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By D. A. Whitley, R. P. Carone

"Shaft sinking by blind shaft drilling offers the mining industry a different approach to shaft construction. Benefits of blind drilling include less construction time and fewer safety problems while being economically competitive with conventional sinking methods under certain conditions in soft water-bearing formations.Technology and equipment are available today to drill blind shafts up to 20 feet in diameter and over 3,000 feet deep. This is an extension of proven techniques developed by private industry. To drill a 20-foot-diameter hole requires a specially manufactured hydraulic drill unit with a rated hoist of 2 million pounds and 500,000 ft/lb of torque.This brief paper will discuss the following aspects of blind shaft drilling:• benefits;• equipment f or drilling;• circulation methods;• circulation rates;• shaft alignment; and• progress rates to be expected.IntroductionShaft sinking by blind shaft drilling offers the mining industry an improved alternative method for shaft construction. The drilling of 20-foot -diameter shafts to depth s in excess of 3,000 feet can be done by utilizing equipment specifically designed and manufactured for this purpose. This equipment is a distant cousin, at best, to standard oil well drilling rigs. The actual configuration of these drilling machines will be discussed in a following section.To most people, the drilling of mine shafts may seem to be a new or at least recent technology. However, as early as the I920s, German and Dutch miners were drilling 24-foot diameter shafts for coal mines. What led ""miners to resort to drilling were ground conditions that still plague conventional shaft sinkers today: soft , water-bearing formations. The major drawback to these early attempts was a low penetration rate due to poor bit cleaning. This, however, was not the end of early shaft drilling activity. From 1936 to 1950, a number of mine shafts were drilled by the calyx or coring method. This method employs a bit with a large bore down the center. As it drills, it cuts a core. When 5 to 10 feet have been drilled, the core is removed. The disadvantages of this method were the time and work involved in breaking the core free, and it was inadequate in soft water-bearing ground."

Jan 1, 1981

By Klaus Grebe

Recent investigations by Mannesmann Research have shown that disintegration of sinter with widely varying quality levels is subject to a much more complex set of influences than was previously assumed. It was confirmed that disintegration at temperatures between 300 and 600 °C is triggered by the degradation of hematite. The specific tendency of hematite to disintegrate is, however, not constant: sinters containing the same amount of hematite can show widely differing disintegration tendencies depending upon structural homogeneity, porosity and gangue quantity. Especially sinters with heterogeneous structures transmit stress to the hematite phase and this favours disintegration. Another factor is the brittleness of the glassy silicate phase, which can be influenced even by small modifications of minor gangue constituents.

Jan 1, 1981

By R. Froidevaux

Geostatistical estimation techniques were customized to enable forecast of production figures at the Silver Bell uranium mine (Uravan District). Surface drill hole data were used to provide a block model of kriged estimators of average uranium grades. The recoverable figures, such as ore-waste ratio and ore grade, are then deduced from regressive curves previously obtained from underground information and production data. Cross-validations of the entire model were performed and were found positive.

Jan 1, 1981

By M. D. Flavel

Research programs conducted by Allis-Chalmers Corporation are showing that the most efficient energy use in crushers is achieved when the forces applied to particles undergoing breakage are increased. Laboratory bench scale tests have been developed to confirm this phenomena, which was first observed in the field using HYDROCOME crushers with automatic setting controls. A new testing machine is described and methods of maximizing such benefits are postulated. FOREWORD Allis-Chalmers Corporation was founded in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, in 1847 as the E. P. Allis Company, which had an initial interest in manufacturing components in the grinding of flour. As such, its roots were started in reducing material size, which is covered by the generic term, comminution.

Jan 1, 1981

The recent paper by Bain (1981) contains an unfortunate, and potentially misleading typographic error. On page 9, second paragraph, Bain states that, "some samples of drill core from the (Candlow) Formation ... contain up to 90 ppm gold and 2 000 ppm arsenic". The gold value should read 90 ppb. In fact, in the original version of the paper (Bain, 1980), the gold value quoted was actually 60 ppb.Bain also refers briefly to some geochemical data which is attributed to me, and which I feel require some clarification.In addition, the paper contains some factual errors relating to the occurrence of carbonate and potential host rocks to Carlin-type gold deposits in the Candlow Formation.

