Enviromental research related to uranium tailings is being carried out within the Mining Research Laboratories and Mineral Sciences Laboratories of CANMET, EMR. Field-related research on uranium tailings has been conducted at Elliot Lake for over five years. Much of the work has been focused on a program to rehabilitate pyritic tailings. This has resulted in developing a practicable technology for growing vegetation on such wastes. Limitations have been samll size of the est-plots and the relatively short period during which experiments have been carried out. A research program aimed at identifying and reducing acidic and radioactive effluents is also underway at Elliot Lake. These liquid effluents have been identified as the most serious threat to the enviroment. Research at the Mineral Scicence Laboratories and its predecessor divisions relating to the processing of uranium and thorium ores is outlined. A process has been developed for recovering thorium which could reduce the overall radioactive load in the tailings. Much of the current work is related to developing new technology for recovering uranium from lower-grade ores which, however, is unlikely to be implemented within the next ten years. A significant effort is also being made in removing pyrite, preconcentrating radioactive materials, and identifying and removing chemical compounds that carry radium in solid tailings. All of these investigations could have an impact on near-term solutions to some enviromental problems. Mineral Sciences Laboratories has the analytic capacity to identify and characterize both mineralogical and most radiochemical constituents of the Elliot Lake ores.

yes