Informing Future Decision Making on Uranium Mining in Arizona

In an arid environment, dust is an important consideration when evaluating the effects of mining activities. Local Native American tribes have expressed concern that dust from mining activities may be transported to nearby Traditional Cultural Properties. Active dust collectors, known as "airborne contaminant extractors (ACEs)," were deployed around the Plain Mine (formerly Canyon Mine) and Red Butte in May 2018. Samples are currently being analyzed for mineral composition by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) to determine a pre-mining dust "fingerprint" that can be the basis for future comparison of dust collected during mine operation.

This is a pilot study to determine if this technique can be incorporated into future sampling efforts in the area, and to collect the pre-mining baseline dust conditions for later comparison to active mining conditions.

Objectives

Collect baseline (pre-mining) dust at Plain Mine (formerly Canyon Mine) and Red Butte using active dust collection techniques.

Determine mineral composition of the dust.

Evaluate the effect of rain/snow events on particle composition.

Scientists from Savannah River National Laboratory and the U.S. Geological Survey installing an ACES sampling device near the Plain Mine (formerly Canyon Mine) (AZ), May 1, 2018. Photo by Kate Campbell.