or are in the process of remediation and have no ongoing DOE mission. Particularly since 2005, hydraulic fracturing ('fracking') combined with directional drilling has dramatically increased oil and natural gas (oil/gas) production in the United States, now making it the number one hydrocarbon-producing country. Fracking has allowed production from shale and other rocks of low natural permeability that were historically not considered viable oil/gas resources. Also, because wellbores can now be drilled as many as 5 kilometers or more horizontally, hydrocarbons can be recovered from zones without having access to the surface above them. Drilling activity near Rulison, Colorado, the location of an underground nuclear detonation managed by LM, has raised public concerns that remnant radioactivity in the detonation zone could migrate to producing wells and enter the natural gas distribution system. At sites like the Falls City, Texas, Disposal site, transitioned to LM with a split estate, increased production in the region has resulted in wellbores beneath the long-term care boundary of the site. While the DOE license for Falls City was approved by the NRC in 1997 without the acquisition of the subsurface rights, NRC has raised concerns on whether this activity impacts the integrity of the cell and/or groundwater remedies. In Wyoming, LM is anticipating receiving the license for the Bear Creek site and manages the Spook site, both locations of uranium mill tailings disposal cells. These Wyoming sites are in an active region of major oil and gas development. This change in surrounding land use will require LM to work collaboratively with NRC to address these concerns. At several DOE sites radioactive waste, and often intermixed nonradioactive constituents, is permanently isolated in engineered disposal cells. At other sites, residual contamination can be present in groundwater, blast cavities, and infinite amounts within soil. Areas targeted for oil and gas development at the Texas and Wyoming sites range from depths of 2440 to 3350 meters (8000-11000 feet) below ground surface. When most site remedies were designed, oil and gas development was not considered to be an issue within the site boundary. With the more recent uses of directional drilling, fracking, and associated wastewater injections, the evaluative criteria for incoming sites and ICs for managing long-term protectiveness and regulatory compliance are changing. Although DOE surface ownership was previously thought to be a robust IC to prevent surface and subsurface development, particularly at disposal sites, that may no longer be the case. Whereas the subsurface development at Texas and Wyoming sites is currently occurring at thousands of meters beneath the surface, shallower and direct onsite development would be more of a concern for LM. The energy introduced when a well is hydraulically fractured causes microseismic events (magnitude -2 to 1.0) as the fractures propagate but does not directly cause seismic events (earthquakes) of sufficient magnitude to damage surface structures. Additionally, the extent of the hydraulic fractures is limited to the targeted depths, which are far below the surface. However, earthquakes of sufficient magnitude to damage surface structures have been attributed to the injection of wastewater into disposal wells. States that have experienced these effects have enacted regulations that limit the rate and pressures that wastewater can be injected into disposal wells. Items LM may consider are the need for monitoring the volume of water injected into nearby disposal wells and possibly installing seismic stations at sites most susceptible to damage. While the need to demonstrate that no impact from oil and gas extraction activities on a site groundwater remedy or disposal cells will vary from site to site, LM is assessing risk criteria for this activity. Though LM has not experienced an issue yet at a uranium tailings disposal site, it cannot assume that there will be none, and must address NRC concerns. LM is building on past experiences at other sites and beginning to form new processes with the hope that these concepts can be applied for other future sites. (authors)

04 OIL SHALES AND TAR SANDS↗
DOE OSTI2020

Canonsburg, Pennsylvania, UMTRCA Title I Disposal Site 35 Years Postclosure (1985-2020) - 20288