Jan 1, 1981

By Robert C. Salak

The era of low-seam mining with continuous haulage has been here for quite some time. Typical tonnages in companies such as Terry Glenn Coal are currently averaging 405 tonnes per shift in .8m coal. JoAnn Coal has averaged 453.6 tonnes per shift in .775m to .825m coal for the past four years. John Chaney of Chaney Coal has averaged 297 tonnes per shift in .6m to .65m coal. There are many other mines that are experiencing similar success and with maintenance costs that are averaging $.10 to $.40 per tonne. These figures have been documented and can be verified by the operators.

Jan 1, 1981

By Y. C. Kim

The results from a retrospective study are described in this gaper in which she past development drilling activities were investigated using geostatistics. The purpose of the study was to determine the amount of savings in drilling cost that could have been realized through the optimal placement of sequential drill holes using geostatistics. Out of 144 DDH's that were in place within the study area, the results showed a possible elimination of 34 DDH's without any reduction on the confidence interval of the global reserve estimates. If the incremental savings from one drilling campaign to the next were considered, however, the amount of percentage savings were even greater. Other interesting results from this study were; 1) tangible demonstration of the importance of a proper geologic delineation within the study zone, and 2) the robustness of the obtained experimental variograms from the rather early stage in development drilling.

Jan 1, 1981

By Francis X. Murray

Synthetic fuels will be the first major development effort to feel the effects of a new set of opposition forces. These confrontations will not be of the same variety as those which occured in the 1970s. Instead the synfuels industry, particularly in the West, will find itself confronting a new coalition of local political, community, and state spokesmen. They will oppose synfuels because the projects will represent a threat to existing lifestyles, political structures, taxes, social life, water rights, economics, and other politically sensitive considerations. In short, they mean change -- usually dynamic, full of unknowns and always threatening. The battles themselves may be fought technically over environmental issues, law and regulations; often these will be the instruments of the opposition. The real underlying problems will likely lie much deeper. In many cases environmental groups will be enlisted as the standard bearers; however, this approach may simply reflect the fact that environmental objections are convenient or at times the only tools at hand.

Jan 1, 1981

By Howard D. Jacobs

A bulk sample of oxidized taconite taken from the western Mesabi Range was evaluated by the Bureau of Mines using the Bureau-developed selective flocculation-desliming-cationic (or anionic) flotation process. The raw ore sample containing 32.3 pct Fe was treated by both cationic and anionic flotation. Using the cationic system the concentrates averaged. 37.2 wt-pct of the feed and contained 62.8 pct Fe and 4.7 pet Si02 with an iron recovery of 72.3 pet. With the anionic system, concentrates averaged 37.7 wt-pet of the feed and contained 63.0 pct Fe and 5.3 pct 8i02 with an iron recovery of 73.5 pct. A comparison of reagent costs showed that the cationic process cost 144.1 cents per long ton of crude ore and the anionic process 178.7 cents per long ton of crude ore. Reclaimed water comprised 86 pct of the total water requirement for anionic flotation and 88 pct for cationic flotation. The ore used in this study was one of three samples representing about 3.25 billion tons of oxidized taconite containing from 32 to 36 pct feed iron. Previous study had indicated that selective flocculation-desliming-cationic flotation would produce concentrates from the other two samples of 61.7 pct Fe and 5.1 pct Si02 at 67-pct Fe recovery, and 63.5 pct Fe and 4.3 pet Si02 at 8S-pct Fe recovery. By developing a successful treatment for these ores, the Bureau has insured the availability of technology for processing an amount of raw iron ore which, by itself, would supply U.S iron needs for 50 to 75 years at expected consumption rates.

