Uranium Mining

When the ore body is too deep for open cut methods, underground methods are used. Underground mines must be ventilated, and with uranium mines extra care must be taken with ventilation to minimize the exposure of workers to ionizing radiation and dust inhalation.

Uranium ore extracted by underground mining at Roxby Downs is low grade. Mining and processing of the ore requires large amounts of energy and water.

The Olympic Dam project at Roxby Downs in South Australia uses about 40 million litres of water per day. This water is taken permanently from the Great Artesian Basin. Most of it is eventually evaporated. The Olympic Dam project is the single biggest user of water in South Australia. It is also the single biggest user of electricity in South Australia. Consequently it is the single biggest emitter of greenhouse gases in South Australia.
 

Tailings remain after the processes involved in separating minerals from the ore are completed. They consist of crushed rock, water, radioactive waste and toxic chemicals. At the Olympic Dam project tailings are pumped into storage areas where some of the liquid seeps into the ground and some evaporates. In 1994 it was announced that 5000 million litres of this acidic toxic radioactive liquid had leaked out of the tailings storage. The radioactive wastes at Roxby will eventually cover an area of some 600 hectares to a height of 30 metres. At current and proposed rates of production, this will happen within 50 years. Olympic Dam is the biggest uranium deposit in the world and hence will have the largest radioactive tailings deposit in the world.

Greater technical detail can be found on this topic by searching through the listed briefing papers and education resources at http://www.ccsa.asn.au/nic/.

In this section - Uranium Mining

• Underground Mining
• In-ground Leaching