ML21145A373

Advanced Reactors GEIS Docs - NRC - Comparison of Conventional Mill, Heap Leach, and in Situ Recovery Facilities

ML21145A373
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Issue date:	05/25/2021
From:	NRC
To:	NRC/NMSS/DREFS
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From: Giacinto, Joseph Sent: Tuesday, May 25, 2021 2:07 PM To: AdvancedReactors-GEISDocsPEm Resource

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NRC - Comparison of Conventional Mill, Heap Leach, and In Situ Recovery Facilities Attachments: NRC 2020 RecFacil.pdf

Comparison Of Conventional Mill, Heap Leach, And In Situ Recovery Facilities l NRC.gov REPORT A SAFETY CONCERN Search Home Nuclear Materials Uranium Recovery Uranium Recovery (Extraction) Methods Comparison of Conventional Mill, Heap Leach, and In Situ Recovery Facilities Through the years, the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has licensed numerous uranium recovery facilities in the United States, which used a variety of extraction methods to glean uranium from ore. The following table compares the features of the three main types of facilities, which include conventional uranium mills, heap leach/ion-exchange facilities, and in situ recovery facilities.

Conventional Feature Heap Leach Facility In Situ Recovery Facility Uranium Mill Physical and chemical Physical and chemical Chemical process to extract process to extract uranium Recovery Method process to extract uranium uranium from underground from mined ore that has from mined ore. deposits.

been piled in a heap.

Generally located in the Generally located in the vicinity of the ore body. vicinity of the ore body.

Mined ore can be trucked Mined ore can be trucked 7KHZHOO¿HOGDUHDLVORFDWHG from the mine to the mill. from the mine to the mill.

within the ore body. The Siting/Location The mine can be either a The mine can be either a processing plant is typically deep underground shaft or deep underground shaft or in the vicinity of the ore body.

a shallow open pit. The a shallow open pit. The NRC does not regulate the NRC does not regulate the mining of ore. mining of ore.

Process buildings, heap

HOO¿HOG V FRQVLLQJRI SLOHFRQVLLQJRIRUH groundwater injection and crushed to a size of Mill building(s), process extraction wells, header approximately 1-inch in tanks, tailings house(s), pipes, processing Surface Features diameter, with an impoundment, and IDFLOLW\RUDJHRU HQJLQHHUHGOLQHUV\HP https://www.nrc.gov/materials/uranium-recovery/extraction-methods/comparison.html[1/26/2021 10:25:05 AM]

Comparison Of Conventional Mill, Heap Leach, And In Situ Recovery Facilities l NRC.gov https://www.nrc.gov/materials/uranium-recovery/extraction-methods/comparison.html[1/26/2021 10:25:05 AM]

Comparison Of Conventional Mill, Heap Leach, And In Situ Recovery Facilities l NRC.gov https://www.nrc.gov/materials/uranium-recovery/extraction-methods/comparison.html[1/26/2021 10:25:05 AM]