Fugitive dust control at uranium mill tailings piles

Possible wind erosion of the tailings is one concern associated with the disposal of uranium mill tailings. If eroded, the tailings could subsequently deposit on areas outside the impoundment. Pacific Northwest Laboratory (PNL), under contract to the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), is investigating various techniques for fugitive dust control at uranium mill tailings piles. This paper presents the results of both laboratory and field studies. The laboratory studies have included wind tunnel testing of 43 commercially available chemical stabilizers. Fifteen of the more promising stabilizers were applied to test plots on a tailings pile at the American Nuclear Corporation - Gas Hills Project mill site, Gas Hills, Wyoming, and were monitored quarterly for approx. 1 year. Of the stabilizers tested, three synthetic polymer (latex) emulsions were more effective than the other stabilizers: Wallpol 40-133 from Reichold Chemicals, SP-400 from Johnson-March Corporation, and CPB-12 produced by Wen Don Corporation. A summary of ongoing assessments of these chemical stabilizers and an evaluation of the effectiveness and durability of commercial wind screens in reducing fugitive dust on tailings piles are also presented in this paper. 2 references, 4 figures, 2 tables