The Wismut environmental rehabilitation project The 2013 Status. Michael Paul, Stefan Mann Wismut GmbH, Chemnitz, Jagdschänkenstraße 29

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1 The Wismut environmental rehabilitation project The 2013 Status Michael Paul, Stefan Mann Wismut GmbH, Chemnitz, Jagdschänkenstraße 29 UMREG Meeting, Dolní Rožínka, August 27-28, 2013

2 2 Presentation Outline Background Remediation status Water Management Remaining work Summary

3 3 Background , East Germany one of the Top Four uranium producers (216,000 t U) Since 1991, Wismut GmbH is performing the remediation of legacy uranium production centres Programme includes remediation of five UG mines, two processing plants

4 4 Germany Site setting Berlin Decommissioned Mine Decommissioned Processing Plant WISM UT Head Office

5 5 Status of Wismut remediation Overall remediation volume complete by end of 2012: > 85 % Accrued expenditure by end of 2012: 5.7 billion 2013 annual budget: 148 million Staff: ~1,150

6 WISMUT Remediation Programme Status of Remediation Activities March 2013 Underground Percent achieved* Mine workings abandoned 99 % Backfilling of Mine Voids 99 % Mine workings flooded 98 %

6 6 WISMUT Remediation Programme Status of Remediation Activities March 2013 Underground Percent achieved* Mine workings abandoned 99 % Backfilling of Mine Voids 99 % Mine workings flooded 98 % Stabilisation of mine workings 94 % Surface Remediation Status Demolition of facilities 90 % Contouring 93 % Final capping 73 % Reclaimed areas 74 % Water treatment 53 % * Based on the 2010 revision of the remediation programme

& Forest 10% Agriculture & Forest, under lease 12% June 30, 2012 9% 6% -1% 8%

7 7 Land use and ownership structure of WISMUT s former mine land (March 31, 2013) Sold Industrial use 7% Residential areas 1% Public use 11% Agriculture & Forest 10% Agriculture & Forest, under lease 12% June 30, % 6% -1% 8% 11% 26% Wismut Property, under remediation 26% Wismut Property, remediated 33% 40%

8 8 Value-added reuse of former WISMUT mine land Solar Parks Ronneburg New Landscape Schlema spa park Golf course

9 View from Schmirchauer Höhe, July Recent activities: Ronneburg Lichtenberg Open Pit cover & revegation chiefly complete; Miner s lamp landmark opened June 2012 Above ground remediation: Clean-up of operational areas, footprint areas of former waste dumps, hydraulic engineering Reinforcement of water collection systems (Gessental valley)

10 Water Management Key aspect of the remediation programme: Compliance with water quality limits ; Ensuring remediation progress Contaminants: U, As, Ra-226, Fe, Mn, Cu, Ni, Zn, Cd, SO4,.

10 10 Water Management Key aspect of the remediation programme: Compliance with water quality limits ; Ensuring remediation progress Contaminants: U, As, Ra-226, Fe, Mn, Cu, Ni, Zn, Cd, SO4,.. Installation and safe operation of emission barriers, most important at flooded mines 8 WTP s (Design capacity m³/h) Modified/HDS lime precipitation w/ Ra, As-removal; Ion Exchange (U) at Königstein; Implementation of a passive/semipassive unit at Pöhla did not meet design expectations Ronneburg/Seelingstädt: SO4, hardness needs watershed management

11 11 Water Management: Recent activities Königstein: UG mine closed after total backfill of shafts 388/390 01/2013: Mine partially flooded according to existing approval (Section I below 140 m asl), approval for further flooding refused Preparation for general reconstruction of WTP w/ regard to future mine water management Public hearing for further permitting of the waste management plan September 2013 Gittersee: Construction of dewatering tunnel for gravitational mine water abstraction

12 12 Water Management: Recent activities Construction of a Dewatering Tunnel, Dresden-Gittersee Schacht 3 Kirche Bahntrasse Schul e Weißeritz Wetterbohrloch 370 m Wetterbohrloch 2013/14 Breakthrough to historical Elbstolln August m 622 m ( ) Fußstr. 521 W Tunnel, realized Tunnel, planned

