Physically removing the rock ore generally involves either open-pit mining or underground mining. Milling is the process that removes uranium from the ore, which is mostly obtained in open-pit and underground mines. Once at the mill, the ore is crushed and ground up, and treated with chemical solutions to dissolve the uranium, which is then recovered from the solution. Tailings are the wastes from the millings processes and are stored in mill tailings impoundments, a specially designed waste disposal facility. Since 1979, when uranium mine workers began being diagnosed with lung diseases, such as cancer, regulators have gradually tightened controls and mandated improved uranium mining practices. Recently, officials also have become concerned with the broader impacts of uranium mining on public health and the environment. Workers are directly exposed to the radiation hazards of uranium mines. Uranium mining also releases radon from the ground into the atmosphere. Mines and mining waste can release radionuclides, including radon, and other pollutants to streams, springs, and other bodies of water. Federal and state agencies have established pollutant discharge limits and drinking water standards, and continue to monitor these sites for public safety. Uranium mine waste from operations that closed before the mid-1970s are of particular concern. In many cases, these mines remain unclaimed and the waste is still piled near the mine. Weathering can lead to radioactive dust that is blown by the wind and the seepage of contaminants into the surface and groundwater. There are also cases of unclaimed uranium mine waste being used for house construction, which creates significant radon and radiation hazard for inhabitants. For more information on the hazards of uranium, go to USEPA website http://www.epa.gov/radtown/bas ic.html . This is clipped from the late 1970's BBC Production, Energy From The Crust, showing uranium mining activities and equipment and including footage from the following uranium mines: Schwartzwalder Mine, Near Boulder, Colorado King Solomon Mine near Uravan, Colorado and the Key Lake Mine in Saskatchewan, Canada. The entire film is available at the Internet Archive.
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