The DOE Office of Legacy Management (LM) Canonsburg, Pennsylvania, Disposal Site is a former uranium ore-processing site located in the borough of Canonsburg and an important part of US history. For 46 years (1911-1957), the site processed ore, for vanadium, radium and then uranium. Soils and groundwater beneath the site were contaminated by the milling operations. The 15-hectare (37-acre) site is owned by the US government and managed by LM, which serves as the federal land manager and steward of cultural, historical, and natural resources at Cold War legacy sites that have been successfully cleaned up to remedial standards. In 1978 Congress directed DOE to remediate 22 inactive uranium-ore processing sites under the Uranium Mill Tailings Radiation Control Act (UMTRCA), in accordance with standards promulgated by the US Environmental Protection Agency in Title 40 CFR Part 192 (40 (CFR 192). Subpart B of 40 CFR 192 regulates the cleanup of contaminated groundwater at the processing sites. The radioactive materials were encapsulated in US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC)-approved disposal cells, and the NRC general license for UMTRCA Title I sites is established in 10 CFR 40.27. Canonsburg was the first site to be remediated under UMTRCA. From 1983 to 1985, the Canonsburg site underwent cleanup under this US law that provides for the safe and environmentally sound disposal, long-term stabilization, and control of uranium mill tailings in a manner that minimizes or eliminates radiation health hazards to the public. The site is unique in that it is one of only two UMTRCA Title I sites in the eastern half of the United States, the other site being the Burrell, Pennsylvania, Title I Disposal Site, a vicinity property to the Canonsburg site. It has been 35 years since the disposal cell at the Canonsburg site was completed. This paper discusses the many efforts that have been taken to maintain the site and presents some of the lessons learned concerning the long-term care of the site. The discussion includes but is not limited to the following: (1) Preserving site history so the community can better appreciate and understand the site. (2) Community outreach efforts, and the importance of maintaining transparency of environmental monitoring results with the community. (3) Pursuing reuse opportunities that offer the potential for improving the community. (4) Remaining engaged with the local community. (5) Remaining proactive in the long-term care of the site. (authors)

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗
DOE OSTI2020

Stability of Floodplain Subsurface Microbial Communities Through Seasonal Hydrological and Geochemical Cycles

Riparian floodplains represent an interaction zone between the terrestrial subsurface and rivers, where regional groundwater flows, infiltration, and evapotranspiration drive mixing of water and import/export of nutrients and contaminants. These dynamics create seasonally transient redox conditions that drive biogeochemical transformations, which strongly modify groundwater quality. Microbial responses to changing hydrological conditions are perhaps the critical step connecting hydrology to geochemical transformations and groundwater quality, yet are not well understood. We aimed to address this knowledge gap by monitoring seasonal transitions at the U.S. Department of Energy legacy uranium ore processing site in Riverton, WY, through spring-summer-fall hydrological transitions. Our goal was to characterize the microbial community throughout the soil profile, down to the saturated aquifer, and observe its response to wet-dry transitions across a full season and compare to changes in geochemistry and hydrology. Next-generation sequencing was employed to identify biogeochemically-relevant microbial taxa based on the 16S rRNA gene; we found a broad diversity of microbial clades including taxa involved in sulfur and metal cycling, as well as nitrification. These data were paired with measurements of soil moisture, major nutrients and cations, and trace elements. Overall microbial community composition was dependent on soil depth or type, with seasonal effects only observed in the topsoil or subsurface aquifer. This finding indicates that microbial communities in the transiently-reduced center of the soil profile at the Riverton, WY site are remarkably stable, despite moisture and redox inversions. In addition, these communities likely impact the communities in surrounding soil horizons through export of metabolites and solutes as the water table rises and falls throughout the season.

16S rRNA↗
DOE OSTI2025

Rehydration of metastudtite in the alteration kinetics of α– and β–U 3 O 8 in dilute aqueous solutions of hydrogen peroxide

