PROJECT IAEA2009 – 2011

BRA3013

Providing Practical Guidance for the Implementation of a Decommissioning and Remediation Plan for the Minas Gerais Uranium Mining and Milling Production Centre

Objective: To provide the Member State with a strategy to deal with the decommissioning and environmental

remediation of the uranium production centre of Pocos de Caldas by means of the integration and

coordination of the ongoing efforts of different institutions.

Team: LAPOC, CDTN, IRD, INB, other partners such as CENA/ESALQ/FZEA (USP),

USP São Paulo, Unicamp, UFSCAR, COPPE/UFRJ, IAC (Campinas), PUC-Minas;

Stakeholders such as DRS/CNEN, IBAMA, society, etc

Person in charge: Alexandre Oliveira (LAPOC/CNEN)

BRA3013

GENERAL BACKGROUND

• The Uranium Production Centre of Pocos de Caldas is the 1st Brazilian facility of this type to be decommissioned.

• A population of about 500,000 people live in the area of influence of the instalation

• The decommissioning of the facilities and environmental remediation of the site is a challenge for Brazil especially in the moment of the revival of nuclear energy worldwide.

Solutions to be found to remediate these

sources of contamination

TAILINGS DAM

WASTE-ROCK PILE

OPEN PIT

PROJECT STRATEGIES AND OUTCOMES

• Exchange of experience and improvement of the understanding of key elements in the environmental remediation of the site

• Involvement of relevant stakeholders

• Consolidation of the existing data and experience

• Capacity building

• Elaboration of an appropriate framework to deal with the ER of the site and future ones

1. KNOWLEDGE CONSOLIDATIONObjective: Compilation and sharing of existing knowledge and

determination of existing gaps in terms of necessary parameters and models to be used

Input: High-resolution satelite images; software acquisition

Team: LAPOC, CDTN, IRD and INB

Person/team in charge: Marcos Oliveira (INB), Nivaldo (LAPOC), Mariza (IRD), Otávio (CDTN)

Period: from 2nd trimester 2009 to 4th trimester 2010

Output:

a) Creation of a website for the project (LAPOC).

b) Database in the website with relevant documents available.

c) Documentation of identified gaps.

d) Database in GIS evironment.

2. WORKSHOP FOR PROJECT OPENINGObjective: Present to all involved actors the overall idea of a

remediation process, with opportunity for everyone to show their oppinions and expectations

Input: 1 week workshop with 1 expert mission in mine remediation

Team: All people involved

Person/team in charge: LAPOC

Period: July 2009

Budget: Expert costs by IAEA and infra-structure costs by INB

Location: Poços de Caldas; with a visit to INB’s mining site

Output: Compilation of oppinions and impressions

3. TRAINING ON MANAGEMENT OF REMEDIATION PROJECTS

Objective: To train members of the project team (including operator, regulator, researchers, and representatives of the society) on elements of environmental remediation project management

Input: 1 week expert mission (Dr. Vincent Adams from USDOE was suggested)

Team: LAPOC, CDTN, IRD, INB, other partners (USP, Unicamp, etc), IBAMA and DRS

Person/team in charge: LAPOC

Period: September/October 2009

Budget: Expert costs by IAEA and infra-structure costs to be discussed

Location: Poços de Caldas

Output: Document with guidelines on how to deal with the management of remediation projects

Objective: To prepare a core team in the assessment of proposed solutions for remediation, also aiming at efluent treatment and economical aspects

Input: 1 week expert mission and 4 fellowships (one month each)

Team: All people involved

Person/team in charge: LAPOC

Period: Expert mission on 1st trimester 2010; and fellowships over 2010

Budget: Expert costs and fellowships by IAEA

Output: Travel reports

4. TRAINING ON REMEDIATION SOLUTIONS (best practices)

Objective: To prepare the project team in the selection of appropriate models to each situation, on how to obtain the necessary parameters to feed the models, and on how to design covers to be applied as remediation strategies

Input: 1 fellowship (one month), 2 expert missions and software aquisition

Team: Alexandre, Daniela and José Flávio from LAPOC, Mariza (IRD), Otávio, Stela and Carlos Alberto from CDTN, and Delcy from INB

Person/team in charge: LAPOC

Period: 3rd trimester 2010

Output: Technical capacitation of the involved team

5. MODELING OF REACTIVE TRANSPORT AND COVER DESIGN

6. OXYGEN DIFFUSION ASSESSMENT ON WRP-4

Objective: By means of in-situ oxygen measurements, evaluate the oxidation profile of the pyritic material within the dump and best assess the proposed remediation options

Input: expert mission IAEA and 2 fellowships (1 month each)

Team: Ana Cláudia (CDTN), José Flávio and Heliana (LAPOC), Mariza (IRD) and Valter Mortágua (INB)

Person/team in charge: CDTN

Period: 2010

Budget: infra-structure by INB for drilling the holes, IRD equipment to measure oxygen concentrations, and an expert mission sponsored by other project

Output: a comprehensive understanding of pyrite oxidation mechanisms and distribution inside de waste rock pile, consolidated into a technical report

7. PERIODIC DISCUSSIONS ON THE ELEMENTS RELATED TO ENVIRONMENTAL REMEDIATION AND DECOMMISSIONIG WITH DIFFERENT STAKEHOLDERSObjective: To involve different actors and stakeholders

throughout the process

Input: 1 expert mission (one week)

Team: All people involved

Person/team in charge: INB (Alessandra)

Period: 2009-2011

Output: Comprehensive understanding of related projects

8. SOCIAL COMMUNICATION

Objective: To develop and implement methodologies and practices for social communication

Input: training course

Team: INB e IRD

Person/team in charge: INB (Alessandra, Edenil e Marcos)

Period:

Output: A document addressing how to communicate with the public in a clear and understandable way in environmental remediation projects

9. WORKSHOP FOR THE PROJECT CLOSUREObjective: To discuss with all the interested parts the activities

developed, the budget used, the obstacles found, and future challenges

Input: 1 week workshop

Team: LAPOC, CDTN, IRD, INB,IAEA, other partners (USP, Unicamp, etc) and stakeholders (such as DRS, IBAMA, society, etc)

Person/team in charge: LAPOC

Period: 4th trimester 2011

Budget: Infra-structure costs to be discussed

Location: Poços de Caldas

Output: Final report

IMPORTANT NEED

To include the relevant regulatory authorities in the project team(e.g. CNEN, IBAMA, FEAM/MG)

ABOUT THE BUDGET

Original Budget: US$ 340,000.00

Approved Budget: US$ 150,000.00

Consolidated Budget After Coordination Meeting in Poços de Caldas: US$ 200,000.00

REPRESENTANTES DAS INSTITUIÇÕES

LAPOC – Alexandre (Coordenador do projeto) CDTN – OtávioIRD – MarizaINB – Marcos

PRIMEIRA REUNIÃO DOS REPRESENTANTESInicio: Maio para discussão dos itens:

1 (primeira compilação dos documentos disponíveis) e 2 (organização do workshop de abertura)