9 Report of Investigations/1996
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COMPLETED ~B-~ 7(FA c[ RI 96041 9 REPORT OF INVESTIGATIONS/1996 . a Midnite Mine Summary Report UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR 44, o w U' 4 'NT UNITED STATES BUREAU OF MINES I / 7. -- U. S. Department of the Interior Mission Statement As the Nation's principa! conservation agency, the Department of the Interior has responsibility for most of our nationally-owned public lands and natural resources. This includes fostering sound use of our land and water resources; protecting our fish, wildlife, and biological diversity; preserving the environmental and cultural values of our national parks and historical places; and providing for the enjoyment of life through outdoor recreation. The Department assesses our energy and mineral resources and works to ensure that their development is in the best interests of all our people by encouraging stewardship and citizen participa- tion in their care. The Department also has a major responsibility for American Indian reservation communities and for people who live in island territories under U.S. administration. I0 Report of Investigations 9604 Midnite Mine Summary Report By N. E. Dean, C. M. K. Boldt, L. E. Schultze, D. N. Nilsen, A. E. Isaacson, B. C. Williams, F. E. Kirschner, B. W. Moore, W. P. Stroud, and D. C. Peters UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR Bruce Babbitt, Secretary BUREAU OF MINES Rhea Lydia Graham, Director This report has been technically reviewed, but it has not been copy edited because of the closure of the agency. 1/ CONTENTS ABSTRACT .................................................................. 1 INTRODUCTION .............................................................. 2 SITE DESCRIPTION ........................................................... 2 RELATED STUDIES ........................................................... 3 METHODOLOGY..............................................................4 WATER TREATMENT STUDIES ........................................... 5 HYDROGEOLOGY ...................................................... 5 RADIATION SURVEY .................................................... 6 SOLID MATERIAL REACTIVITY ........................................... 6 RESULTS....................................................................7 WATER TREATMENT ................................................... 7 HYDROGEOLOGY ...................................................... 9 RADIATION SURVEY ................................................... 10 SOLID MATERIAL REACTIVITY .......................................... 10 GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION SYSTEM.......................................... 11 CONCLUSIONS .............................................................. 11 WATER TREATMENT .................................................. 11 BASELINE RECLAMATION STUDIES ..................................... 11 REFERENCES ............................................................... 13 ILLUSTRATIONS 1. PRE-MINING TOPOGRAPHY ........ ................................... 15 2. POST-MINING TOPOGRAPHY ........................................... 16 3. SCREENING OF REMEDIAL TECHNOLOGIES .............................. 17 4. COMPREHENSIVE DRILLING AND CHARACTERIZATION OF THE MIDNITE MINE .......................................... 18 TABLES 1. PROTOCOL FOR DETERMINING ACIDIC SAMPLE CLASSIFICATION .......... 14 2. SOIL SAMPLE ANALYSIS .............................................. 14 4'470 MIDNITE MINE SUMMARY REPORT By N. E. Dean', C. M. K. Boldt 2, L. E. Schultze3, D. N. Nilsen , A. E. Isaacson5 , B. C. Williams, F. E. Kirschner', B. W. Moore', W. P. Stroud', and D. C. Peters10 ABSTRACT The Midni'e Mine is an inactive, hard-rock uranium mine in Stevens County, WA. Oxidation of sulfide-containing minerals in the ore body produces large quantities of acidic water. The U.S. Bureau of Mines was directed by Congress in Fiscal Year 1994 to perform technological research on the treatment of radioactive water and disposal of treatment residues at the Midnite Mine and en overall site reclamation. This Report of Investigations summarizes the studies that were completed on: 1) treatment alternatives for uranium contaminated acid mine drainage, and 2) overall site reclamation, including: ground water flowpaths in the bedrock, radiation, and waste rock reactivity. As an aid to site reclamation, a Geographic Information System database was also produced that contains available current and historic data and information on the Midnite Mine. This report explains the scope of the Bureau's study and summarizes the results of its investigations. 