The formation of alteration phases on uranium ore concentrates and used nuclear fuels under oxidizing conditions is key to understanding the potential mobility of radionuclides in the environment and designing optimal storage conditions of materials. However, the time-dependent distribution of alteration phases on α– and β–U 3 O 8 under oxidizing conditions has yet to be explored. Here, in this study, crystalline powders of α– and β–U 3 O 8 were submerged in aqueous solutions of hydrogen peroxide (1.6 × 10 −1 to 5.4 × 10 −5 M) with aliquots of solution and solid removed for analysis at 1, 8, 15, 22, 29, 36, 46, 58, 71, and 83 days. Within one day there is significant alteration of U 3 O 8 to the uranyl peroxide metastudtite, [(UO 2 )(O 2 )(H 2 O) 2 ], that is replaced by studtite, [(UO 2 )(O 2 )(H 2 O) 2 ]·2H 2 O, within a week regardless of the polymorph of U 3 O 8 or the initial concentration of H 2 O 2 in solution, as determined by partial least squares regression (PLSR) of Raman spectra collected from the solids. A dissolution/reprecipitation mechanism is proposed for both the alteration of U 3 O 8 to metastudtite and the subsequent alteration of both U 3 O 8 and metastudtite to studtite. The two polymorphs of U 3 O 8 exhibit similar rates and extents of alteration over time. The rehydration of metastudtite to studtite has not been previously reported and highlights the need for future work to determine the mechanism by which metastudtite is converted to studtite and what other conditions facilitate this rehydration.

Alteration of U3O8↗
DOE OSTI2023

Advanced Fuel Cycle Cost Basis Report: Supporting Document 7 Presentation: Du and RU Disposal Costs [Slides]

Worldwide DU and RU in various chemical forms are some of the largest legacy products of the nuclear industry (defense & power) in both mass and volume. Chemical forms include U metal or alloy, UF6, UO2, UO3, U3O8, and UF4. Most of this material is now in above ground storage. Due to chemical stability and low water solubility oxides are the preferred form for safe storage and ultimate disposal. Long term U disposal in large amounts presents more of a potential radioactivity problem than its conversion and temporary storage. Now a near term problem with freshly-mined uranium ore, radon emanation will eventually be a long-term problem for both DU and RU dispositioned in large quantities at a specific location.

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗
DOE OSTI2024

Evaluating Nuclear Forensic Signatures for Advanced Reactor Deployment: A Research Priority Assessment

The development and deployment of a new generation of nuclear reactors necessitates a thorough evaluation of techniques used to characterize nuclear materials for nuclear forensic applications. Advanced fuels proposed for use in these reactors present both challenges and opportunities for the nuclear forensic field. Many efforts in pre-detonation nuclear forensics are currently focused on the analysis of uranium oxides, uranium ore concentrates, and fuel pellets since these materials have historically been found outside of regulatory control. The increasing use of TRISO particles, metal fuels, molten fuel salts, and novel ceramic fuels will require an expansion of the current nuclear forensic suite of signatures to accommodate the different physical dimensions, chemical compositions, and material properties of these advanced fuel forms. In this work, a semi-quantitative priority scoring system is introduced to identify the order in which the nuclear forensics community should pursue research and development on material signatures for advanced reactor designs. This scoring system was applied to propose the following priority ranking of six major advanced reactor categories: (1) molten salt reactor (MSR), (2) liquid metal-cooled reactor (LMR), (3) very-high-temperature reactor (VHTR), (4) fluoride-salt-cooled high-temperature reactor (FHR), (5) gas-cooled fast reactor (GFR), and (6) supercritical water-cooled reactor (SWCR).

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗
DOE OSTI2023

Use of Sensors and Machine Learning for Signal Discovery in a Solvent Extraction Process – 23280

Reprocessing is an important step in the nuclear fuel cycle where usable nuclear materials are extracted from spent fuel for recycling. The extraction of materials for reuse simultaneously reduces not only the volume of nuclear waste, but its decay time to radioactivity levels similar to that of the originating uranium ore. As part of an initiative to steward research, development, and innovation into the nuclear fuel cycle, Idaho National Laboratory is designing and constructing a solvent extraction testbed named Beartooth. Beartooth will allow researchers to refine extraction processes, test innovative extraction processes, and give early career scientists opportunities to gain skills in performing separations chemistry that uses centrifugal contactors. In addition, the Beartooth testbed is being uniquely designed to enable novel technologies including machine learning capabilities for the characterization of chemical process operations in near real-time. To aid in the design of Beartooth, a team of researchers are installing a variety of atypical sensors into a system of contactors for signal discovery. The team will implement machine learning methods on sensor data to determine signal features with the goal of providing a process operator with a deeper understanding of the chemical process and equipment usage. This work will summarize sensors utilized and preliminary results from an infrared camera.