Jan 1, 1981

By D. Marotte, M. David

"A new exploration procedure is proposed for volcanogenic massive sulphide deposits of the Abitibi belt. ""Samples"" of acidic volcanic rocks (Si02 > 60%) were compiled from the literature. From the 574 samples collected, 322 were used in each of a number of experiments. Forward inclusion linear discriminant analysis performed on the untransformed geochemical data shows a general depletion in Na20 and CaO along with an enrichment in MgO for a ""proximal"" group of samples relative to a ""distal"" one. The percentage of misclassified samples reaches 20% to 30%, but test sets shows good stability.The exploration procedure was applied to the Normetal deposit, where the authors took 160 samples during the summer of 1977. It quickly leads to the definition of targets for more detailed exploration together with a good recognition of the old known deposit.IntroductionVolcanogenic massive sulphide deposits in the Abitibi belt (Quebec) are mainly found in rhyolites or acidic pyroclastics in the uppermost portion of a calc-alkaline volcanic series (Descarreaux, 1972). The deposits are thought to have formed syngenetically by the action of volcanic hydrothermal exhalations during the waning episode of a felsic volcanic cycle (De Rosen Spence, 1976). Alteration pipes of disseminated sulphides are commonly present. Metal deposition from hot springs, initiating convection cells in a submarine environment, may have been the dominant process in ore formation (De Rosen Spence, 1976)."

Jan 1, 1981

By R. B. Crookston

This paper presents the status and mining method chosen by each of the active underground oil shale projects in the united States today. Potential improvements in equipment and methods on the near-term horizon are discussed. The problems and potentials that lie in the long-term future of oil shale mining are examined in light of the demands which must be met by this developing technology.

Jan 1, 1981

By Michael Stanwood

Project feasibility no longer involves just technical and economic viability-today's feasibility study must include environmental, regulatory, and political considerations as well. While the US now appears at least somewhat committed to developing synthetic fuels, including oil shale, it is the environmental issues, rules, regulations, and guidelines that will play the major role in determining the timing, magnitude, and overall scope of synfuel development in the coming years. The key environmental obstacle affecting oil shale development is uncertainty. Although oil shale may be the most environmentally studied "new" technology in the world, little is known with much degree of certainty about potential environmental consequences of one full-scale commercial facility, or the effects of a massive development effort in a relatively pristine and sparsely populated area. Other primary environmental uncertainties include: • Environmental compliance costs and their effects on investment decisions; • The reliability and acceptability of anticipated pollution control technologies; and • The confusing, time-consuming environmental regulatory framework, which requires more than 100 permits, clearances, and reviews before development occurs. This discussion will focus on the latter uncertainty, and will describe he current status of potential constraints to oil shale industry development in five areas: water availability; water quality degradation; air quality degradation; reclamation and spent shale disposal; and community impacts.

Jan 1, 1981

By James R. Yancik

Economical and environmental pressures necessitates the recovery of the minus 0.6 mm x 0 coal generated by todays mining machines. This size fraction, dependent on the type of production unit, maintenance of the production unit, and the Hardgrove Grindability Index, can be a substantial portion of the Preparation Plant feed. Historically, dewatering of the collected 0.6 mm x 0 product has often been rather expensive and marginal with respect to surface moisture reduction. The Freeman United Crown II Preparation Plant more than adequately demonstrates that the continuous scroll type centrifuge can dewater 0.6 mm x 0 coal to acceptable surface moisture levels.

Jan 1, 1981

By Jed H. Mosgrove

One of the most interesting of all the subjects required of persons studying the different facets of coal mining is coal mine gases. Some mine gases have been a real problem since the very beginning of underground mining, and in the early days there was insufficient knowledge to cope with them. The history of mining shows that until about the last 50 years, much work was done primarily by the hand methods which are primitive by today's standards. Miners had to contend with gases without the aid of enclosed lighting, permissible mine machinery, sophisticated testing devices, and high-pressure ventilating fans. In early days the miners were not educated about the different mine gases nor did they have the technical equipment to determine the actual composition of the deadly atmospheres they encountered. They simply applied a descriptive term to each gas or mixture of gases depending on its effect on a person or the surrounding atmosphere. The gases or mixtures of gases were then referred to as "damps," a term which was probably derived from the German word "dampf," meaning vapors or gases. The more common damps encountered were : Blackdamp A condition of the atmosphere in which a miner's light would be extinguished and in which breathing would be difficult, sometimes even resulting in suffocation. An atmosphere deficient in oxygen which could contain a combination of any of the mine gases. Firedamp A flammable mixture of methane and air which would either burn or explode when ignited. White Damp A mixture of gases containing carbon monoxide, most often found in mines during fires or after explosions.

