| I. Materials > The Uranium-Plutonium Chain > Extraction of the Ore |
The mining industry operates surface mines, underground mines with galleries, and mixed mines (surface and galleries).
In France the majority of the mines are found in the Vendée, in Haute-Vienne, and in the Massif Central. Some fifty mines were operated in Haute-Vienne alone. At the beginning of 2001 Cogéma operated only one mine in France: the underground mine Jouac/Le Bernardan (Haute-Vienne). That mine was closed in May 2001.
We describe later the mines that are used today for storage of tailings and imported waste. Because of the large number of these sites, we note the wastes and other problems tied to the mines here, instead of treating them in the framework of the chapters on individual sites.
Atmospheric Releases
Radon and radioactive dusts.
Liquid Releases
The exhaust waters of the mine containing water from boring and internal run-off. Water can be pumped out of the mines; and sometimes, but not always, is treated before release. This water is often acidic. To neutralize it, lime is added. To eliminate the majority of the solid particles, the water is then decanted, with or without a flocculant. To eliminate most of the radium, which is soluble, the water is treated in France with barium chloride which precipitates out radium sulfate. The treatments are not 100% effective, and they create solid waste.
Solid wastes
Especially:
--sludges and precipitates from the treatment of liquid effluents;
--"stériles." The "stériles" are extracted rocks that contain very little uranium (in France less than 0.03%) and that, consequently are not treated. In 1992, the quantity of "stériles" accumulated from French uranium mines was estimated to be on the order of 270 million tons. If the sterile rocks are not well covered and located, they release radon and radioactive dusts into the air. Through the infiltration of rain water, toxic and radioactive materials pass into the underground and surface water;
--poor-grade ore. Poor ore consists of between 0.03 and 0.8% uranium. It is not always treated. The stocks of poor-grade ore pose the same problems as the "stériles," aggravated by the higher level of uranium [InfoU iii-iv.92].
Other Problems
The construction of mines has caused the destruction of entire villages, the movement of villages from one location to another, and the turning aside of rivers as well as the sterilization of farmland and natural land. After operation of the mine has terminated, the wastes from the mine remain. Moreover, dangerous wastes coming from other sites are often deposited on the stripped land or in the galleries, where they can contaminate the water.
-updated July 3, 2001
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