13 13 Water Management: Recent activities Schlema-Alberoda: Regular operation of WTP (h mine = m asl) Approval for co-treatment of seepage water (50 m 3 /h) Partial Reconstruction of the Markus-Semmler Adit (completion expected: 2nd quarter 2014) Pöhla: March 2013: start of general reconstruction work for a precipitation unit, completion planned by end 2013 Ronneburg: Reinforced HDS plant in regular operation ( m 3 /h); controlled re-drawdown of mine water level Improvement measures of water collection and transport systems (Gessental, Beerwalder Sprotte) WM strategy under major revision

14 Ronneburg WTP, w/ Disposal cell #2 (July 2013) 14

15 Water Management: Recent activities Seelingstädt Full operation of WTP key to remediation progress at Culmitzsch TMF Expansion measures Construction of a Stripping unit to improve U removal

15 15 Water Management: Recent activities Seelingstädt Full operation of WTP key to remediation progress at Culmitzsch TMF Expansion measures Construction of a Stripping unit to improve U removal (construction 2013) Construction of an additional water storage reservoir in combination with Feremoval unit (under permitting, construction 2013/14) Culmitzsch TMF final cover construction (under permitting); Hydraulic engineering / flood protection measures for stormwater discharge

16 Longevity of mine water pollution As (μg/l) U (mg/l) Schlema, U Schlema, As Mine water level (m asl) Uranium, measured (m-f510) Uranium, PMFR Estimation Mine water level D-Type Arsenic, measured (m-f510) Arsenic, PMFR Estimation M-Type Discharge limit U (mg/l) Mine water level (m asl) Uranium, measured (m-f411/m-f413) c(t) concentration Uranium, at PMFR time Estimation t after peak conc. Mine water level c 0 Peak concentration c 1 Inflow SO 2- concentration 4 + 2C org + 2H 2 O = H 2 S + 2HCO - 3 t Time after the peak concentration T Hydraulic residence Natural attenuation time Pöhla, U T c( t) c e c As (μg/l) Pöhla, As PMFR t UO CH 2 O + 2OH - = UO 2 (s) + HCO H + P-Type Arsenic, measured (m-f411, m-f413) Arsenic, PMFR Estimation M-Type

17 17 Mine water qualities (2011 mean values) Schlema Pöhla Königstein Ronneburg Gittersee ph Ca mg/l Mg mg/l HCO - 3 mg/l < SO 2-4 mg/l 660 < ,530 1,010 Fe mg/l Mn mg/l U mg/l 1.8 < < Ra-226 Bq/L As mg/l < Cd µg/l <1 < <1 Ni µg/l <7 < ,580 <10 Zn µg/l <5 15 4,370 1,

18 18 Safeguarding of Remedial Results and Long-Term Tasks Treatment of contaminated mine and seepage water Care and maintenance of technical installations Environmental monitoring Repair of surface damages Documentation, preservation of technological know-how and information management

19 Research and Technology Development Long-term evolution of flooded underground mines Optimization of water treatment Geochemical barriers and natural

19 19 Research and Technology Development Long-term evolution of flooded underground mines Optimization of water treatment Geochemical barriers and natural attenuation Long-term performance of soil covers Consolidation of weak tailings Gas migration in waste dumps and mined ground Documentation and information management

20 20 Conclusions Remediation of the WISMUT legacy is, for the most part, successfully concluded From contaminated operational areas 75% remediated. 1,150 ha sold or leased out, promoting regional development Sustainable limitation of radioactive and other emissions in compliance with given standards Core remediation tasks to be completed by ca Careful balancing of ecological, economic and social interests necessary for sustainable remediation solutions. Long-term tasks dominated by water treatment, maintenance, environmental monitoring, and data & information management

21 21 Take away Wismut has gathered vast experience in implementing complex remedial solutions for radioctive legacy sites. Wismut has the mandate to further actively contribute in International Know-How-Transfer. Contact: Michael Paul Wismut GmbH Jagdschänkenstraße Chemnitz

Management of Radioactive Residues & Wastes Generated During Remediation of Uranium Production Legacy Sites in Germany

Management of Radioactive Residues & Wastes Generated During Remediation of Uranium Production Legacy Sites in Germany Peter Schmidt, Wismut GmbH Chemnitz, Germany Head of Department of Environmental Monitoring