How to Overcome the Challenges in In-situ Decommissioning of the Above Ground Tailings Management Facility?
Abstract
This thesis focused on the challenges related to the in-situ decommissioning of the above ground tailings management facility (AGTMF) at Cameco’s Key Lake Uranium Milling and Mining Operations. The uranium tailings stored in the AGTMF from 1983 to 1998 could adversely affect the regional biota and public health as the tailings. Significant uncertainties also exist in regards to the ultimate long-term storage of uranium mine tailings as the timescales involved are relatively long (e.g. 10, 000 years modeling required).
This study has explored the processes, challenges and lessons learned in the in-situ decommissioning and the methods on how to overcome the challenges related to decommissioning the AGTMF. The stored tailings are key areas of liability and this thesis has endeavored to overcome the challenges by gaining insights from decommissioning activities within uranium industry globally to achieve a safe, cost effective, and environmentally sustainable decommissioning process for the AGTMF.
Description
Keywords
Engineering--Civil, Engineering--Environmental, Engineering--Mining, Engineering--Nuclear
Citation
Madhavan, D. (2016). How to Overcome the Challenges in In-situ Decommissioning of the Above Ground Tailings Management Facility? (Master's thesis, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada). Retrieved from https://prism.ucalgary.ca. doi:10.11575/PRISM/26396