Jan 1, 1981

DeLamar, the largest silver mine in the United States outside the Coeur d’Alene District in Idaho, came into production in April 1977. It is a joint venture of Earth Resources Company and Canadian Superior Oil Co., with Earth Resources being the operator. The property is a consolidation of several old operations dating back to the 1800s; the better known of these are the DeLamar and Sommer-camp mines. DeLamar is situated in southwestern Idaho near the Oregon border in the Owyhee Mountains, 88 km (55 miles) southwest of Boise, Idaho. Heavy snowfalls and very low temperatures are common in the wintertime. Planned production was 77,500 kg (2.5, million oz) of silver and 5 13 kg (16,500 oz) of gold per year. Expected life at a milling rate of 1,540 mtpd (1,700 stpd) was 20 years, with an ore grade of 144 g Ag and 1.58 g Au per mt (4.2 oz Ag and 0.046 oz Au per st). Present production is at the rate of 1,900 mtpd (2,100 .stpd). The total cost to bring the mine into production was reported to be approximately $22 million, and the mill was reported to have cost about $10,000 per daily ton of design capacity. At DeLamar, naurnanite (Ag2Se) is the principal silver .mineral occurring with acanthite (Ag2S) disseminated through quartz veins and a silicified rhyolitic ash-flow tuff of Miocene age. The mineralization is relatively iron and manganese free and is readily amenable to cyanidation giving recoveries of 85% silver and 92% gold, which occurs free. When the plant was started, considerable difficulties were encountered in handling the wet sticky ore because of the high clay content. Following primary crushing, the ore is stockpiled. Due to the sticky nature of the ore, the vibrating feeders initially installed under the stockpile were replaced by a reclaim hopper and an apron feeder which was fed 24 hours a day by a front-end loader. The minus 200 mm (8 in.) ore is fed to a 5.5 m by 2.75 m (18 ft by 9 ft) autogenous mill followed by a 2.75 m by 4.57 m (9 ft by 15 ft) ball mill and cyclones. The mills are equipped with 750 kw and 520 kw (1,000 hp and 700 hp) motors. Both mills discharge to the same cyclone feed sump and a portion of the cyclone underflow is returned to the autogenous mill. Cyclone overflow, which is 20% plus 74 microns (200 mesh), is leached in four agitators in series for 72 hours (45 hours at the 2,100

