An overview of uranium mining in France with focus on the Limousin region January the 26 th / Vienna Presented by Thierry DOURSOUT, IRSN Système de management de la qualité IRSN certifié
History of uranium mining in France Henriette Jouac 1 st mine : 1948 Last mine : 2001 2 nd world war 50 years of mining works 65% CEA Subsidiary COGEMA U reserves 1976 Private companies (SIMURA, CFMU, SCUMRA, SMJ, …) 35% Responsible for remediation works and surveillance of most of 1954 the former French sites under the supervision of the DRIRE* and ASN** *Local technical support organisation for the Ministry of Environment ** Nuclear Safety Authority An overview of uranium mining in France with focus on Limousin region – Page 2
Localization of uranium mining sites in France 210 mine sites Working period : 1948 -2001 76 000 tons of U ~ 50 000 000 tons of ore ~ 200 000 000 tons of waste rock 17 uranium tailings repositories Tailings : ~ 50 000 000 tons Remediation work period : 1995 – 2001+ An overview of uranium mining in France with focus on Limousin region – Page 3
Localization of uranium mining sites in Limousin region 40% of the French production Haute Vienne district Crouzille Mine Division : � 24 sites � 4 tailings repositories Tons of U produced Most of the remediation works finished in 2003 An overview of uranium mining in France with focus on Limousin region – Page 4
Localization of the sites we will visit (inside the Crouzille Mine Division) tailings industrial site repository of of Bessines Lavaugrasse site of tailings Bellezane repository of Brugeaud An overview of uranium mining in France with focus on Limousin region – Page 5
Different types of tailings repositories in France An overview of uranium mining in France with focus on Limousin region – Page 6
Industrial site of Bessines (Lavaugrasse and Brugeaud) U 3 O 8 warehouse tailings repository of Lavaugrasse tailings repository of Brugeaud water treatment plant water collector Gartempe river An overview of uranium mining in France with focus on Limousin region – Page 7
Site of Bellezane (tailings repository near Bessines) MCO 68 MCO 68 MCO 68 MCO 68 MCO 68 MCO 68 DIGUE DIGUE PENTE CONSTANTE # 5% PENTE CONSTANTE # 5% PENTE CONSTANTE # 5% PENTE CONSTANTE # 5% PENTE CONSTANTE # 5% PENTE CONSTANTE # 5% Terre végétale Terre végétale Terre végétale Terre végétale Terre végétale Terre végétale Stériles miniers compactés Stériles miniers compactés Stériles miniers compactés Stériles miniers compactés Stériles miniers compactés Stériles miniers compactés MCO 105 MCO 105 MCO 105 MCO 105 MCO 105 MCO 105 Terre végétale Terre végétale Terre végétale Terre végétale Terre végétale Terre végétale PENTE 10% puis 5% PENTE 10% puis 5% PENTE 10% puis 5% PENTE 10% puis 5% PENTE 10% puis 5% PENTE 10% puis 5% Résidus de traitement dynamique Résidus de traitement dynamique Résidus de traitement dynamique Résidus de traitement dynamique Résidus de traitement dynamique Résidus de traitement dynamique Stériles miniers compactés 250000 m3 [0-1000] mm Stériles miniers compactés 250000 m3 [0-1000] mm Stériles miniers compactés 250000 m3 [0-1000] mm Stériles miniers compactés 250000 m3 [0-1000] mm Stériles miniers compactés 250000 m3 [0-1000] mm Stériles miniers compactés 250000 m3 [0-1000] mm Résidus de traitement statique (14 Bq/g Ra 226 ) Résidus de traitement statique (14 Bq/g Ra 226 ) Résidus de traitement statique (14 Bq/g Ra 226 ) Résidus de traitement statique (14 Bq/g Ra 226 ) Résidus de traitement statique (14 Bq/g Ra 226 ) Résidus de traitement statique (14 Bq/g Ra 226 ) # 30 m # 30 m # 30 m # 30 m # 30 m # 30 m R R R R R R é é é é é é s s s s s s i i i i i i d d d d d d u u u u u u s s s s s s d d d d d d e e e e e e t t t t t t r r r r r r a a a a a a i i i i i i t t t t t t e e e e e e m m m m m m e e e e e e n n n n n n t t t t t t d d d d d d y y y y y y n n n n n n a a a a a a ( ( ( ( ( ( 3 3 3 3 3 3 2 2 2 2 2 2 m m m m m m i i i i i i q q q q q q B B B B B B q q q q q q u u u u u u e e e e e e / / / / / / g g g g g g R R R R R R a a a a a a 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 6 6 6 6 6 6 ) ) ) ) ) ) Dalle béton Dalle béton Dalle béton Dalle béton Dalle béton Dalle béton 1 m 1 m 1 m 1 m 1 m 1 m Stériles tout venant Stériles tout venant Stériles tout venant Stériles tout venant Stériles tout venant Stériles tout venant 4 m 4 m 4 m 4 m 4 m 4 m Béton fluide Béton fluide Béton fluide Béton fluide Béton fluide Béton fluide 1 m 1 m 1 m 1 m 1 m 1 m Sondages de liaison TMS Sondages de liaison TMS Sondages de liaison TMS Sondages de liaison TMS Sondages de liaison TMS Sondages de liaison TMS 2 open pit mines OPM 68 OPM 105 A 2 to 12 meters waste rock overburden The OPM 105 linked to underground mine pool An overview of uranium mining in France with focus on Limousin region – Page 8
