http://www.localnews8.com/Global/story.asp?S=12211382CASPER, Wyo. (AP) - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is expressing concern about potential contamination of aquifers from three proposed in-situ uranium mines in Wyoming.
The EPA has told the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to go back revisit its environmental reviews of the proposed mines.
The in-situ method of mining uranium involves flushing a
solution through a formation to dissolve the underground uranium, which is then pumped to the surface.
Carol Rushin, of the EPA's Region 8 office, notes that the three proposed Wyoming mines would not inject wastewater deep enough to avoid underground drinking water formations.
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in situ "solutions" are sufuic acid and hydrogen peroxide - these chemicals mobilize toxic metals besides uranium and much of the leaching fluid and dissolved nastiess remains in the ground water...