A Methodology to Assess the Historical Environmental Footprint of In-Situ Recovery (ISR) of Uranium: A Demonstration in the Goliad Sand in the Texas Coastal Plain, USA

In-situ recovery (ISR) has been the only technique used to extract uranium from sandstone-hosted deposits in Pliocene Goliad Sand Texas Coastal Plain. Water plays a crucial role throughout ISR lifecycle of production and groundwater restoration yet neither water use nor other environmental footprints have well documented. The goal this study is examine historical records for all six operations completed identify quantify parameters that indicate surface aquifer disturbances, use, radon emissions. Overall, average mine area was 0.00023 ± 0.00006 acres per pound (ac/lb) U3O8. pore volume 48.9 50 gal/lb U3O8 with minimum affected 0.51 0.08 cubic feet (cu ft/lb) An 258 40 gallons (gal) fluid were disposed (lb) U3O8, an 169 26 attributed 89 36 phase. emitted 1.06 × 10?3 7.4 10?4 curies (Ci/lb) Goodness-of-fit (R2) values are ?0.79 linear regressions amount produced versus area, volumes, pumped, total disposed. R2 value 0.68. However, during phase more strongly correlated number days (R2 = 0.96) than 0.84), whereas “pore volume” 0.97) 0.90). Pore industry term describe circulated through period stipulated bond agreements order satisfy requirements. Models constructed can be estimate probable extent disturbances associated ISR-amenable undiscovered resources Sand. perspective offered by data compiled correlations may prove useful both regulators.