Regulatory Approval of Uranium Mine Waste Remediation Technology and its Alignment with Sustainable Development Goals

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has granted licensing approval to Disa Technologies Inc. for its innovative uranium mine waste remediation system. This approval, completed in an expedited six-month timeframe, marks a significant step towards addressing legacy environmental contamination and advancing several key United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Technology Profile and Contribution to SDG 12

Disa’s High-Pressure Slurry Ablation (HPSA) technology directly supports SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production by creating a circular process for waste management.

• Process: The HPSA system mechanically separates hazardous, mineral-rich patinas (containing uranium and thorium) from non-hazardous host sand grains within a slurry.
• Outputs: The process yields two distinct materials:
  1. A coarse, sand-like material that, upon meeting regulatory standards, can be reintegrated into the site, promoting land restoration and minimizing waste.
  2. A concentrated fines material containing radioactive elements, which is transported to a licensed facility for safe disposal or potential resource recovery.

This method transforms hazardous waste into a manageable concentrate and a reusable resource, embodying the principles of sustainable waste management.

Advancing Environmental and Health-Related SDGs

The deployment of this technology is poised to make substantial contributions to environmental quality and public health, directly aligning with multiple SDGs.

• SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-being) & SDG 6 (Clean Water and Sanitation): By remediating an estimated 15,000 abandoned uranium mines, the technology will mitigate the risk of radioactive contamination of soil and water sources. This cleanup is critical for protecting the health of nearby communities, including vulnerable and indigenous populations, and ensuring access to safe water.
• SDG 15 (Life on Land): The remediation process directly combats land degradation caused by historical mining activities. By removing source material contamination and allowing for the reintegration of clean sand, the technology facilitates the restoration of ecosystems and protects biodiversity. The NRC’s finding of no significant environmental impact further supports this goal.
• SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities): Cleaning up contaminated land is a prerequisite for safe and sustainable community development, making previously hazardous areas available for unrestricted use and enhancing environmental justice.

Regulatory Framework and Support for SDG 16

The NRC’s licensing process exemplifies SDG 16: Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions by providing an effective, accountable, and transparent regulatory framework.

Phased Licensing and Oversight

1. Demonstration Phase: The initial license permits a demonstration project to remediate up to 12,000 tons of waste over 180 days. This phase will validate the safety and efficacy of the process in a controlled manner.
2. Full-Scale Operation: Upon successful completion of the demonstration, the NRC will issue a license amendment for processing unlimited quantities of source material.
3. Site-Specific Review: Disa must provide the NRC with a 90-day advance notification before mobilizing to any new site, allowing for a thorough, site-specific safety review. A demobilization notification is also required within 30 days of project completion.

This structured approach, validated by entities including the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Navajo Nation EPA, ensures that remediation activities are conducted safely and effectively, reinforcing the role of strong institutions in achieving sustainable development.

Analysis of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in the Article

1. Relevant Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

1. SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being
   • The article discusses the remediation of abandoned uranium mines, which contain radioactive materials like uranium and thorium. Cleaning up this hazardous waste directly contributes to reducing human exposure to harmful substances, thereby preventing illnesses and promoting community health.
2. SDG 6: Clean Water and Sanitation
   • Waste from uranium mines can contaminate soil and leach into groundwater and surface water sources. The technology described aims to remove these contaminants, thus protecting water resources from pollution by hazardous materials.
3. SDG 9: Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure
   • The article focuses on Disa’s innovative HPSA (High-Pressure Slurry Ablation) process, a new technology designed for environmental remediation. This represents the development and application of a clean and environmentally sound technology to solve an industrial legacy problem.
4. SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production
   • The core issue is the environmentally sound management of hazardous waste. The HPSA process separates waste into a safe, reintegrable material and a concentrate to be disposed of at a licensed facility, directly addressing the need for proper waste management to minimize adverse impacts on the environment and human health.
5. SDG 15: Life on Land
   • The remediation of “15,000 abandoned uranium mines” is a direct effort to restore degraded land. By removing radioactive contaminants from the soil, the process helps return these sites to a condition that meets requirements for “unrestricted release,” contributing to halting and reversing land degradation.
6. SDG 16: Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions
   • The article highlights the role of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), a national institution, in licensing, regulating, and overseeing the remediation process. The structured, phased approval and site-specific safety reviews demonstrate an effective and accountable institution ensuring public safety and environmental protection.

2. Specific SDG Targets

1. Target 3.9: By 2030, substantially reduce the number of deaths and illnesses from hazardous chemicals and air, water and soil pollution and contamination.
   • The technology’s purpose is to remediate uranium mine waste, which contains hazardous and radioactive source material. By removing these contaminants from the environment, the process directly mitigates the risk of illnesses associated with soil and water contamination.
2. Target 6.3: By 2030, improve water quality by reducing pollution, eliminating dumping and minimizing release of hazardous chemicals and materials.
   • The HPSA process separates and contains “fines concentrates containing uranium, thorium, and other metals,” which are then transported to a licensed disposal facility. This prevents these hazardous materials from polluting local water sources.
3. Target 9.4: By 2030, upgrade infrastructure and retrofit industries to make them sustainable… with greater adoption of clean and environmentally sound technologies and industrial processes.
   • Disa’s HPSA process is presented as a “viable treatment technology” validated by the EPA. Its adoption for remediating mine waste represents an upgrade in the environmental management industry through an innovative and sound technology.
4. Target 12.4: By 2020, achieve the environmentally sound management of chemicals and all wastes throughout their life cycle… and significantly reduce their release to air, water and soil.
   • The entire licensing and operational framework described—from mechanical separation of waste to the disposal of concentrates at a “licensed low-level radioactive waste disposal facility”—is a clear example of achieving environmentally sound management of hazardous waste to minimize its release and impact.
5. Target 15.3: By 2030, combat desertification, restore degraded land and soil, including land affected by… contamination.
   • The article explicitly states the technology can be used to “remediate the estimated 15,000 abandoned uranium mines.” This is a direct action to restore land contaminated with hazardous materials, with the goal of leaving the site in a condition that “meets NRC requirements for unrestricted release.”
6. Target 16.6: Develop effective, accountable and transparent institutions at all levels.
   • The NRC’s role is central. The article details its formal process: granting a “phased approval,” requiring a 90-day advance notice for a “site-specific safety review,” and mandating a “demobilization notification” for review. This structured oversight exemplifies an effective and accountable regulatory institution.

3. Mentioned or Implied Indicators

1. Quantity of hazardous waste treated
   • The article provides a specific figure for the initial phase: the demonstration project will “remediate up to 12,000 tons of abandoned uranium mine waste.” This is a direct quantitative measure of progress in waste management (relevant to Target 12.4).
2. Number of contaminated sites remediated
   • The article mentions a total of “15,000 abandoned uranium mines.” The number of sites where Disa successfully deploys its technology would serve as an indicator for land restoration efforts (relevant to Target 15.3).
3. Efficiency of regulatory processes
   • The article implies an indicator of institutional efficiency by stating the NRC completed the licensing “in six months rather than the 18–24 months it might have taken.” This timeframe can be used to measure the effectiveness of the regulatory body (relevant to Target 16.6).
4. Level of contaminant removal
   • Progress is measured by the effectiveness of the technology. The article implies this indicator by stating the process must be found “safe and effective in removing radionuclides” and the remaining coarse material must “meet regulatory requirements” for reintegration, suggesting a measurable threshold for contamination levels (relevant to Targets 3.9 and 6.3).

Summary Table of SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

Source: ans.org