Jan 1, 1981

By Rafael Moure

On April 21, 1980 the Oil, Chemical and Atomic Workers Union (OCAW) submitted a petition urging the revision of the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) permissible exposure limit to radon daughters in underground mines. This petition asks for: 1. Annual worker exposure to be lowered from the current 4 WLM/year to 0.7 WLM/year; 2. Full economic protection for workers whose exposure exceeds the proposed 0.7 WLM/ year; and 3. The primary means of lowering workers' radiation exposures shall be environmental controls. I will present the scientific rationale for the lower standard requested in our petition to the Department of Labor. [1. Radiation Exposures to Uranium Miners] Two types of radiation exposures are present in the environment of uranium mines: A. [External Exposure] to gamma sources which until 1978 was considered as negligible compared with internal alpha radiation. R. E. Utting (1), in an investigation of three Canadian uranium mines, found levels of exposures adding to an annual dose equivalent of 3 rems (30 mSv)/year. He concluded that gamma dosages may be a major fraction of the maximum permissible dose for many individual miners. The U.S. experience has shown that there is significant gamma exposure in U.S. uranium mines and, therefore, it could contribute to the total radiation exposure to the lungs in combination with internal alpha radiation. Before ventilation improvements in uranium mines, the contribution of external radiation to total lung dosage was relatively small. After improvements in ventilation, the reduction in internal radiation exposure appears to be in 1980 as low as 1/10 of the 1950 dosages. However, ventilation improvements do not affect external gamma radiation. Gamma radiation remains at the same 1950's level, and it represents today a higher proportion of the total radiation burden to the miner's lungs. MSHA regulations (57.5-47) state that if gamma exposure is below 2.0 milliroentgens per hour, then workers are not required to wear gamma dosimeters and cummulative gamma radiation records need not be kept. Assuming an exposure of 1.9 milliroentgens per hour per 173 hours/month for 12 months,a miner would accumulate a dose from external radiation of 3.9 rems/ year. This dosage would, of course, go unrecorded. MSHA, therefore, should consider a downward revision of the external radiation permissible exposure limit of 2.0 milliroentgens/hour. MSHA should make clear that this exposure level, when added to the internal exposure, does not make for sound health physics -even though the measured current levels do not approach 2.0 milliroentgens/hour. B. [Internal Exposure] to alpha radiation is still the larger contributor to lung irradiation in uranium miners. The target organ is still the lung. The parameters to be considered in determining the biological radiation load appear in Table I for radon daughters present in the upper respiratory tract (URT). TABLE I RADIATION DOSE PARAMETERS IN THE URT OF URANIUM MINERS Parameter Uranium Underground Mining [1. Quantity of the Absorbed Radon daughters (Po-218, Nuclide Pb-214, Bi-214) deposit in bronchial and lung tissue. (Measured by air concentration, Working Levels) 2. Type of Radiation Emitted Alpha Particles 3. Energy of Radiation High-Linear Energy Transfer 4. Half-life of the Nuclide Ra 222, 3.8 days in the Organ Po-218 (RaA), T1/2 = 3.1 minutes Pb-214 (RaB), T1/2 = 26.8 minutes Bi-264 (RaC), Vi = 19.7 minutes 5. Selection Factor of the Direct inhalation with mine Organ dust to be deposited in the tipper Respiratory Tract 6. Mass and Form of the Organ Especially cancer sensitive, tracheobronchial region and bronchi* 7. Distribution of the Activity Dependent on deposited dust in the Organ distribution in the Upper Respiratory Tract 8. Chemical Nature of All compounds (RaA, RaB, RaC) Incorporated Substance biologically insoluble. (Only localized, irradiation) *See Reference (2)] The parameters of Table I depend, in turn, on the demography of the exposed population, especially: 1. Age 2. Sex 3. Health Status 4. Genetic Constitution 5. Lifestyle (Smoking, Diet) Some of these demographic characteristics of uran-

Jan 1, 1981

By John C. Franklin

INTRODUCTION Alpha-emitting radon daughter products are a recognized health hazard contributing to the development of lung cancer in persons exposed to excessive concentrations over an extended period. The primary control technique used by the mining industry is dilution with fresh air. Because the uranium is deposited in porous sandstone in most U.S. mines, the control of this hazard with dilution requires excessive volumes of air. As the mines become larger and deeper, the cost for ventilation becomes a major expenditure for the mining industry Most mines are maintaining levels of radon daughters lower than required by law but to maintain these present levels the mining companies are going to be drilling more vent holes or using other control techniques as the mine expands. These control techniques are being investigated by the U.S. Bureau of Mines to determine their effectiveness, cost, and safety for underground use. [Instrumentation] The Bureau's early research used batch sampling of both radon and radon daughters for determining the concentrations. In both cases it was determined that batch sampling did not give a complete understanding of what was happening to the concentrations. Therefore, continuous monitoring systems were developed for both. A continuous flow-through radon monitor was developed by the Bureau (Franklin, et al.., 1976) using a modified Lucas flask mounted on a photo-multiplier-tube (PMT). The air was filtered twice prior to entering the flask to remove dust, diesel smoke, moisture, and radon daughters. The signal from the PMT was then inverted, shaped, and driven to a data acquisition system (DAS) which accumulated the signals. The DAS has two comparators for setting the scan time and interval, a 24-hour clock with Julian date, a printer, and a perforated paper tape punch. Sampling time is determined by the type of experiment being conducted. Our normal sampling time is one 10-minute scan every 15 minutes, but could be set as low as one scan every minute or as long as a 16-minute scan every 167 minutes. There are two models of the DAS. One is a 10-channel system and the other a 30-channel system. On a 10channel system normally 6 channels are used for radon and radon daughters and the other four channels are used for temperature, absolute pressure, air velocity, and relative humidity as described by McVey (1977). Figure 1 shows a scan of five channels monitoring the radon concentration from intake to exhaust in a stope for a non-work day. If the radon concentration stayed this constant during work days, then continuous monitoring would not be necessary. [ ] Droullard (1977) developed a continuous alpha-beta monitor. This monitor has been modified so that it can be used with the DAS previously mentioned. Control Techniques The U.S. Bureau of Mines has conducted research in controlling airborne radon/radon daughter for 10 years. Major efforts have been conducted in sealing the rock to prevent the release of radon, bulkheading to seal nonproductive areas, backfilling with classified mill tailings, and positive pressure ventilation. Also, tests have been conducted to determine the mining cycles contribution to the radon problem. Surveys One stope with two intakes and one exhaust was continuously monitored to determine the effects of blasting, mucking, and drilling on the airborne radon concentrations (Franklin, et al., 1976). Two other detectors were located inside the stope which were close to the mining activity. In this stope no appreciable change in radon was observed during drilling holes for blasting and roofbolts. This study showed increases up to 40 percent in radon for slushing in the exhaust drift. The radon remained high and very eratic during slushing, as can

