Uranium Milling and Mill Tailings

Abstract

Uranium milling and mill tailings present problems not inherent to other types of waste disposal. First, the milling process separates uranium from other elements, but elements such as Ra, Se, and Mo may be more or less concentrated in the tailings. Second, while modern milling is much improved over older techniques, and thus less of these elements wind up on the tailings, abandoned mill tailings from some 26 sites pose special problems.