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concentrations in the ambient groundwater. Radium and vanadium show the greatest <br />increases resulting from mining operations. <br />Kearl (2005) conducted transport modeling studies to estimate the transport of mineral <br />constituents associated with waste rock stockpiles near the town of Uravan (Appendix II). <br />The similar geology makes this work applicable at the JD -9 mine site. A conservative <br />approach consistent with the Nuclear Regulatory Commission requirements for high - <br />level nuclear waste sites was used to develop a worst -case scenario — not necessarily the <br />most likely scenario. Even under the worst case conditions, the modeling predicted that <br />after 1000 years, uranium related constituents migrated approximately 200 feet vertically <br />at a concentration of 10 " (1 /1,000,000 of the source concentration) of the initial <br />concentration in the pore water of the waste rock. The uranium plume is contained in the <br />Salt Wash Member of the Morrison Formation. The plume does not enter the Entrada <br />Sandstone. The Summerville Formation provides an additional buffer zone restricting <br />potential contamination from entering the groundwater. <br />The results of this analysis indicate that conditions are not conducive to the transport of <br />uranium related constituents to the environment. Geochemistry suggests that <br />mobilization of these constituents is unlikely. There is no indication of a continuous <br />groundwater system that could provide a pathway for these constituents to migrate from <br />the mine into the environment. Transport modeling has shown that vertical migration <br />from the upper Salt Wash sandstone to the upper -most aquifer in the area (Entrada <br />Formation) is highly unlikely due to the lack of water, low permeability of the strata and <br />the sorption of uranium related constituents. <br />Table 3: Selected Water Samples from the Mine Sumps and Portal Spring <br />MINE: JD -9 JD -9 JD -9 JD -9 JD -9 <br />Rock Type: <br />sample ID <br />Major Ions: units RL <br />Chloride mg /L 1 <br />Nas <br />Nitrate +Nitrite <br />N as Nitrite <br />Sulfate <br />Decline Portal 1301 1301 1304 <br />Sump Spring Sump Sump Sump <br />78 <br />mg/L 0.1 nd <br />mg /L 0.1 <br />mg/L 1 2160 <br />7 <br />15.4 <br />588 <br />Metal- dissolved <br />Arsenic ug /L 1 nd 67 <br />Copper ug/L 1 nd nd <br />Lead ug /L 1 nd nd <br />Radium 226 pCi/L 0.2 16.3 0.7 117 138 <br />Selenium ug /L 1 994 44 1094 392 <br />O'Connor Design Group Inc. U - 19 <br />