Lok Sabha Question No. 2224 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2020-03-04
Subject: Public Health Hazard in Uranium Mines
Ministry: ATOMIC ENERGY
Asked by: Rajiv Pratap Rudy

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA DEPARTMENT OF ATOMIC ENERGY

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.2224

TO BE ANSWERED ON 04.03.2020

## PUBLIC HEALTH HAZARD IN URANIUM MINES

2224.   SHRI RAJIV PRATAP RUDY:

Will the PRIME MINISTER be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Government has reports of hazardous activities like radio-active slurry being stored in the open, causing health hazards to people residing in adjacent areas of uranium mines in the country and if so, the details of  each such report;
- (b) the details of the action taken thereon;
- (c) the details of norms to be followed at uranium mines in the country;
- (d) whether the Government has conducted audits with regard to mining norms in these mines; and
- (e) if so, the details of each mine's audit report thereof?

## ANSWER

THE  MINISTER  OF  STATE  FOR  PERSONNEL,  PUBLIC  GRIEVANCES  AND PENSIONS AND PRIME MINISTER'S OFFICE (DR. JITENDRA SINGH):\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_

- (a) No, Sir.
- (b)
- Does not arise in view of (a) above. During recovery of uranium from the ore in a uranium mill, tailings containing

low level radioactivity get generated which are transported to tailings pond in the form of slurry. The tailings ponds are engineered valley-dam structures, which are under continuous radiological surveillance. In the tailings pond, the solids  settle  down  and  the  supernatant  liquid  is  routed  to  an  Effluent Treatment Plant (ETP). Only treated effluents conforming to discharge limits

are  discharged  into  the  environment.  After  extracting  the  uranium  from  the ore,  the  coarse  fraction  of  the  tailings  is  backfilled  in  mines  and  remaining treated tailings in the form of slurry is stored in engineered tailing impoundment facility (tailings pond). The effluent from the tailings pond are further  collected,  treated  and  re-used  in  the  process.  The  remaining  of  the treated effluents is monitored to ensure that they meet the regulatory limits before  discharge  to  the  environment.  Regular  environmental  monitoring around  the  uranium  mining  facilities  is  carried  out  by  the  Health  Physics Laboratory  to  ensure  that  the  impact  of  the  mining  operations  in  the surrounding  areas  is  negligible.  Depending  on  the  characteristics  of  the residue  and  site  conditions,  the  design  features  of  tailing  impoundment facility are decided. The restricted area of the tailings impoundment facility is kept under regular surveillance by Uranium Corporation of India Limited and Health Physics laboratory of Bhabha Atomic Research Centre. The population  residing  around  such  facilities  has  not  been  found  to  have  any health  hazards  due  to  associated  radioactivity  in the tailings.  Regular radiation monitoring is carried out by the Health Physics Laboratory set up at the site by the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre. Monitoring reports related to radioactivity / radiation are prepared  and  submitted  to  the regulatory authority, Atomic Energy Regulatory Board (AERB) to ensure that the impact of the mining operations in the surrounding areas is negligible.

- (c)     The uranium mines of the country are governed by various Acts, Rules and Regulations.  The regulatory bodies like Directorate General of Mines Safety (DGMS) and the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board (AERB) enforce compliance of the statute. AERB regulates uranium mines from radiological safety  considerations  under  the  enabling  provisions  of  the  Atomic  Energy (Radiation  Protection)  Rules,  2004  and  Atomic  Energy  (Safe  Disposal  of Radioactive Wastes) Rules, 1987.  The radiological safety norms applicable to  uranium  mines  are  specified  by  AERB  in  various  regulatory  documents such as 'Radiological Safety in Uranium Mining and Milling', Management of Radioactive Waste from Mining and Milling of Uranium and Thorium etc.

- (d)&(e)  Yes,  Sir.    AERB    carries  out    regulatory  inspection  of    the  uranium  mines minimum once in a year to check the compliance with the requirements and stipulations  stated  in  Licence  issued  under  the  Atomic  Energy  (Radiation Protection) Rules, 2004 and to verify the stipulations in Authorisation under Atomic  Energy  (Safe  Disposal  of  Radioactive  Wastes)  Rules,  1987.  In addition to regulatory inspections, special inspections are also carried out on case-to-case basis.

The  details  of  inspections  of  Uranium  Corporation  of  India  Limited  (UCIL) mines carried out by AERB during the last 3 years are given below:

| Sr.No.   | UCIL Mines              | Inspection Period [Financial Year]   | Inspection Period [Financial Year]   | Inspection Period [Financial Year]   |
|----------|-------------------------|--------------------------------------|--------------------------------------|--------------------------------------|
|          |                         | 2017-18                              | 2018-19                              | 2019-20                              |
| 1.       | UCIL Mine- Jaduguda     | February, 2018                       | December, 2018                       | October, 2019                        |
| 2.       | UCIL Mine- Turamdih     | February, 2018                       | January, 2019                        | January, 2020                        |
| 3.       | UCIL Mine- Bhatin       | February, 2018                       | December, 2018                       | November, 2019                       |
| 4.       | UCIL Mine-Bagjata       | August, 2017                         | February, 2019                       | February, 2020                       |
| 5.       | UCIL Mine- Banduhurang  | February, 2018                       | January, 2019                        | February, 2020                       |
| 6.       | UCIL Mine-Mohuldih      | February, 2018                       | January, 2019                        | February, 2020                       |
| 7.       | UCIL Mine- Narwapahar   | February, 2018                       | January, 2019                        | February, 2020                       |
| 8.       | UCIL Mine- Tummalapalle | November, 2017                       | January, 2019                        | November, 2019                       |

The important findings of the inspections are published regularly in AERB's Annual Reports. The requirements with respect to monitoring of workplace, effluent, environment and radiation dose estimation of occupational workers is being complied with in all mines. Radiation doses of occupational workers in  uranium  mines  are  found  to  be  well  within  the  dose  limits  specified  by AERB.

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