Site of Bellezane OPM 105 OPM 68 An overview of uranium mining in France with focus on Limousin region – Page 9
The AREVA 10-year environmental report & the related IRSN reviews Prefectorial regulation (January 2004) Objectives : the monitoring plan for the follow-up of the overall impact caused by the sites Issue : December, 2004 Prefectorial regulation (December 2005) Objectives : assessing the efficiency of the remediation (natural landscaping, waste rock cover, water treatment plants…) assessing the relevance of the surveillance network including the concern for the future of the mining systems analysing the methodology of the impact assessment and the way it has been applied by AREVA assessing the issues of the former use of waste rock in Review Parts 1, 2 and 3 the public domain Issues : 2007 and 2008 An overview of uranium mining in France with focus on Limousin region – Page 10
Current situation of the monitoring : percentage of sites monitored 16% 26% 9% 10% 26% 13% Surveillance par mesures ou visites imposées par la réglementation Monitoring required by regulation Surveillance ou visite à l'initiative de l'exploitant Monitoring at the initiative of AREVA Arrêt de la surveillance Monitoring stopped Absence de surveillance No monitoring Sans objet (tranchées, …) Irrelevant (trenches…) Absence d' information No information An overview of uranium mining in France with focus on Limousin region – Page 11
Current situation of the monitoring Monitoring implemented by AREVA � Monitoring required by regulation � Monitoring at the initiative of AREVA Other monitoring activities � Unannounced controls realized by the local authority (DRIRE) � Measurements for the environment follow-up (IRSN) � Specific measurements realized for the follow-up of some remediation works (pond cleaning…) � Specific measurements realized by NGOs An overview of uranium mining in France with focus on Limousin region – Page 12
Environment follow up : dataset available from the monitoring implemented by AREVA Gamma dose rate Water (before and during water treatment for the watercourses involved) Piezometric data (pH, U238 and Ra226 soluble and non soluble concentrations…) ; concentrations in every local watercourse (rivers, creeks…) ; concentrations in the water from wells Sediments Air Potential Alpha Energy concentration, radon concentration Food chain U238, Ra226 and Pb210 concentrations in vegetables (carrots, beets, leeks, apples, turnips, cabbages), milk, fishes, animals (hens and rabbits) Where ? In many places inside the Crouzille Mine Division When ? Every week, every month… (depending on the parameter measured), during several consecutives years Different timeframes : periods of measurement do not necessarily coincide from a parameter to another ! !!! Little data available before remediation !!! An overview of uranium mining in France with focus on Limousin region – Page 13
Example of data available (not required by regulation) Rabbit in Lavaugrasse Village !!!! Pay attention of some results very close to the background level !!!! An overview of uranium mining in France with focus on Limousin region – Page 14
Example of data available (required by regulation) Concentration in the Gartempe river water (downstream) An overview of uranium mining in France with focus on Limousin region – Page 15
Agenda for the meeting in France Day 1 (Fontenay-aux-Roses, near Paris) Presentations given by IRSN, ASN (Nuclear Safety Authority) and MSNR (Ministry of Environment) relative to the uranium mining past activities, remediation and future, regulation… Day 2 and 3 (Bessines-sur-Gartempe, central France) Presentations given by AREVA relative to remediation issues, surveillance… Site visit : industrial site of Bessines (Lavaugrasse + Brugeaud) Water treatment Passive treatments explored (tree barks…) Site visit : Bellezane An overview of uranium mining in France with focus on Limousin region – Page 16
Thank you for your attention An overview of uranium mining in France with focus on Limousin region – Page 17
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