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗
DOE OSTI2023

Use of Sensors and Machine Learning for Signal Discovery in a Solvent Extraction Process

Reprocessing is an important step in the nuclear fuel cycle where usable nuclear materials are extracted from used fuel for recycling. The separation of materials for reuse simultaneously reduces not only the volume of nuclear waste, but its decay time to radioactivity levels similar to that of the originating uranium ore. As part of an initiative to steward research, development, and innovation into the nuclear fuel cycle, Idaho National Laboratory is designing and constructing a solvent extraction testbed named Beartooth. This testbed will allow researchers to refine separation processes, test innovative extraction processes, and give early career scientists opportunities to gain skills in performing separations chemistry utilizing centrifugal contactors. In addition, the Beartooth testbed is being uniquely designed to enable novel technologies including machine learning capabilities for the characterization of chemical process operations in near real-time. To aid in the design of Beartooth, a team of researchers are installing a variety of atypical sensors into a system of contactors for signal discovery. The team will implement machine learning methods on acquired sensor data to extract signal features. The goal is to provide a process operator with a deeper understanding of the chemical process and equipment usage. This work will summarize sensors utilized and preliminary results from an infrared camera.

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗
DOE OSTI2020

Characterisation of Specimens from a Former Soviet Thorium Processing Facility to Support Site Remediation

The former Prydniprovski Chemical Plant (PChP) is a large ex-soviet nuclear materials processing site of roughly 260 hectares, located in central Ukraine. PcHP was in operation between 1948 and 1991 for the purposes of processing uranium and thorium ore into ore concentrate. During its operational lifetime, tens of millions of tonnes of radioactive waste was generated on the site. A consequence of these activities, coupled with the mismanagement of the resulting radioactive materials and by-products, is that approximately 45% of the southern part of the site has become radioactively contaminated. This area comprises some 100-200 buildings and structures, many of which are in a state of disrepair and dereliction. Around 20 of these buildings are heavily radioactively contaminated, with radiation levels from a few μSv/hr to a maximum of 4 mSv/hr reported. The European Commission is currently working with the Ukraine Ministry of Energy and Coal Use and the Nuclear Regulator to improve radiological safety and security at the site. In order for these remediation works to proceed, the site management needs to characterise the radioactive materials that are held there. As part of this activity, the team from the University of Bristol have undertaken a survey of one of the most heavily contaminated buildings, collecting a selection of in situ material samples. A suite of complimentary materials characterisation techniques (e.g. X-ray Fluorescence, Raman Spectroscopy, etc) have been deployed in order to determine the radionuclides and composition of the compounds present. Characterisation of these samples will allow the operators of the chemical plant to go forward with remediation works within the building.

07 ISOTOPE AND RADIATION SOURCES↗
DOE OSTI2020

Uranium Mill Tailings Radiation Control Act Title II DOE Due Diligence and Lessons Learned from a Previous Site Transfer - 20352

