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INTRODUCTION What is Environment?
Environment encompasses all living and non-living things occurring naturally on Earth or some region thereof.
In most respect the environmental aspects of uranium mine are the same as those of other metalliferous mining.
Radioactivity associated with the uranium ore requires some special management in addition to the general environmental controls of any mine.
For any mining activity foremost thing is environmental approval.
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Environmental Clearance Environmental Clearance An application EIA & EM report to the Secretary, Ministry of Environment
and Forest (MoEF).
MoEF will convey a decision related to suitability of the site within a maximum period of 30 days.
The Environmental Impact Assessment Report submitted with the application shall be evaluated an assessed by the Impact Assessment Agency (IAA).
Summary of the reports, the recommendation and the conditions, subject to which EC is given shall be made public.
Public hearing shall be arranged after giving 30 days of notice of such hearing in at least two newspaper.
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Environmental Clearance Environmental Clearance
• The assessment shall be completed within period of 90 days from receipt of the requisite documents and completion of public hearing, and decision conveyed within 30 days thereafter.
• The clearance granted shall be valid for 5 years for the commencement of the construction or operation.
• To monitor the implementation of the recommendations and conditions the mining authorities shall submit a half-yearly report to the IAA.
• If no comments from IAA are received within the time limit, then it means project have been approved.
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After approval …..
• Open pits or shaft and derive are dug.
• Waste rock and overburden is dumped.
• Tailings from the ore processing must be placed in engineered dams.
• Finally the whole site must be rehabilitated at the end of the project.
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Radiation Hazard in Uranium Mining
Radiation Hazard
External Internal
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Long-lived alpha emitter
Radon& its daughter
Beta & Gamma radiations
Radiation Hazard in Uranium Mining
• Radon and its daughters in mine atmosphere are associated with airborne dust.
• The primary airborne radionuclides are 222Rn and its short-lived daughters 218Po, 214Pb, 214Bi and 214Po .
• The long-lived, alpha emitting nuclides 238U, 234U, 230Th, 226Ra and 210Po are significant.
• Mining operations consisting of drilling, blasting, crushing etc. produce airborne dust containing these long-lived nuclides.
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Radiation Hazard in Uranium Mining
• Uranium miners are exposed to external beta and gamma radiations emitted from the ore bodies.
• However, only the gamma radiation is of significance in considering the risk of external exposure.
• The gamma radiation can be expected to be higher, when the ore is stockpiled.
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Waste from Mining & Milling
• The tailings pond, which stores the mill tailings is also a potential source of radiation to the environment.
• Process water discharged from the mill contains traces of radium and some other metals which would be undesirable in biological systems downstream.
• Apart from tailings, other solid waste at amine include equipments which is not able to be sold at the conclusion of the operation. This is usually buried with tailings.
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Impact of MiningImpact of Mining
Physical Impacts
Chemical Impacts
Biological Impacts
Socio-economic Impacts
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Physical ImpactsPhysical Impacts
• Noise
• Dust
• Land use aspects
– Direct (excavations, overburden disposal, plant,
tailings dams etc.)
– Indirect (transport links, energy / water supply,
townships etc.)
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Physical ImpactsPhysical Impacts Banduhurang Mine, UCIL, UCIL
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Chemical ImpactsChemical Impacts
• Effects on surface water and groundwater
• Effects of chemicals used in processing
• Acid mine drainage
• Impacts of smelting
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Chemical ImpactsChemical Impacts
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Biological ImpactBiological Impact
• Ecological aspects
• Impacts on biodiversity and ecosystems
• Environmental (human) health aspects
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Socioeconomic ImpactsSocioeconomic Impacts
• Economic development
• Employment
• Education and skills development
• Cultural impacts
• Migration etc.
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Socioeconomic ImpactsSocioeconomic Impacts
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ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY
Uranium Corporation Of India Limited IUCIL), adopts environmental management system in all its areas and is committed to:
• Manage air, water & noise pollution in its surface operations and air and noise pollution in its underground Mines.
• Compliance with applicable environmental laws & other requirements concerned with all its operations.
• Conservations of natural resources.
• Monitor the health of all its employees and to ensure the preventive & betterment measures.
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References
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• Sarangi,A.K., & Kundu,A.C., Safety and Environmental Surveillance
Measures in Mining and Processing of uranium ore at Uranium
Corporation of India Ltd.
• Best Practice in Environmental Management of Uranium Mining, IAEA
Nuclear Energy Series No. NF-T-1.2
• www.ucil.gov.in
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