Jan 1, 1981

By E. A. Martell, K. S. Sweder

INTRODUCTION Lung cancer in uranium miners has been attributed to alpha irradiation of basal cells of the bronchial epithelium by radon daughters, primarily by 7.7 MeV alphas from polonium-214 (Altshuler et al., 1964). It also has been was observed that for a given cumulative radon progeny exposure, uranium miners who smoke cigarettes have an incidence of lung cancer about 10 times higher than nonsmoking miners (Lundin et al., 1969). It has been pointed out that the large excess of lung cancer deaths among smoking uranium miners is a multiplicative effect (Doll, 1971), which suggested possible synergistic interactions between airborne radon progeny and cigarette smoking. Experimental studies of the complex pattern of interactions between radon progeny, cigarette smoke particles, and the cigarette smoking process are in progress in our laboratory. Preliminary results, reported elsewhere (Martell, 1981), implicate alpha radiation from indoor radon progeny in the etiology of lung cancer in all cigarette smokers. Cigarette smoking produces high concentrations of smoke particles of low mobility and respirable size--particles between 0.5 and 4.0 µm in aerodynamic diameter (see below). The attached fraction of indoor radon progeny is highly dependent on the air concentration of small particles from cigarette smoking and from other combustion sources (Martell, 1981). The size distribution and other properties of radon progeny associated with cigarette smoke particles enhances their effectiveness in the induction of bronchial cancer in man. In this paper we discuss the properties of radon progeny associated with cigarette smoke, the fractionation of radon progeny and modification of their aerosol properties in burning cigarettes, the role of 218Po in these processes, the production of insoluble 214Pb and 212 Pb enriched particles in burning cigarettes, and the consequent differences in the patterns of polonium isotope alpha irradiation in the bronchial epithelium of smokers. EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURES Experimental methods used in these studies involve the use of small experimental chambers of known radon and radon progeny concentrations in combination with aerosol collection and sizing techniques and sensitive radioactivity detection methods. The use of low-level [ß-] counting for radon progeny determination, providing a measure of 214 Pb plus 214Bi activity, makes it possible to carry out chamber experiments with small radon emanation sources and relatively low air concentrations of radon and radon progeny concentrations in the range from 100 to 1,000 pCi per liter. Thus, for example, in a typical experiment we use a 10 nanocurie 226Ra solution standard in a 10 liter chamber, providing an equilibrium concentration of 1,000 pCi of radon per liter. In small sealed chambers, radon progeny plate out rapidly on the chamber walls, with steady-state concentrations of airborne progeny less than 2 percent of equilibrium levels. This is experimentally convenient because, upon introduction of high concentrations of cigarette smoke particles or small particles from other sources, there is a systematic ingrowth of attached radon progeny, providing a tagged aerosol source of known age and radon progeny composition. In some chamber experiments a 226Ra solution standard of small volume, acidified to O.1N HNO3, was used as the radon emanation source. When used with a bubbler the holdup of radon in an 8 ml volume of 226Ra solution standard at 0.1N HN03 was only 2% of the total radon in the chamber at equilibrium. For experiments with 212Pb-tagged aerosols, we used a dry Ba(228Th) stearate emanation source prepared by the method of Hursh and Lovaas (1967). 226Ra and 222Rn determinations were made by radon gas counting. The 222Rn in a sealed air or water sample is transferred, using helium gas as a carrier, successively through a dry ice cooled trap at -80°C to remove water, through ascarite to remove C02, and through a small activated charcoal trap at -80°C to collect the 222Rn. Subsequently, by heating the charcoal to 400°C, the 222Rn is transferred next to an LN2-cooled capillary trap, and finally into an alphascintillation counting cell of the type described by Lucas (1957). As already stated, radon progeny activities were determined by low-level [ß-] counting, which provides a measure of 214Pb plus 214Bi. The radon progeny samples, collected on efficient Delbag polystyrene micro-fiber filters or on impactor foils, are placed in close, sandwich geometry between two thin-walled flow counters inside shielding anticoincidence counters and a 15 cm thickness of steel shielding. This configuration provides nearly 4II geometry and a low background of only 0.25 to 0.30 cpm. Aluminum absorber was added to provide a combined thickness of absorber and counter wall exceeding 7.0 mg/cm2 to eliminate the variable contribution of 7.7 MeV alphas from 214Po. 212 Pb determinations also were carried out by low-level [ß-] counting, in this case using a combined absorber and counter wall thickness of 9.0 mg/cm2 to eliminate contribution of 8.8 MeV alphas of 21 Po. In each experiment the [ß- ]activity data were corrected for decay to an appropriate common reference time for assessment of activity distributions.

