Uranium Mining Essay

Uranium is a naturally occuring chemical element that can be mined from ore in many parts of the Southwestern United States where

Nuclear waste is a radioactive waste that is dangerous, and a fair percentage of people would agree on this topic. However, is it really dangerous or is it just harmful to an extent? In society, many debates are held over trying to prove to the world that this substance is harmful. In the essay, “Nuclear Waste,” Muller states clearly that he sides with the anti-nuke of the debate and how he pinpoints the facts of nuclear waste with great persuasion. Yet, it is uncertain whether Muller clearly has a good argument and/or answers the questions that many people linger to know.

The pioneering work of Becquerel in 1896 (the discovery of uranium), and the Curies (who subsequently discovered radium and polonium and the energy and heat given off by these new elements which they called radioactivity) led to the remarkable work of Ernest Rutherford. He was a physicist, whose experiments showed that some heavier elements spontaneously changed or decayed into lighter elements (unstable 'parent' elements giving off protons and neutrons to form a 'daughter' element) through the process of radioactivity. He discovered that radioactive materials decay at a very predictable rate, and that lead was the final decay product of uranium. Using Rutherford's ideas, Bertram Boltwood pioneered a method of radiometric dating in 1907. He hypothesized that since he knew how long it takes uranium to break down, he could measure the proportions of lead in uranium ores, and use his calculations to date how long those ores had existed,

Not since the 1980's has a recent surge of uranium mining claims occured in the Four Corners region. Energy Fuel Resources Inc. has placed its Canyon Mine on standby and expects to resume shaft sinking operations December of next year, when an official court ruling is made and depending on market conditions.

Uranium – Chemical symbol U. It has the atomic number of 92, with 92 protons and 92 electrons, of which 6 are valence electrons.

The Navajo have endured environmental injustice since 1944 when uranium, was mined on their land. Even though it brought them mining jobs there were negative effects on the Navajo Nation. Uranium is a naturally occurring radioactive metal that may cause negative health effects. The radioactive materials caused lung cancer or various forms of fibrosis. These uranium mines affected not only the minors but

Uranium can be found in a lot of places in small quantities such as rocks, soil, and water. However, its harder to find uranium in amounts that are worth the trouble.

One of Uranium’s largest environmental impacts is the quality and quantity of surface water near Uranium mines. Once Uranium is extracted from mills, a significant amount of Uranium products are released into rivers and lakes. This significantly increases the concentration of Uranium in surface water. Radon, a product produced from the decaying of Uranium, if consumed by the animals, can create serious lung and stomach issues. Inhaling radon has a similar effect. Uranium, once the material dissolves into the soil, can also significantly influence the soil quality in a given area. Soil, after this process, can’t provide moisture for plant growth and many underground living organisms die. Considering the Olympic Dam Mine is next to a large river, these issues are occurring more and more near the

The use of autonomous and robotic systems (drones, hexapod, and rovers), will be implemented to do research on radiation contamination levels on the Navajo Reservation in New Mexico. Accordingly, uranium (U) mining occurred on the Navajo Reservation for over 40 years (1944-1986) where over 30 million tons were extracted on Navajo Territory. To clarify, uranium is a metal element found in different parts of the universe, having the characteristics of nuclear energy that emits radiation. However, due to the slow process of radioactive decay, radiation contamination is harmful to the environment, and the general population when in contact causing harmful life-threatening illnesses. In addition, radioactive decay lasts for several years, to billions of years. Consequently, contamination has left over 500 abandoned mines, homes, and drinking water with elevated levels of radiation on the Navajo Reservation. In contrast, contamination results in lung cancer, bone cancer, and impaired kidney function from exposure in radionuclides in drinking water. The use of

Even though the mining of uranium can cause environmental pollution, the power plant itself does not actually produce pollution. Yes, there is also nuclear waste we have to take care of, but it is stored in Yucca Mountain.On the contrary, people may be afraid of the nuclear waste having an accident while transporting it to the mountain, but it hasn’t happened yet. This is why we should help keep TMI open.

Uranium mining in Utah started in the 1940’s during WWII when uranium was in high demand in use of bombs. Uranium was found in all parts of Utah in areas like Lisbon Valley, White Canyon and even a little bit at the highly famous Bingham Canyon Mine. Yet mostly in an area near Moab that located in the Red Rocks of Southern Utah by a man name Charles Steen. He is the one that found high uranium deposits in Southern Utah. They call it the “Uranium Boom of 1952” Uranium is a element that is highly radioactive, which is why it was used during WWII.

Whether or not uranium exposure can cause cancer is a popular question in the media. Many studies show that there is carcinogenic potential, but others have also shown that it is possible that it doesn’t cause cancer. There are two doses of uranium. One of them is chronic low dose. This dose means that it is below being able to detect adverse health effects. This dose can enter your body through drinking water [5]. Low level exposure to uranium for extended time can cause a “subclinical’ illness. This can increase the rates of carcinogenesis. Not very many diseases have been discovered from low dose exposure. The second dose of uranium, high dose exposure, is when uranium can cause a big effect on your body. This is not very common, and may

This is why uranium is so popular within the higher ups of countries, especially the military.

Figure 2. This image illustrates where major reserves of uranium are found on earth. <http://www.globalresearch.ca/articlePictures/uranium_reserves.jpg>.

Nuclear power is generated from the energy that is released from a heavy nucleus into a lighter, more stable nuclei. The heat produced is used to boil water which drives a steam turbine to generate electricity. This chain reaction process is also called fission. A key element to fuel nuclear plant is uranium. Uranium is considered to be a nonrenewable energy source, even though it is a common metal found in rocks worldwide. U-235 is most commonly used in plants because its atoms are easily split apart. To extract U-235 uranium ore is mined; for the United States, this element is found in the