SITE REMEDIATION ISSUES IN RELATION TO NORM INDUSTRIES IN MALAYSIA M. OMAR MALAYSIAN NUCLEAR AGENCY

NORM INDUSTRIES TIN MINING TIN TAILINGS UPGRADING PLANTS RARE EARTH EXTRACTION ILMENITE CRACKING TIN SMELTING

TIN MINING OLD INDUSTRY PRODUCING – TIN ORE CONCENTRATES (PRODUCT) – TIN TAILINGS (BY-PRODUCT) – MINE SAND NO. OF OPERATIONAL MINES DECREASING MINE-OUT SITES SOME SITES HAVE BEEN DEVELOPED

TIN TAILING UPGRADING PRODUCING – TIN ORE CONCENTRATES (PRODUCT) – MIXED MINERAL OR INDIVIDUAL MINERAL SUCH AS MONAZITE, ZIRCON, XENOTIME, ILMENITE AND OTHERS (BY-PRODUCT) – THESE MINERALS ARE CATEGORISED AS RADIOACTIVE NO. OPERATIONAL PLANTS DECREASING PROPERLY CLOSED?

TIN MINING & TIN TAILINGS INDUSTRIES MAINLY INVOLVING PHYSICAL SEPARATION PROCESSES PRODUCING LARGE VOLUME OF BY-PRODUCTS BY-PRODUCTS – SALEABLE – PRICES VARY – IN STABLE PHYSICAL FORM – CONTAIN A FEW BQ/G OF NATURALLY OCCURRING RADIONUCLIDES – POTENTIAL TO BE LEFT OUT ON-SITE WHEN OPERATION CLOSED CLOSED SITES NEED ASSESSMENT AND MAY NEED TO BE REMEDIATED

RARE EARTH EXTRACTION CHEMICAL CRACKING OF MONAZITE AND XENOTIME PRODUCING – RARE EARTH PRODUCTS – RESIDUES CONTAINING THORIUM HYDROXIDE OPERATION TERMINATED IN 1992 PLANT DECOMMISSIONING CARRIED OUT PLANT SITE HAD BEEN CLEANED-UP – REMOVING CONTAMINATED SOIL AND BACKFILLING WITH SOIL FROM OTHER SITES THE SITE WAS CLEARED BY AUTHORITY FOR INDUSTRIAL USE

ILMENITE PROCESSING PROCESSES INVOLVING ACIDS & OTHER CHEMICALS PRODUCING – SYNTHETIC RUTILE – TITANIUM DIOXIDE PIGMENT – IRON OXIDE RESIDUES – GYPSUM RESIDUES IRON OXIDE CONTAINS A FEW BQ/G OF NATURALLY OCCURRING RADIONUCLIDES GYPSUM CONTAINS LOW CONCENTRATION OF NORM

ILMENITE PROCESSING LARGE VOLUMES OF RESIDUES RESIDUES STORED ONSITE REQUIRE SOLUTIONS – REUTILISATION OF RESIDUES – LANDFILL MATERIAL? CHEMICAL HAZARD? STILL UNDER CONTROL THE NEED TO REMEDIATE THE SITE MAY ARISE LATER

TIN SMELTING OLD INDUSTRY SMELTING OF TIN ORE PRODUCING – TIN METAL – TIN SLAG RESIDUES

TIN SLAG LARGE VOLUME, STORED ONSITE CONTAIN A FEW BQ/G OF NATURALLY OCCURING RADIONUCLIDES USED FOR LANDFILL IN THE PAST CONTAINS TANTALUM – SALEABLE, PRICES VARY

LESSON LEARNED BUDGET SHOULD BE ALLOCATED FROM THE BEGINNING OF A NEW PLANT OR OPERATION FOR: – R&D ON THE REUTILISATION OF RESIDUES – PLANT DECOMMISSIONING – SITE REMEDIATION – WASTE DISPOSAL

CONCLUSIONS REMEDIATION ISSUES MAY ARISE NEEDED – GUIDELINES – TRAINING – NETWORKING

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