Record Display for the EPA National Library Catalog
RECORD NUMBER: 1501 OF 1782Main Title | Summary of ground-water quality impacts of uranium mining and milling in the Grants Mineral Belt, New Mexico / | ||||||||||||||||
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Author | Kaufmann, Robert F. | ||||||||||||||||
CORP Author | Office of Radiation Programs, Las Vegas, Nev. | ||||||||||||||||
Publisher | NTIS, | ||||||||||||||||
Year Published | 1975 | ||||||||||||||||
Report Number | ORP/LV-75-4 | ||||||||||||||||
Stock Number | PB-247 282 | ||||||||||||||||
OCLC Number | 04049815 | ||||||||||||||||
Subjects | Uranium industry--Environmental aspects--New Mexico ; Water--Pollution--Measurement | ||||||||||||||||
Additional Subjects | Water pollution ; Uranium ores ; Ground water ; Radioactive contaminants ; Injection wells ; Mining ; Comminution ; Radium ; Fluid infiltration ; Seepage ; Tailings ; Radiation hazards ; Water quality ; Aquifers ; New Mexico ; Mine wastes | ||||||||||||||||
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Collation | ix, 70 pages : illustrations, maps. | ||||||||||||||||
Abstract | Ground-water contamination from uranium mining and milling results from the infiltration of radium-bearing mine, mill, and ion-exchange plant effluents. Radium, selenium, and nitrate were of most value as indicators of contamination. In recent years, mining has increased radium in mine effluents from several picocuries/liter (pCi/1) or less, to 100-150 pCi/1. The shallow aquifer in use in the vicinity of one mill was grossly contaminated with selenium, attributable to the mill tailings. Seepage from two other mill tailings ponds averaged 67,400,000 liters/year and, to date, has contributed an estimated 1.1 curies of radium to ground water. At one of these, an injection well was used to dispose of over 3,400,000,000 liters of waste from 1960-1973. The wastes have not been properly monitored and have apparently migrated to more shallow, potable aquifers. No adverse impacts on municipal water quality in Paguate, Bluewater, Grants, Milan, and Gallup were observed. |
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Notes | Prepared for U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Includes bibliographical references (pages 67-70). |