Uranium symposium covers state of the art (Part 1)

The U2009 uranium symposium held in May in Keystone, Colo., included presentations on various aspects of uranium mining and extraction. Attendees learned about the substantial progress being made in all facets of uranium technology, from exploration, through production, to environmental and safety aspects.

Caitlin Rood and Jo-Ann Tischler of Tetratech presented a paper on applying the concepts of sustainability to uranium mining. They have drawn on inputs from the approval process for 13 uranium projects in the U.S. Some projects were pure exploration, while others combined exploration and mining. All the mining projects were conventional, in other words, there were no in-situ recovery (ISR) projects.

The common theme that emerged among stakeholders was compatibility and sustainability. Somewhat surprisingly, Rood and Tischler say that public perception of uranium mining and development is not necessarily that the industry is dangerous.

Conversely, the perception is also that uranium development is not compatible with community vision and long-term values, and that it is temporary and not sustainable.

“That perception will not change on its own,” Rood and Tischler say.

As a result of public perception, the regulatory landscape may be changing. Environmental management is now examined from a sustainability perspective. What is meant by sustainability is meeting the needs of the present, without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs. The three aspects covered by sustainability include economy, environment and society.

And sustainability is not a one-step process that ends with implementation. Instead, it requires ongoing monitoring and adjustment. The uranium mining industry is operating in a “fish bowl” in a highly visible fashion open to public scrutiny.

A number of governmental and non-governmental organizations have issued guidelines on the implementation of sustainability policies. They include the Mining, Minerals and Sustainable Development initiative (MMSD), which issued 7 questions to sustainability and 9 key sustainable development challenges for mining; the International Council for Mining and Metallurgy (ICMM), which issued 10 principles for sustainable development performance; and the U.S. Bureau of Land Management, which has established awards recognizing successful sustainable development.