LMS/S10693 Defense-Related Uranium Mines Location and Status Topic Report Final August 2014 This page intentionally left blank LMS/S10693 Defense-Related Uranium Mines Location and Status Topic Report Final August 2014 This page intentionally left blank Contents Abbreviations ...................................................................................................................................v Executive Summary ...................................................................................................................... vii 1.0 Introduction ............................................................................................................................1 2.0 History of AEC and Abandoned Uranium Mines ..................................................................3 2.1 Abandoned Uranium Mines ........................................................................................5 2.2 Geologic Setting for Uranium Deposits ......................................................................5 2.3 Definition of Mine .......................................................................................................7 2.3.1 DOE Definition of Defense-Related Uranium Mines ..................................9 2.3.2 Other Agencies’ Definitions ......................................................................10 2.3.2.1 EPA ...........................................................................................10 2.3.2.2 GAO ..........................................................................................11 2.3.2.3 BLM ..........................................................................................11 2.3.2.4 State AML Programs ................................................................11 3.0 Research of Existing and Available Databases ....................................................................13 3.1 AEC Records .............................................................................................................13 3.2 EPA’s Uranium Location Database ...........................................................................13 3.3 State Data ...................................................................................................................14 3.4 Navajo Nation Data ...................................................................................................17 3.5 Selection of Data Fields .............................................................................................17 3.6 Reliability of Data .....................................................................................................18 4.0 Database Construction ..........................................................................................................19 4.1 Location Table Development ....................................................................................20 4.1.1 EPA Uranium Location Database Compilation .........................................20 4.1.2 USGS Mineral Resources Data System .....................................................20 4.1.3 EPA 1983 Report to Congress ...................................................................21 4.1.4 Navajo Nation Abandoned Uranium Mine (AUM) Data 2007 .................21 4.1.5 BLM Colorado ...........................................................................................21 4.1.6 Navajo Nation AUM Data 2011 ................................................................22 4.1.7 New Mexico Mining and Minerals Division .............................................22 4.1.8 BLM Abandoned Mine Sites Cleanup Module .........................................22 4.1.9 Colorado Radioactive Mineral Occurrences: Bulletin 40 ..........................23 4.1.10 Wyoming Uranium General DOE .............................................................23 4.1.11 Utah Uranium Past Producers and Permitted Uranium Mines Tables .......23 4.1.12 Arizona Radioactive Occurrences and Uranium Production .....................23 4.1.13 Uranium Map of Wyoming—Map Series 94.............................................23 4.1.14 Additional Data Sources for Location Table .............................................23 4.1.14.1 Arizona Geographic Information Counsel (AZ_AGIC) ...........23 4.1.14.2 Colorado Uranium Leasing Program (ULM_Mine) .................24 4.1.14.3 Utah Automated Geographic Reference Center (UT_AGRC) ..............................................................................24 4.1.14.4 Directory of Colorado Uranium and Vanadium Mining and Milling Activities Map Series 11, 1978 (MS_11 Text and Map Colorado Uranium and Vanadium Mining) ......................24 4.1.14.5 Database of Uranium Mines, Prospects, Occurrences, and Mills in New Mexico, April 3, 2002 (URANIUM_MINES_NM) ......................................................24 U.S. Department of Energy Defense-Related Uranium Mines Location and Status Topic Report August 2014 Doc. No. S10693 Final Page i 4.1.14.6 North Dakota Abandoned Mines Land Division ......................24 4.1.15 Summary of the Location Table Data Sources Search ..............................24 4.2 Other Data Sources for Special Information .............................................................25 4.2.1 EPA’s Screening Reports for Navajo Nation Sites ....................................25 4.2.2 CERCLIS Reports—New Mexico .............................................................28 4.2.3 CERCLA Reports ......................................................................................29 4.2.4 DOE’s Uranium Leasing Program .............................................................31 5.0 Validation of Data and Data Gaps ........................................................................................33 5.1 Duplicates in the Database ........................................................................................33 5.2 Location Reconciliation .............................................................................................34 5.3 Mine Land Ownership ...............................................................................................35 5.4 Satellite Imagery Review ..........................................................................................36 5.5 Investigation of Unknown-Location Records ...........................................................41 5.6 Field Verification .......................................................................................................43 5.6.1 Pre-existing Information ............................................................................43 5.6.2 Field Investigation .....................................................................................43 5.6.3 Field Investigation Findings ......................................................................47 6.0 Mine Status ...........................................................................................................................51 6.1 Remediated ................................................................................................................52 6.2 Reclaimed ..................................................................................................................52 6.3 In-Process ..................................................................................................................53 6.4 Partially Reclaimed ...................................................................................................53 6.5 Closed ........................................................................................................................53 6.6 Permitted ....................................................................................................................53 6.7 Not Reclaimed (or Unknown) ...................................................................................53 6.8 Summary ....................................................................................................................53 7.0 Issues and Data Gaps ............................................................................................................55 7.1 Source Database Discrepancies .................................................................................55 7.2 Multiple Mines at One Location ................................................................................55 7.3 Mine-Related Features ...............................................................................................56 7.4 Historical Significance of Mine Sites ........................................................................56 7.5 Mine Openings ..........................................................................................................57 7.6 Limited Data for Groundwater Contamination .........................................................60 8.0 Additional DOE Mine Database Results ..............................................................................61 9.0 References ............................................................................................................................69 Figures Figure 1. Flowchart of Actions for Report to Congress ............................................................... 2 Figure 2. Timeline of Uranium Ore Production ........................................................................... 3 Figure 3. Uranium Mining Areas and Districts in the United States ........................................... 6 Figure 4. Locations of Uranium Mines in the United States in Relation to Mining Areas and Districts