Title II of the Uranium Mill Tailings Radiation Control Act (UMTRCA) established that a government agency will provide perpetual care for closed uranium and thorium ore-processing sites that were operating under an NRC source material license in 1978 or were licensed thereafter. Commercial owners (licensees) operating under an NRC or agreement state specific license when UMTRCA was passed are responsible for conducting reclamation of any byproduct material remaining from uranium-ore processing operations in accordance with an NRC or agreement state approved reclamation plan. Reclamation includes both surface and groundwater remedies. Upon completion of reclamation and approval by NRC, the site is required to be transferred to either the host state or the DOE for long-term surveillance and maintenance. Since UMTRCA's enactment, six Title II sites have been transferred to DOE; an additional 24 Title II sites are anticipated to be transferred before 2050. DoE's role mandated under UMTRCA Title II as the long-term care custodian is to perform 'monitoring, maintenance, and emergency measures necessary to protect the public health and safety.' UMTRCA requires that the licensee pay a long-term surveillance charge 'sufficient to cover the annual costs of site surveillance.' However, at some sites such as the Bluewater, New Mexico, Disposal Site, this mandate has required additional effort and expense by DOE, beyond the originally anticipated and intended scope within UMTRCA, but within the authority of DOE under UMTRCA. In 1997, the Bluewater site became the second UMTRCA Title II site to be transferred to DOE. The site was the location of a uranium mill operated from 1953 until 1982. The specific licensee began site reclamation in 1991, and by 1995 all tailings and contaminated materials were encapsulated in two tailings disposal cells and other disposal areas. In addition to surface contamination, milling activities impacted groundwater in the two upper aquifers. In 1989, the specific licensee attempted active groundwater remediation; however, no significant reduction in contaminant concentrations was observed. As a result, the specific licensee applied to NRC for alternate concentration limits (ACLs) in 1990, which were approved in 1996 as being protective, after additional corrective actions were performed. Since transfer of the Bluewater site to DOE, unforeseen challenges have occurred, requiring additional actions. The first challenge is the occurrence of surface depressions located on the northern section of the main tailings disposal cell. The depressions were first observed during DoE's initial inspection in 1998; however, evidence of these can be observed on satellite images taken prior to transfer. Since being first observed, the depressions have continued to grow both in depth and areal extent. Due to the design of the main tailings disposal cell, the depressions impede storm water from being effectively shed off the 101- hectare (250-acre) top slope of the main tailings disposal cell. Instead, storm water accumulates in the depressions, forming a large ephemeral pond that has stored up to 16.3 x 10{sup 6} liters (4.3 million gallons) of stormwater. The ponding poses a potential risk to the integrity of the main tailings disposal cell in the case of a large storm event, with the potential to cause the pond to overtop and erode the cover material and underlying waste. DOE has taken a number of short-term actions to monitor, measure, and reduce the ponding and is currently working with the US Army Corps of Engineers to design and construct a repair. Additional challenges are associated with groundwater at the Bluewater site. Nine wells were present on the 1335-hectare (3300-acre) site upon transfer. Groundwater compliance was called into question after the State of New Mexico reduced its uranium groundwater standard from 5.0 to 0.03 milligrams per liter in 2004, and when an ACL for uranium was exceeded in a site monitoring well in 2010. Acquiring historical groundwater data and subsequent evaluations as well as additional DOE groundwater monitoring led to installing 10 new monitoring wells and performing additional site hydrogeology recharacterization. DOE continues to evaluate groundwater conditions at the site and works with the NRC to determine regulatory requirements and a path forward. As a result of lessons learned at the Bluewater site and other Title II sites, improved processes have been implemented at a programmatic level to increase due diligence before site transfer and prevent similar issues from occurring at other UMTRCA Title II sites under long-term management. DoE's due diligence process is documented in the Process for Transition of UMTRCA Title II Disposal Sites to DOE for Long-Term Surveillance and Maintenance and is designed to ensure that DOE has no technical or compliance concerns with regulatory decisions that might compromise protectiveness following site transfer to DOE. Implementation of the due diligence process has increased DoE's role prior to site transfer and has been effective in identifying potential issues. Actions by NRC and specific licensees, in response to enhanced due diligence efforts by DOE, are expected to minimize, if not totally prevent, the need for unanticipated actions by DOE pertaining to the surface and groundwater remedies after site transfer. (authors)

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗
DOE OSTI2025

Optical vibrational spectroscopic signatures of ammonium diuranate process parameters

