Description
Discusses site selection process for suitable relocation and/or reprocessing the Durango Tailing Pile. Includes description of sites, location, access, topographic setting, land use, land ownership, geology, hydrology, environmental factors, and stratigraphic column. 139 pages. 61 figures. 4 plates (1:24,000 and 1:250,000). Digital PDF download. OF-81-01D
This report describes the procedure and results of a regional search for sites that appear to be geotechnically suitable for the relocation and/or reprocessing of the Durango uranium mill tailings pile. This search identified nine potential sites within a 30 mile radius of the Durango uranium mill tailings pile. These nine sites are recommended to the Site Selection Committee for their review. In addition to these sites, the Site Selection Committee requested that additional information be gathered on the Bodo Canyon area. That information is contained in Appendix A.
The geotechnical suitability of all nine sites was comparatively ranked using a rating matrix. All nine sites seem to be geotechnically acceptable, but certain sites are significantly better than others. Social, economic, environmental, and political aspects of each site were not evaluated as part of the rating matrix, as these parameters were generally not quantifiable at this phase of the investigation.
