Opponents of ISR point to an NRC report that they say “verifies that ISR contaminates drinking water supplies.- Is that true?
No. This reading of the report is incorrect. The NRC report referenced, entitled “NUREG/CR6870: Consideration of geochemical issues in groundwater restoration at uranium in-situ leach mining facilities” was published in January 2007 for industry, licensees, state regulators, and NRC staff who oversee uranium ISR facilities and assess the costs associated with their restoration. The report does not verify contaminated water supplies, which are defined as “a system that supplies drinking water for human consumption.- Rather, it indicates a tendency for ISR operations to increase the mineral content of water at the mine site, where water is already naturally contaminated with high metals beyond human use. The focus and purpose of the NRC report is to be a guide for industry on future ISR projects to estimate the costs and methods of restoring groundwater at the mine site to its baseline conditions. In no way does it discourage ISR operations. The report states: “For this reason, the U.S.
