The Water Information Program

 There are two major types of uranium mining: Historically, the most common method was to remove the uranium ore using either open-pit mining -- which scrapes off all the land above the uranium deposit -- or underground mining. The uranium-containing rocks were then transported to a mill where the ore was crushed and processed, leaving behind mounds of uranium tailings. More recently, in-situ mining has taken off in Texas, Wyoming and Nebraska. This method mines the uranium in place by flushing the uranium ore with oxygenated water. The water dissolves the now-oxidized uranium and can be sucked to the surface via a well. The surface disturbance for in-situ mining is far less, but there are concerns that the process contaminates nearby groundwater supplies. A proposed uranium mine in Weld County would tap into an aquifer that lies deep beneath the Denver Basin and sweeps through the southeast corner of Boulder County. Opponents of the mine fear massive groundwater contamination.

To view the full article, visit the Boulder Daily Camera. For a copy of the original article contact the WIP at (970) 247-1302 or stop by the office at 841 East Second Avenue in Durango.