| Feature |
Conventional
Uranium Mill |
Heap Leach Facility |
In Situ Recovery Facility |
| Recovery Method |
Physical and chemical process to extract uranium from mined ore. |
Physical and chemical process to extract uranium from mined ore that has been piled in a heap. |
Chemical process to extract uranium from underground deposits. |
| Siting/Location |
Generally located in the vicinity of the ore body. Mined ore can be trucked from the mine to the mill. The mine can be either a deep underground shaft or a shallow open pit. The NRC does not regulate the mining of ore. |
Generally located in the vicinity of the ore body. Mined ore can be trucked from the mine to the mill. The mine can be either a deep underground shaft or a shallow open pit. The NRC does not regulate the mining of ore. |
The wellfield area is located within the ore body. The processing plant is typically in the vicinity of the ore body. |
| Surface Features |
Mill building(s), process tanks, tailings impoundment, and evaporation ponds |
Process buildings, heap pile consisting of ore crushed to a size of approximately 1-inch in diameter, with an engineered liner system beneath the heap pile and liquid application on top of the pile |
Wellfield(s) consisting of groundwater injection and extraction wells, header house(s), pipes, processing facility, storage or evaporation pond(s), and deep injection wells for liquid waste |
| Approximate Size |
Impoundments are limited to 40 acres in size; however, a facility can have multiple impoundments and typically total on the order of hundreds of acres |
Heap piles are limited to 40 acres in size; however, a facility can have multiple piles and typically total on the order of hundreds of acres |
Thousands of acres |
| Wastes Generated |
Mill tailings, a sandy material left over from the crushing process, disposed of within an impoundment; pipes, pumps, and other process equipment that cannot be decontaminated |
Heap pile remains in place after processing; pipes, pumps, and other process equipment that cannot be decontaminated |
Liquid waste, which is disposed of in a deep disposal well or through an evaporation system; pipes, pumps, and other process equipment that cannot be decontaminated are sent to an NRC-licensed facility for permanent disposal |
| Decommissioning |
Demolition of mill and site buildings, final cover system installed over tailings pile, groundwater monitoring |
Demolition of site buildings, final cover system installed over heap pile, groundwater monitoring |
Restoration of groundwater, decommissioning of injection wells, removal of pipes and processing building |
| Status at End Use |
Site permanently transferred to U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) for long-term care; annual inspections performed |
Site permanently transferred to DOE for long-term care; annual inspections performed |
Site released for unrestricted use when cleanup criteria are met |