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Uranium Mining BasicsFuel Cycle
Go here for more on the Nuclear Fuel CycleUranium
Uranium is a chemical element in the periodic table that has the symbol U and atomic number 92. Heavy, silvery-white, toxic, metallic, naturally radioactive, pyrophoric, and teratogenic uranium belongs to the actinide series and its isotope U-235 is used as the fuel for nuclear reactors and the explosive material for nuclear weapons. Depleted uranium is used in incendiary projectile weapons. Uranium is commonly found in very small amounts in rocks, soil, water, plants, and animals (including humans).
U.S. concentrations of uranium ore in the U.S. exist primarily in two areas of the country. In the Appalachians and in the Southwest, up through the Rocky Mountain range. Wikipedia: Uranium referenceThe U.S. is has neither large quantities of uranium nor are they of very high quality. Attempts to restart uranium mining, if prices continue at present levels will see a global glut as other areas of the world with far richer reserves start producing more. This will lead to the same collapse of U.S. production when cheaper uranium from other countries flood the market. Exploration
Most mining claims are made using the 1872 Mining Act that allows mining companies to pay pennies to tear up the land and then abandon it, forcing the public to pay for the clean up. Many of the largest companies like Cameco or Rio Tinto are global conglomerates produce few local jobs, yet reap immense profits. Under construction(10-4-08) Mining
Uranium mining is done either by large strip mining operations or by an In-Situ Leach (ISL) process where chemicals are pumped into the ground, forcing a liquid slurry of uranium and other heavy metals up to the surface. Most current operations are strip mines, although there are a few hard rock underground mines still in operation. Most mines in the U.S. were shut down long ago due to the poor grade of uranium ore and uranium cheaper supplies from other global commercial operations or from the former soviet nuclear weapons infrastructure.
At present there are still thousands of abandoned uranium mines across the southwest that have yet to be cleaned up. Epa experts say that waste rock from ~4000 identified producing mines estimate a range from 1 to 9 billion Metric Tons still unhandled, with numbers that could go higher. Estimates of as much as $33 billion will be required to clean up the environmental disaster. The use of ISL mining is much cheaper than strip mining operations. However,it is extremely toxic to the underground aquifers. Claims that it will only be done on water supplies that will never be used for drinking are being clamed. Under construction(10-4-08)
Milling
When mined via open pit or undergound hard rock mining techniques, the raw uranium ore is then hauled via giant trucks to a uranium mill where the uranium yellowcake is extracted. This extraction process consists of three steps. The raw ore is first crushed into a fine powdery substance. It is then immersed in acid and large volumes of water in a chemical extraction process. The liquids are then removed leaving the yellowcake concentrate and an immense volume of liquid or dry tailings behind. These tailings still retain 80% of its radioactivity as well as a whole slew of other hazardous materials, but now it is in a form that can spread easily into the environment rather than being locked within rocks.
The milling process is also water intensive. One of the world's largest uranium mines in Namibia uses nearly 1/3 of that country's total water consumed. It also consumes 225,000 tons of acid a year, of which it has been pushing to incinerate. The Rossing mine which has a scandalous history of contaminating its workers covers an area of 23 square kilometers. There are now even bigger mining operations proposed in Namibia and Australia that will dwarf Rossing. The U.S. is the largest consumer of uranium in the world. Yet, as of 2006 there were only 600 employed workers in the country's mining and milling industry which has long been shut down due to cheaper more plentiful uranium from other parts of the world. Dozens of of former mills and their adjacent tailings ponds that are heavily contaminated have yet to be cleanup up. Plans to spend billions of dollars to open new mills up in the southwest are now underway. But wait! there's a new technology on the block being touted to be cleaner, safer and more environmentally friendly racing through the fashion friendly nukular promoters called In-Situ Leechate (ISL) mining. Just pump some oxygenated water down a drill hole and out comes yellowcake gold! Yes folks, the mining industry is aglow over this new hi-tech solution. But wait, it can only be used in areas where the underground water will never be used for human consumption! Yet, a uranium company has been pushing to do this to the water supplies of the Navajo people, while activists in South Dakota believe that ISL mining being done there is contaminating the Ogalala aquifer. Watch out for Excursions! Under construction(10-04-08) Tailings
The U.S. mining industry has produced over 140 million cubic yards of uranium tailings wastes. These wastes could either be in the form of dry or liquid tailings. In the past they were simply dumped at the mill site in huge ponds or piles that would then blow or leak into the environment. Over 80% of the radioactivity and other environmentally hazardous heavy metals are left in the tailings. As an example of just how irresponsible the industry was in the past, the 300,000 tons of dry tailings at one facility near Grand Junction Colorado were used in the construction of the streets, houses, schools and businesses of the city. Nearly a billion dollars was spent to remove the radioactive materials over twenty years.