'General Engineer 2Civil Engineer 3Chemist 4Chemical Engineer 5Chemical Engineer 6Civil Engineer "Hydrologist 8Chemical Engineer 9Physical Scientist '0Mining Engineer 2 INTRODUCTION The U.S. Bureau of Mines (USBM) was directed treatment, there would be a major problem with by Congress in Fiscal Year 1994 'to perform disposal of the generated sludge. The goal of the technological research on the treatment of USBM was to provide the Secretary of the radioactive water and disposal of treatment Department of the Interior (DOI) with less costly residues at the Midnite Mine and on overall site alternatives should they be needed. Water reclamation.' In response, the USBM initiated a treatment. technologies that would limit the need two year program of technical studies. The for offsite disposal were particularly examined. USBM worked closely with the Bureau of Indian The second goal was to address a limited Affairs (BIA), the Bureau of Land Management number of technical issues involved with overall (BlM), and the Spokane Tribe of Indians to site reclamation that responded to major issues of develop the work plan on which the technical concern by stakeholders at the Midnite Mine. studies summarized in this report are based. 'T'hese studies developed 1) a conceptual The primary focus of the first of this two hydrogeologic model of the mine site's principal part study was to determine alternate treatment groundwater fh (paths and a conceptual geologic technologies for contaminated water that has model, 2) an assessment of the acid generation collected in Pits 3 and 4 onsite. The lessee potential of the various waste rocks at the mine (Dawn Mining Co.) built and is operating a lime-- site and gross characterization of the South Spoils based water treatment plant.. The treatment and Hillside Dump. 3) radon and gamma radiation produces a large volume of sludge that, because surveys, and 4) a database containing an extensive of residual radioactive materials associated with collection of information on the Midnite Mine. the current water treatment system, must be This report is a summary of Reports of disposed of in an facility regulated by the Investigations which contain the results of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC). Should specific studies described above. the Dawn Mining Co. be unable to continue water SITE DESCRIPTION The Midnite Mine is an inactive uranium mines, is within a sulfide- hosted orebody which surface mine located on the Spokane Indian produces acid mine drainage and associated heavy Reservation in WellpiniL, Washington. The site is metal contamination. There are several open pits approximately 50 miles northwest of Spokane, and impoundments of heavy metal contaminated Washington and four miles from the Spokane water on site. The major pits are designated as Arm of the Grand Coulee Dam National pit 3 and pit 4. In figure 2, Pit 4 is the northern Recreation Area which is jointly administered by most pit and Pit 3 is located due south of Pit 4. two Indian 'T'ribes, the National Park Service, A pollution control pond, seen at the toe of the Bureau of Reclamation, and the Bureau of Indian southern most spoil pile in Figurc 2, is a collection Affairs. The mine is roughly 320 acres of point for most of the contaminated seep water disturbed area (% mile wide by 1 mile long) and which is then pumped back and stored in pit 3 the site is relatively steep with 1000 feet of prior to treatment and discharge. Water from the relief between the north and south ends of the Boyd Seep, located in the drainage east of the mine. There are 2 %million tons of low grade Mine, is pumped directly to Pit 3. Water from the ore, 33 million tons of waste rock, and 100,000 pollution control pond and Pit 3 must be pumped tons of topsoil stockpiled on the mine site. and treated to avoid a water level rise and Figure 1 and 2 show the pre mining and post subsequent outflow that could result in increased mining surfaces of the site respectively. seepage through reactive mine wastes. Pits 3 and The Midnite Mine, unlike most U.S. uranium 4 currently contain about 500 million gallons of 3 contaminated waters. The Dawn Mining Co. built infiltration, and because water is being pumped and is operating a lime-based water treatment into it from seepage collected below the mine via plant at a 500 gallon per minute capacity. the pollution control pond and from Boyd Seep. The Midnite Mine lies on the southwest slope Many waste rock piles and eight low-grade of Spokane Mountain at the southern end of the material pits remain on the mine site. The two Huckleberry Mountains, a minor range in the largest waste rock piles have been designated north-south trending Selkirk system. Altitude of Hillside Dump and South Spoils. In figure 2 the mine ranges from 1036 m above mean sea Hillside Dump is the waste rock pile located level at the northern end to 730 m at the southwest of Pit 4. South Spoils is the curvilinear southern end. During the period the mine