Ammonium diuranate (ADU) is commonly encountered in the nuclear fuel cycle; however, previous investigations have shown that ADU is a complex mixture of distinct compounds. Moreover, production parameters are known to heavily influence the composition of the resulting ADU. Here, we examine four samples of ADU prepared at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), and one sample of ADU made at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), with the goal of further characterizing and elucidating the effect of processing parameters such as stir rate, strike direction, and temperature on material composition. Process parameters during ADU precipitation at ORNL and PNNL were well documented, and we relate process variables to optical vibrational spectroscopic signatures observed using Raman and infrared (IR) spectroscopy. In addition, powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD) reveals differences in the solid-phase composition of ADU precipitates, but we find that the primary phase is similar to the uranyl oxyhydroxyhydrate mineral metaschoepite. Despite the significant phase contributions of a metaschoepite-like phase, spectroscopic evidence of both nitrate and ammonium are observed for all samples. To gain a more holistic understanding of spectroscopic features of process parameters in ADU, principal component analysis (PCA) is employed and results in observable signatures that relate to the stir rate used during synthesis. These results provide further information about the process-dependence of ADU precipitate composition.

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗
DOE OSTI2020

The Port Hope Areas Initiative's Port Granby Project: The Decontamination of Site Equipment from a Low Level Waste Facility - 20330

The Port Hope Area Initiative (PHAI) is the Government of Canada's response to the community recommended solutions for the remediation and safe, long-term management of historic low-level radioactive waste (LLRW) that was the result of uranium and radium processing operations in the Municipality of Port Hope, Ontario from the 1930's to the 1980's. The Eldorado refinery, on the shores of Lake Ontario, began refining radium-226 from pitchblende ore, later transitioning to the refining of uranium ore. Process residues were deposited at the Welcome Waste Management Facility in Port Hope until the mid-1950's switching to the Port Granby Waste Management Facility (PGWMF), which continued to accept waste until the late 1980's. The Port Granby Project involves the construction of a new, secure long-term waste management facility (LTWMF) and supporting infrastructure, and the excavation and relocation of approximately 1,200,000 m{sup 3} of historic low-level radioactive waste and marginally contaminated soil from the PGWMF to the newly constructed LTWMF. Since the project's inception in 2016, the bulk of the material has since been moved to the final long term storage cell. This has taken over 500,000 person-hours and a large amount of one site heavy equipment to accomplish including excavators, bulldozers, rock trucks, baker tanks and vacuum trucks. While many of the pieces of heavy equipment and water management equipment has further work to do on site, several of the sites larger items have already undergone the decontamination process prior to release from the site. This process has posed a serious challenge as the waste has a caustic nature to it and over the last few years it has had time to work its way into the metallic structures and framework of the equipment. Coupled with the tight work spaces and in some cases confined work areas there have been many issues that needed to be addressed to successfully reach a state where items can be free released to the unrestricted limits of the sites license. This ongoing process has led to a more refined decontamination program at the Port Granby Facility and has had a rather high success rate considering the length of time the equipment has been exposed to the waste materials on site. This paper discusses the varied challenges of decontamination faced at a low-level radioactive waste facility with a focus on the following aspects: - Challenges faced regarding different equipment types and the solutions implemented by Wood to address these challenges; - An examination of various decontamination methods employed throughout the project; and - Lessons learned over three years of remediation work and how they impact the decontamination process. (authors)

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗
DOE OSTI2021

Measuring accurate optical constants of uranium minerals for use in optical modeling of infrared spectra

Knowledge of the bulk optical constants n and k of solids or liquids allows researchers to accurately predict the absorption, reflection, and scattering properties of materials for different physical forms. Indeed, chemically complex materials such as minerals can have an almost limitless variety of morphologies, particle sizes, shapes, and compositions, but the optical properties of such species can be predicted if the optical constants are known. For species such as minerals, however, there can be additional challenges due to e.g. hydration or dehydration during the course of the optical constants measurement. Here, we describe the protocols to obtain the bulk optical constants n and k of uranium-bearing minerals and ores such as uraninite or autunite. If quality n and k data are at hand, the (infrared) reflectance spectra can be predicted for different particle sizes and morphologies and the modeling results for various scenarios can be derived.

infrared (IR) spectroscopy, optical constants, ura↗
DOE OSTI2025

Producing 236 U reference standards for Accelerator Mass Spectrometry at the University of Notre Dame