Jan 1, 1981

By Thomas L. Hurst, Joseph M. Hans

INTRODUCTION The former Shiprock uranium mill site is located in the community of Shiprock, New Mexico on a bench overlooking the San Juan River (Figure 1). Both Shiprock and the mill site are located on the Navajo Indian Reservation. The millsite was built on a 230 acre tract leased by Kerr-McGee Oil Industries Inc., and was operated from 1954 to 1963. The Vanadium Corporation of America and its successor, the Foote Mineral Company, operated the mill from 1963 to 1968. During its entire operation, 1.5 million tons of uranium ore was milled producing 3711 tons of U308 concentrate. The concentrate was sold to the former U.S. Atomic Energy Commission. During milling, the ore was crushed to less than 35 mesh and acid leached to remove the uranium. The [ ] uranium was removed from the leach solution by solvent extraction and the uranium-barren solution discharged into raffinate ponds for disposal by evaporation and seepage. The spent solids (tailings) were pulped with waste process fluids and water and discharged to form tailings piles. The piles (ponds or dams) were formed with earth starter dikes. The dike walls were then raised using the separated sand fraction of the tailings. The slime fraction of the tailings were discharged into the diked impoundment. Since only a small fraction (0.25 percent) of the ore was U308 by weight, most of the ore bulk ended up as wastes. The wastes contain nearly all of the uranium decay chain radionuclides present in the ore except uranium. The mill was shut down and partially dismantled before the lease expired in 1973, and the remainder of the mill and wastes reverted back to the Navajo Tribe which was the lessor. Portions of the millsite were then occupied by the Navajo Engineering and Construction Authority (NECA), a Tribal enterprise. In order to provide skilled personnel to operate earth moving equipment, a heavy equipment operator's training school was also established on the mill site and was administered and operated by NECA. The U.S. Public Health Service (PHS) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) staff conducted radiation surveys at four inactive uranium millsites on the Navajo Reservation in April 1974. During the survey of the Shiprock millsite, it was noted that the training activities were degrading its radiological condition. Both the PHS and EPA staff recommended that the training activities be directed towards the decontamination of the millsite area and interim stabilization of the tailings piles. Preparation for the decontami-nation work commenced in April 1974. In order to facilitate the decontamination activities, the mill site and its contaminated environs were divided into major areas labeled A through F (Figure 2). Areas A, B, and C are defined as "perimeter" areas and contained surface contamination ranging from 5 to 30 cm deep. Area D defined the mill yard and contained contamination ranging from 0.6 to 5.5 m deep. Area E contained several raffinate ponds which were removed to line up the northwest boundary of the tailings pile and to move the contaminants away from the vicinity of the occupied on-site buildings. The contaminants in Area E ranged from 0.05 to 5.5 m in depth. Area F encompassed the ore storage yard. Contaminants in this area ranged from 0.18 to 1.2 m deep. Washes, however, had contamination exceeding 7.6 m deep.