Epa experts say that waste rock from ~4000 identified producing mines estimate a range from 1 to 9 billion Metric Tons still unhandled, with numbers that could go higher. Attempts to stabalize the huge tailings piles have mostly failed, when there was any kind of attempt to deal with the nightmare of these dangerous tailings. Placing caps on the tailings piles to keep the Radon gases and other contaminants from spreading with the winds have mostly failed. One estimate on cleanup costs has been put at over $30 billion, most of which the public will bear the costs of.
Health
The health impacts from the uranium mining and milling process impact surrounding communities and the workers at mines and mills. We are dealing with a military mindset that believes that its ALARA agenda allows them to weed out the weak. We are living under a government that refuses to protect the public from radiation. In 1988, the committee in charge of monitoring the impacts on Hiroshima victims stated that radiation impacts were 4-16 times worse than previously thought. The U.S. did nothing, while the UK increased safety standards 4 fold. If you don't happen to be a 21 year old healthy male, then this country's radiation protection standards are not for you. Just ask the Navajo miners or the hundreds of thousands of Department of Energy workers who have had their health and lives destroyed. Oh, and are we supposed to ignore a trail of scandals that should have shamed this country to the bone. Oh, I'm sorry, we aren't supposed to be angry when we lose loved ones from cancer, that's being hysterical.
Today, the Navaho men that removed the uranium ore are gone. Their families are fighting a government that fights against compensation demands. Over 170,000 Navajo live in communities with contaminated water, homes made out of radioactive talings or near unknown numbers of abandoned mines stil contaminating the surrounding environment. Federal hearings in 2007 showed that after 30 years the government has failed to clean up the disaster it spawned. Yes, folks it was called this country's national sacrafice area. And now we want to go back and take out more uranium before cleaning up the mess from last time! But its only indians we did this to, so the story falls on deaf ears. But the nightmare doesn't just stop there. Talings piles that have yet to be cleaned up along the Colorado River near Moab Utah are threatening the water supplies of millions. Other communities from Texas to the state of Washington are also still being impacted as are locations around the world. But that's okay, we are just on the first step of the nuclear fuel cycle here. Under construction(10-04-08) Resources
The uranium mining industry in the U.S. collapsed completely with the end of the cold war. Speculators have driven the price of uranium up to nearly 10 times what it was worth prior to the Bush administration, creating a false appearance that uranium mining could once again be viable. It will only be a matter of time before the major international mining corporations like Rio Tinto or the French government sponsored Areva, Cameco or EDF move in and buy up the most lucrative options. This industry produces few jobs, immense amounts of tailing wastes that will likely have to be paid for by the public. The Bush Administration and the quasi private U.S. Energy Co. (USEC is the former DOE uranium enrichment infrastructure that was privatized during Clinton) are currently waging a legal battle to stop the use of Russian weapons grade uranium (MOX Fuel) to supply commercial reactors. If they win, there will be a huge new demand for uranium. Surprise! Another strategic motivation underlying Bush's reopening of a new cold war front with Russia! Go here for more resources
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Uranium
Ore must first be found before it can be mined. During the first
uranium rush during the 50's prospectors would find the uranium
using geiger counters. Today, the process is done by drilling bore
holes and then analysing the content. Due to the jump in uranium
prices in 2005 there has been a dramatic increase in uranium exploration
with over $700 million spent. 