36 U is a rare isotope of uranium, naturally occurring in ores with an abundance of 236 U/ 238 U$<$ 1 x 10 -9 . The ability to detect it and make isotopic ratio measurements has applications ranging from nuclear forensics and nonproliferation to energy production and environmental protection. Currently, Accelerator Mass Spectrometry (AMS) is the only technique sensitive enough to accurately measure 236 U/ 238 U isotopic ratios as they exist in naturally occurring ores in the range of 236 U/ 238 U = 10 -12 $-$ 10 -9 . Some AMS facilities have demonstrated their capabilities to make these measurements. Historically, the lack of commercially available reference standards covering the range of naturally occurring 236 U/ 238 U abundances has necessitated the use of absolute measurements, notoriously difficult to do using AMS, resulting in increased uncertainties in measurements and a reliance on knowledge of systematic effects. To mitigate these issues, various AMS facilities have sought to develop their own reference standards. Using a reference standard prepared for other forms of mass spectrometry, a series of AMS suitable standards was created through dilution with low-background natural uranium. The techniques used to produce and characterize these materials as well as analysis of them using AMS will be discussed.

236U↗
DOE OSTI2022

Restoration Insights Gained from a Field Deployment of Dithionite and Acetate at a Uranium In Situ Recovery Mine

Mining uranium by in situ recovery (ISR) typically involves injecting an oxidant and a complexing agent to mobilize and extract uranium in a saturated ore zone. This strategy involves less infrastructure and invasive techniques than traditional mining, but ISR often results in persistently elevated concentrations of U and other contaminants of concern in groundwater after mining. These concentrations may remain elevated for an extended period without remediation. Here, we describe a field experiment at an ISR facility in which both a chemical reductant (sodium dithionite) and a biostimulant (sodium acetate) were sequentially introduced into a previously mined ore zone in an attempt to establish reducing geochemical conditions that, in principle, should decrease and stabilize aqueous U concentrations. While several lines of evidence indicated that reducing conditions were established, U concentrations did not decrease, and in fact increased after the amendment deployments. We discuss likely reasons for this behavior, and we also discuss how the results provide insights into improvements that could be made to the restoration process to benefit from the seemingly detrimental behavior.

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗
DOE OSTI2020

Remediation of Temporary Storage Sites in Support of the Port Hope Area Initiative - 20295

The Port Hope Area Initiative is a community-based solution for the long-term management of historic low level radioactive waste (LLRW) resulting from 60 years of uranium and radium processing operations in the Town of Port Hope which is located in Ontario, Canada. The Eldorado refinery, on the north shore of Lake Ontario, began refining radium-226 from pitchblende ore, later transitioning to the refining of uranium. Through the history of the operation, LLRW was deposited throughout the town of Port Hope as a result of fugitive emissions from the plant and/or through the re-use of process residues as building material and backfill. Historical clean-up activities conducted in the late 1970's involved the remediation of approximately 400 properties and the relocation of 100,000 cubic metres of contaminated soil to a disposal facility in Chalk River operated by Atomic Energy of Canada Limited (AECL). Owing to space limitations at that disposal facility, any LLRW identified through construction monitoring since that time has been stored in the community at three temporary storage sites located throughout the town. These include: the Centre Pier mound that contained approximately of 19,800 m{sup 3} of LLRW-impacted soil that originated from the construction of a new water treatment plant; two mounds located at a licensed storage facility containing LLRW obtained from residential clean-up activities (11,000 m{sup 3}); and a small pad adjacent to the municipal sewage treatment plant containing 2200 m{sup 3} of LLRW-containing sludge. With the construction of a new long-term waste management facility (LTWMF) that has been designed to house all of the LLRW identified within Port Hope, the three sites were early candidates for remediation. The clean-up of the three temporary storage sites was a significant milestone for the Port Hope Area Initiative. After a decade of planning and consultation, this work represents the first sites in the municipality to be remediated with the waste being safety removed and transferred to the newly constructed LTWMF. This paper discusses the challenges associated with the clean-up activities for these three sites and the strategies employed to address those challenges. These included weather-related challenges, owing to the seasons over which the work was conducted as well as those associated with working within a closely-knit community. Canadian Nuclear Laboratories (CNL), working on behalf of the federal government, has worked diligently to develop a positive and trusting relationship with the community. Consequently, the successful execution of this project needed to be sensitive to, and respectful of the needs of the community. In addition to the usual Health, Safety and Environment training, project staff received community awareness training that spoke to the history of this community-based initiative and the expected behavior when working within the community. Transportation routes were defined based on safety and the need to minimize disruption to local traffic while haul-times where scheduled around school bus hours to enhance public safety. The successful completion of this first of many remediation projects to be completed under the Port Hope Area Initiative reflected years of careful planning. Nevertheless, there were a number of 'lessons learned' that have been applied on other ongoing projects be completed under the Port Hope Area Initiative. (authors)

