When writing last week's post on nuclear energy, I stumbled across an environmental topic that I had never heard of before, and didn't know too much about. It was the uranium mining industry, or the industry that provides uranium needed to fuel nuclear power plants. I did mention it very briefly in my last post, but avoided focus on it because I had little knowledge pertaining to it. But, after doing more research over the past week, it's clear to me that this is a topic worth discussing. Much like the Palm Oil industry, the Uranium mining industry is another scourge on our environment today, and deserves to be altered or stopped completely. So, let's dive into a deeper discussion about the Uranium mining industry, and why exactly it remains as another perpetrator of environmental destruction to this day.
Why Uranium?
The first question we should ask is why uranium remains necessary for nuclear power in the first place. It's radioactive, potentially dangerous, and the cause behind a truly terrible industry. Nuclear energy (fusion or fission) is generated by the combination or splitting of an atom. So, why can't we use just any atom to do it? Well, there are a few reasons: first, the specific type of radioactive Uranium used (Uranium-235) undergoes what is known as spontaneous fission, or natural decay. Over time, particles naturally fly out of the nucleus of Uranium-235. This makes it easier to split in nuclear power plants, making the generation of energy easier. But all radioactive elements decay naturally, so why Uranium?
Unlike other materials (both radioactive and non-radioactive) Uranium-235 (U-235) can undergo a process known as induced fission. Essentially, this means that, when a neutron collides with (or is added to) an atom of U-235, it causes the atom to split very rapidly. This split releases a very large amount of energy (around 200 million electric volts) which gives us a lot of power to utilize. While there are other forms of elements that can undergo induced fission, the induced fission of Uranium-235 generally releases more energy. Additionally, Uranium is in much higher abundance than other elements, and is "easier" to extract. With all of these reasons combined, Uranium remains the go-to element for powering nuclear power plants.
How is Uranium extracted?
So, now that we know why exactly uranium remains so heavily used, how can it be gathered? Well, there are three main ways to source Uranium: Open Pit Mining, Underground Mining, and In-Situ Recover (ISR) Mining. Here are a few short descriptions of each:
Open Pit Mining: used when Uranium deposits are found near the surface of the soil. Any soil on top of the deposit is removed, and stored near the newly created pit. When the Uranium is eventually reached, it is extracted, and separated from other materials collected, leaving large pits in the wake of mining operations. This process directly destroys any environment that happens to be on top of uranium deposits, leaving poisoned, unusable acres of soil.
Underground Mining- used when Uranium is too deep to extract with open pit methods. Tunnels leading down to the Uranium are drilled, and the uranium (trapped within rocks in most cases) is exploded, and the debris is transported up to surface to be sorted and collected. This type of mining can poison fresh water reserves deep below the soil, as well as disturb surrounding habitats with loud explosions.
In-situ Recover Mining- used most often. Involves the pumping of oxygen rich water into areas where Uranium is thought to be. This solution dissolves the Uranium, and is then collected, treated, filtered to remove the Uranium, and sent back down to do it all again. The solution used to dissolve Uranium can also poison any soil and water around it, rendering them unusable for humanity and for animals.
I would love to talk more about the pros and cons of each method, along with why some are used more often than others in this post, but I don't want to make it too long. If you would like to learn about some of the benefits and detriments, click here to visit a very detailed article about the subject.
Why is the industry so terrible?
While it may not sound so bad yet, there are a plethora of negative effects that come with the induction of Uranium drilling. Here are just a few of the many:
Causes Wildlife Destruction: this pertains especially to Open Pit Mining, but relates to the other types of Uranium mining as well. The production of Uranium uproots and destroys many local ecosystems, as well as pollutes the soil around them, preventing any possible growth in the future. Expansion of mines as well as the addition of new ones has started to take away many of the few natural areas we have left.
Releases Air Pollution- toxic chemicals, haze, and dust generated from the mining spread into the air and water, polluting areas that may be miles away from dig sites. This affects the health of both communities near the area, as well as any habitats that may be present.
Creates Poor Working Conditions- because miners come into contact with radioactive material so frequently in these mines, they are at serious risk of developing debilitating conditions. One of the most prominent among these is cancer, which is exacerbated by excess contact with radiation.
Attacks Minorities and Poor Communities- like fracking, Uranium mining occurs most often near minority groups and poor communities, as they don't have the resources to fight it. From 1944-1986 the U.S extracted Uranium in native Navajo territories, destroying their land and worsening their health conditions. Around the world, there are countless examples of this brutal treatment, and as of now it shows no sign of stopping.
Conclusion
The natural beauty in our world is disappearing. Through processes like deforestation, sourcing of palm oil, and now the sourcing of Uranium, we are losing precious wildlife at a rate faster than ever before. And, with the recent renewed focus on the prominence of nuclear energy, the problem only seems to be getting worse. More and more natural areas are being approved for mining, and more and more areas are being destroyed as a result. It just isn't fair to say that nuclear energy is a clean energy when the industry supplying it does so much damage. It's a huge problem, and only seems to be getting worse as our need for nuclear energy increases. It not likely the extraction of Uranium can be ended.
However, as with any environmental problem, there is hope. Researchers and scientists are currently working on better ways to source Uranium, as well as finding new materials that can power nuclear plants without having to do so much damage to get to them. We may not be able to end the Uranium mining industry, but we are certainly able to improve it. Next week, I'll be talking about ways we can show our support for better mining techniques, as well as lessening our support of the ones that do damage. We owe it to the environment affected by Uranium mining to stand up and fix it, and it will only be fixed with our support.
All credit for information used in this post goes to:
http://www.world-nuclear.org/information-library/nuclear-fuel-cycle/mining-of-uranium/uranium-mining-overview.aspx
http://twtd.wilderness.org/?gclid=CjwKCAjw-bLVBRBMEiwAmKSB8261mVYlVeoH_jQh3LYqQD1EwX9DeCX1GkF_CWBYof1Mg5GaifNjahoCQu8QAvD_BwE
http://large.stanford.edu/courses/2017/ph241/longstaff1/
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2008/dec/05/nuclear-greenpolitics
https://science.howstuffworks.com/innovation/science-questions/why-is-uranium-235-ideal-for-nuclear-power.htm
https://geoinfo.nmt.edu/resources/uranium/mining.html
Images:
https://www.dutchsinse.com/4202014racking-and-mining-earthquakes-oklahoma-and-nevada/
http://energyeducation.ca/encyclopedia/Uranium_mining
https://engineering.stanford.edu/magazine/article/how-extract-uranium-seawater-nuclear-power
https://www.nuclear-power.net/nuclear-power/fission/
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-04-14/the-open-pit-uranium-mine-in-kakadu-national-park/6390654
http://theupa.org/uranium_technology/conventional_mining/
http://www.theupa.org/uranium_technology/in_situ_recovery/
http://friendsoflatchmore.org/photos/tree-clearance/
http://knau.org/post/groups-request-denial-air-pollution-permits-uranium-mines-near-grand-canyon
http://nuclearsafety.gc.ca/eng/uranium/mines-and-mills/nuclear-facilities/mcarthur-river-lake/index.cfm
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2014/apr/15/uranium-workers-dying-cancer-rio-tinto-namibia-mine
https://www.reddit.com/r/environment/comments/b3535/im_pronuclear_because_these_are_the_only/
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