Wismut Gmb H Uranium Ore Mining Legacy Remediation
Wismut Gmb. H Uranium Ore Mining Legacy Remediation in Saxony and Thuringia, Germany Peter W. Brennecke peter. brennecke@gmx. de IAEA Consultancy CS-81 to Prepare a Work Plan and Material for Developing a Guidance on Management of Large Amounts of Radioactive Waste after an Emergency Situation Vienna, October 01 - 03, 2012 Dr. Peter W. Brennecke l Consultant
Wismut Gmb. H • Federal government-owned company operating in Saxony and Thuringia, eastern part of Germany, founded in 1991. • Sole shareholder: Federal Republic of Germany, represented by the Federal Ministry of Economics and Technology. • Principal business: decommissioning, cleanup, and remediation/rehabilitation /recultivation of uranium ore mining and processing sites. Dr. Peter W. Brennecke l Consultant
Historical Background (1) • Exploitation of German uranium deposits for the Soviet nuclear weapons program. • Establishment of SAG Wismut in 1947. • Uranium ore mining and processing in Saxony and Thuringia for about 45 years. • Complete disregard for public health and environmental concerns, environmental degradation affecting a total surface area of some 3, 700 hectares. Dr. Peter W. Brennecke l Consultant
Historical Background (2) • Establishment of SDAG Wismut in 1954. • Following German reunification, termination of uranium mining on December 31, 1990. • Production of 231, 000 metric tons of uranium in total, thus ranking Wismut as number four in world-wide uranium production. • Mining legacy included 1, 400 km of open mine workings, 311 million m³ of waste rock, and 160 million m³ of radioactive sludges (tailings) located in densely populated areas. Dr. Peter W. Brennecke l Consultant
Tasks and Objectives Remediation and re-cultivation of legacies left behind by uranium ore mining and processing operations assigned to Wismut Gmb. H. Remedial efforts focused, i. a. , on: • Disassembly and demolition of contaminated buildings and structures, • Remediation of contaminated waste rock piles and sedimentation/tailings ponds, • Environmental monitoring. Dr. Peter W. Brennecke l Consultant
Wismut Project • Important international reference project for state-of-the-art remediation technologies for the rehabilitation of large-size radioactively contaminated sites in a densely populated region. Dr. Peter W. Brennecke l Consultant
Aue Area - Uranium Ore Mining Waste Rock Pile no. 250 near Schlema Photo: Wismut Gmb. H Dr. Peter W. Brennecke l Consultant
Aue Area - Schlema Uranium Ore Mining Waste Rock Pile Landscape as of 1965 Photo: Wismut Gmb. H Dr. Peter W. Brennecke l Consultant
Aue Area - Schlema Remediated Uranium Ore Mining Waste Rock Pile Landscape as of 2010 Photo: Wismut Gmb. H Dr. Peter W. Brennecke l Consultant
Waste Rock Pile Remediation • Basic remedial concept: provision of an enhanced long-term slope stability and covering the piles with mineral and vegetation supporting soils. • Two different approaches applied: relocation and remediation in situ. • Design of site-specific cover options. • Exception: piles containing suitable material for capping purposes at sedimentation/tailings ponds. Dr. Peter W. Brennecke l Consultant
Ronneburg Area - Lichtenberg Abandoned Uranium Ore Open Pit Mine Photo: Wismut Gmb. H Dr. Peter W. Brennecke l Consultant
Ronneburg Area - Scheme of the Lichtenberg Uranium Ore Open Pit Mine Backfilling Photo: Wismut Gmb. H Dr. Peter W. Brennecke l Consultant
Ronneburg Area - Backfilled Lichtenberg Uranium Ore Open Pit Mine as of 2003 Photo: Wismut Gmb. H Dr. Peter W. Brennecke l Consultant
Ronneburg Area - Remediated Lichtenberg Uranium Ore Open Pit Mine Area as of 2010 Photo: Wismut Gmb. H Dr. Peter W. Brennecke l Consultant
Ronneburg Area - Remediated Beerwalde Uranium Ore Mining Waste Rock Pile as of 2010 Photo: Wismut Gmb. H Dr. Peter W. Brennecke l Consultant
Königstein Area - Gravel Drainage of the Schüsselgrund Uranium Ore Mining Waste Rock Pile Photo: Wismut Gmb. H Dr. Peter W. Brennecke l Consultant
Königstein Area - Remediated Gittersee Uranium Ore Mining Waste Rock Pile as of 2010 Photo: Wismut Gmb. H Dr. Peter W. Brennecke l Consultant
Culmitzsch Sedimentation/Tailings Pond as of 1991 Photo: Wismut Gmb. H Dr. Peter W. Brennecke l Consultant
Scheme of Sedimentation/Tailings Pond Remediation Photo: Wismut Gmb. H Dr. Peter W. Brennecke l Consultant
Sedimentation/Tailings Pond Remediation - Setup of the Intermediate Cover Photo: Wismut Gmb. H Dr. Peter W. Brennecke l Consultant
Culmitzsch Sedimentation/Tailings Pond as of 2010 Photo: Wismut Gmb. H Dr. Peter W. Brennecke l Consultant
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