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗
DOE OSTI2020

ISR Restoration Methods and Applicability to Groundwater Remediation at Abandoned Uranium Mills - 20342

There are numerous abandoned uranium mining and mill sites in the southwestern US. Surface remediation was undertaken in the 1980's and 90's to cover mill tailings and minimize infiltration of meteoric precipitation into the subsurface These actions have reduced the availability of tailings contaminants but many of these sites have persistent groundwater contamination, primarily due to the disposal of tailings and process fluids in unlined impoundments during the mill's operational life. Active in situ recovery (ISR) uranium mining and wellfield restoration practices are examined to determine the factors that contribute to the success of groundwater restoration. Hydrologic characteristics, geochemistry, ore body quality, regulatory requirements and the aboveground components of uranium production and water treatment are considered. While there is no such thing as a typical abandoned mill site, the potential use of ISR restoration methods is evaluated for viability as a remedial alternative to mine and mill sites that have residual contaminated groundwater plumes. (authors)

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗
DOE OSTI2023

Critical Minerals from Waste Streams in the Powder River Basin of Wyoming and Montana, USA

Background/Objectives. Critical minerals (CM) are essential for numerous industrial and defense applications, including green technologies that will help to meet carbon emission reduction goals. Many CM are currently mined and processed in countries that lack stringent environmental and labor regulations. Unconventional sources such as existing industrial waste streams could play a part in building an ethical CM supply chain. Additionally, waste streams created in the extraction and processing of CM could be used for other industrial or commercial purposes, thereby reducing waste and advancing a circular economy. Approach/Activities. The Department of Energy funded Powder River Basin (PRB) CORE-CM project is exploring all aspects of the carbon ore, rare earth element (REE), and CM value chain, including the potential for extraction of CM from industrial waste streams in the basin. Waste streams that have potential as CM feedstocks are being inventoried to assess the concentration of CM in each waste stream and to estimate volume and accessibility. Although basin-specific technologies for extraction of CM are still in development, waste streams that may be produced during these processes are being cataloged and mapped to potential secondary uses. Results/Lessons Learned. Initial studies of the CM potential of PRB coal ash show that this waste stream contains concentrations of greater than 300 ppm total REE (Bagdonas et al., 2022, Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews). Moreover, calcium-rich PRB coal ash is amenable to REE extraction (Taggart et al., 2016, Environmental Science and Technology). Wyoming coal is shipped to 28 states, meaning that coal ash produced at power stations across the US represents a potential widespread resource for the extraction of REE. In addition to coal mining and coal fired electricity generation, the PRB is home to other energy industries including oil and gas production, in-situ uranium mining, and bentonite mining. Historically, precious and base metal mining has taken place on the perimeter of the PRB. Waste streams from these industries are currently being evaluated for their CM potential. Assessing the CM resource potential of waste streams could contribute to the development of an ethical CM supply chain. Results from these studies can be replicated for other waste streams, increasing the likelihood of successful creation of circular economies.

Phillips, Erin↗