Jan 1, 1981

By L. H. Munson, D. E. Hadlock, L. F. Munson, R. L. Gilchrist, P. D. Robinson

All uranium mills are required to perform sampling and analysis for radioactive particulates in their gaseous effluent streams and in the environment. Pacific Northwest Laboratory was requested by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) to provide technical assistance to them for their Uranium Mill Health Physics Appraisal Program. In conducting appraisals, air sampling methods used at NRC-licensed mills were reviewed and several deficiencies noted. This paper includes only environmental and effluent particulate sampling although much of the information is applicable to both in-plant and environmental samples. First, the components of a proper sampling program are discussed: program objectives, program design, sampler design, analyses, quality assurance, and data handling. Then the specific deficiencies, or the "pitfalls" from the first 8 mill appraisals are discussed. The first consideration in establishing an air sampling program is defining the objectives of the program. What is air sampling suppose to accomplish? Many of the deficiencies we have observed have resulted because the desired objectives were not clearly established in the minds of the radiation safety staff. PROGRAM OBJECTIVES An environmental air sampling program ought to fulfill the following seven objectives. The first is to: 1) [demonstrate regulatory compliance]. Although a goal of most programs, regulatory compliance, is not well understood. One has not only to comply with the conditions of the source materials licensee, but one must also demonstrate compliance with 10CFR20 and 40CFR190. For example, 10CFR20.106 states: "A licensee shall not possess, use, or transfer licensed material so as to release to an unrestricted area radioactive material in concentrations which exceed the limits specified in Appendix B, Table II of this part .... For purposes of this section, concentrations may be averaged over a period not greater than one year." Even if a mill's license does not require sampling at the site boundary of maximum concentration, a sample may be necessary to demonstrate compliance with 10CFR20. Most mill personnel are painfully familiar with 40CFRl90.10, which states: "Operations.... shall be conducted in such a manner as to provide reasonable assurance that: (a) The annual dose equivalent does not exceed 25 millirems to the whole body.... of any member of the public as the result of exposures to planned discharges of radioactive materials, radon and its daughters excepted... from uranium fuel cycle operations..." This means a licensee's sampling program must give "reasonable assurance" that the member of the general public receiving in the most exposure gets no more than 25 millirems per year. The sampling program necessary to provide that assurance may or may not be a license requirement. However, merely meeting the license requirements and the explicit regulatory requirements does not necessariarly ensure an adequate effluent and environmental air sampling program. The second objective of the environmental air sampling program, is to 2) [identify the source(s) of contaminants]. This will include not only the routine program, but special sampling for verification of sources and nonsources. Only after sampling can a mill operator be assured that roof vents, laboratory hoods, and other localized ventilation systems are not making a significant contribution to environmental releases. An environmental sampling program should also allow the mill operator to fulfill the third objective, to 3) [estimate exposures]. Even before 40CFR190, a sampling program should have provided the mill operator with the information necessary to determine the dose to the "fence post" person, or at least to determine if doses were well below the 10CFR20 limits previously allowed. The program should 4) [detect and measure unplanned releases]. If there is a fire, a scrubber failure, or if a drum of yellowcake breaks open, measured releases will almost always be lower than conservative estimates. Whether or not a system to provide sampling during accidents is needed is almost always a cost-benefit decision. In general, uranium operations do not sample just in case an accident may occur. Yet they may decide on continuous air sampling in lieu of intermittant sampling partially because of the potential for accidents. Another objective of air sampling is 5) [to provide information on the effectiveness of control systems]. This is always a concern with new or modified equipment and may dictate sampling frequency in other situations as well. For instance, if a small leak in a bag filter cannot be detected by other means, then more frequent stack sampling may be indicated. A routine effluent and environmental monitoring program should also fulfill the sixth objective,

Jan 1, 1981