Technical Report: In-situ Monitoring and Validation of a Uranium Mill Tailings Management Facility Design Using X-ray Absorption Near Edge Structure (XANES) Spectroscopy

Abstract

Uranium ore containing elevated concentrations of arsenic (up to 2 wt %) are processed at the McClean Lake Operation in the Athabasca Basin of northern Saskatchewan (Figure 1). This region of northern Saskatchewan is responsible for 33% of the world production of uranium [1]. A major concern of AREVA Resources Canada Inc. (AREVA) as well as provincial and federal regulators is the potential long-term risk that significant amounts of arsenic may pose to surrounding lakes and waters after their disposal in the JEB Tailings Management Facility (TMF). The regulatory limit is set at 5 mg/L for tailings pore water with an action level set by AREVA of 2 mg/L As.