The Ross Adams mine is a historical uranium mine in southeast Alaska, currently being investigated for reclamation by its most recent operator, Newmont Mining Corporation. The site has problems with high levels of radiation from uranium and radon gas present in the rock. Additionally, releases of arsenic, lead and other compounds potentially pose a risk to downstream fisheries. An unrelated company called Ucore Rare Metals is exploring the potential for recommencing uranium mining (Bokan Mountain Uranium Project) and for the presence of "rare earth" elements (Dotson Ridge Rare Earth Project) at the site and in the surrounding area.
The Ross Adams Mine operated sporadically from 1957 to 1971. The only commercial uranium mine in Alaskan history, the mine produced around 1.3 million pounds of uranium ore, which was shipped out of state to be processed. Newmont Mining Corporation operated the mine most recently, and is therefore the "responsible party" under EPA Superfund regulations for hazardous sites.
The US Forest Service, EPA and Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation (ADEC) performed a preliminary site inspection in 2004, finding higher than normal radiation levels at the mine site, waste rock piles, and roads nearby. Levels within the Ross Adams mine of radioactive radon, a decay product of uranium, are 50-125 times the upper limit for legal indoor exposure. Levels of radiation in the general area are 2-100 times background. The Southeast Alaska Conservation Council (SEACC) is concerned that radiation could threaten commercial fisheries downstream of the mine.
In 2009, Newmont agreed to conduct a detailed survey of the site in order to prepare a possible reclamation plan. Reclamation of the Ross Adams mine would be less complicated and expensive than many other abandoned uranium mines because no processing, which would have concentrated radioactive materials, took place on the site.
Both Newmont and Ucore Rare Metals, the company currently exploring the area, stress that the reclamation project doesn't affect the status or likelihood of a new mining project. However, SEACC has suggested that a new project be contingent on the completion of reclamation at the old mine.
Status: Reclamation assessment most likely ongoing
In 2007, a company called Ucore Uranium Inc. (now Ucore Rare Metals) began exploration of the old mine and surrounding area. In 2009, Ucore divided the project into the Bokan Mountain Uranium Project and the Dotson Ridge Rare Earth Project and created Rare Earth One LLC to manage the projects. The company has not announced any exploration for uranium at the Bokan Mountain site since 2008, and appears to be focusing exclusively on rare earths nearby. The price of uranium ore is volatile, but has trended upwards over the last decade. Ucore has not reported results of its preliminary observations or future plans for exploitation of the site, but re-examination of this resource is always possible, particularly if there is continued interest in a resurgence of nuclear power.
Status: Likely in hibernation
The Dotson Ridge project encompasses two separate rare earth ore bodies called the Dotson trend and the Sunday trend, located a few miles away from the Ross Adams mine and outside the area being examined for reclamation.
Rare earth elements (such as yttrium, lanthanum, and terbium) are used in a wide range of applications including many cutting edge military and green technologies. China currently controls more than 95% of world production and there has therefore been a resurgence of interest in establishing a domestic supply. The rare earth deposits at Dotson Ridge are of particular interest because they contain an unusually high ratio of profitable to less profitable elements. These include dysprosium which is used in high temperature magnet production in applications such as electric cards.
According to an April 2010 presentation to the Alaska state legislature, Rare Earth One LLC planned to conduct exploratory drillings and mineral assessments throughout the year, and produce a pre-feasibility study for Dotson Ridge. Preliminary drilling results were released in December 2010, within days of an announcement by AK Governor Parnell that the state would fund a study on the strategic importance of rare earths in Alaska.
In March 2011, the company released an official resource estimate for the site, demonstrating the presence of around 60 million tons of rare earth ore.
Status: Active exploration is underway in 2011 with an expected exploration expenditure of $8 million. A "priority permitting process" granted in August 2011 by the USFS could move the development forward by around a year.
| Exploration: | |
|---|---|
| 2010 | Extensive mapping, trenching, and drilling of 18 holes |
| 2011 | Extensive, $8 million exploration program including drilling of 34 holes and geochemical studies |
By David Coil, Elizabeth Lester, Bretwood Higman, Ground Truth Trekking
Content on this page is available under a Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial license. For commercial uses please contact us.
Date Created: Wed, 22 Dec 2010 14:55:18 -0900
Last Modified: Wed, 3 Aug 2011 22:17:09 -0800
The USFS has granted priority permitting to the rare earth project at Bokan Mountain/Dotson Ridge.
The company exploring the Bokan Mountain rare earth deposits recently purchased thousands of acres for exploration in the Ray Mountains.
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