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Management of Phosphate Tailings

(last updated 27 Sep 2008)

ISSUES

USA

U.S. EPA study on old phosphate mining and processing sites remains incomplete

For the past several decades, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has kept 21 old, Central Florida phosphate mining and processing sites on a list of industrial sites that warrant evaluation to determine if they should get cleanups under the Superfund program. However, the EPA to date has conducted an evaluation of only one of those sites, the 7,000-acre Tenoroc Mine, which was excavated between the 1960s and the late 1970s by Borden Chemical. The company then donated the site to the state for a fish management and recreation area.
In 2001, a consultant for the EPA found "elevated levels" of both radionuclides and heavy metals in a number of soil, clay and water samples from the site. Tetra Tech E.M., the consultant hired by the EPA to conduct the study, called for a more comprehensive site evaluation and a cleanup.
However, the EPA, which labeled the study a draft, never finalized it. The study hasn't been finalized because the EPA is working to establish an "over-arching policy" that would set the criteria for further site evaluations and cleanups based on the relative levels of risk at all 21 of the phosphate sites, said Franklin Hill, district director of the EPA's Superfund program. Such a policy is needed because the sites are so large, and yet few people live around them, so the risk appears to be minimal, he said. (Sun Herald Nov. 5, 2007)

U.S. EPA seeks comment on proposed use of phosphogypsum as cover for solid waste landfill

On January 13, 2005, EPA issued a request for comment on the approval of a proposed alternative use of phosphogypsum by the Florida Institute of Phosphate Research (FIPR)

. FIPR has petitioned EPA to test the use of approximately 25 tons of phosphogypsum as a daily cover at the Brevard County Solid Waste Landfill.
On June 23, 2005, however, FIPR withdrew the petition.

> View EPA release

Revision of U.S. air emission standards for phosphate tailings

Federal Register: February 3, 1999 (Vol. 64, No. 22) p. 5573-5580 (download full rule

40 CFR Part 61 - National Emission Standard for Hazardous Air Pollutants; National Emission Standards for Radon Emissions From Phosphogypsum Stacks
AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency.
ACTION: Final rule.
"SUMMARY: The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is promulgating revisions to the National Emission Standard for Hazardous Air Pollutants (NESHAP) that sets limits on radon emissions from phosphogypsum stacks, codified as subpart R of 40 CFR part 61. The Agency is taking today's action in response to a petition for reconsideration from The Fertilizer Institute (TFI), which critiqued the risk assessment EPA performed in support of the version of subpart R promulgated in 1992. Today's action raises the limit on the quantity of phosphogypsum that may be used for indoor research and development from 700 to 7,000 pounds, eliminates current sampling requirements for phosphogypsum used in indoor research and development, and clarifies sampling procedures for phosphogypsum removed from stacks for other purposes."

National Emission Standard for Radon Emissions From Phosphogypsum Stacks - U.S. EPA Proposed rule; Notice of Reconsideration.

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency: 40 CFR Part 61 National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants; National Emission Standard for Radon Emissions From Phosphogypsum Stacks - Proposed rule; Notice of Reconsideration
In: Federal Register: May 8, 1996 (Volume 61, Number 90), Proposed Rules, p.20775-20779, download via GPO Access

"SUMMARY: On March 24, 1994, EPA announced its decision concerning a petition by The Fertilizer Institute (TFI) seeking reconsideration of a June 3, 1992 final rule revising the National Emission Standard for Radon Emissions from Phosphogypsum Stacks, 40 CFR Part 61, Subpart R. EPA partially granted and partially denied the TFI petition for reconsideration. Pursuant to that decision, EPA is convening a rulemaking to reconsider 40 CFR 61.205, the provision of the final rule which governs distribution and use of phosphogypsum for research and development, and the methodology utilized under 40 CFR 61.207 to establish the average radium-226 concentration for phosphogypsum removed from a phosphogypsum stack. This document identifies proposed changes to be considered as part of this reconsideration and specific underlying issues on which EPA seeks further comment."

Spain

Phosphogypsum stacks at Huelva, Spain

European Commission initiates procedure of infraction against Spain concerning the phosphogypsum dams of Fertiberia in Huelva

The European Commission initiates a procedure of infraction against Spain. Europe accuses the State to allow that the facilities of Fertiberia and Foret are developing their activity "without having an Autorización Ambiental Integrada (AAI) emitted in the fixed term", explained the commissioner of environment, Stavros Dimas. (El País Sep 27, 2008)

European Commission demands explanation from Spain on spills at Fertiberia

The European Commission has lost the patience with the highly polluting spills of Fertiberia in the salt marshes of Huelva: on May 6, 2008, it decided to send a subpoena to the Spanish authorities in which it demands explanations on what is happening. Brussels demands measures to prevent further violations of the directive on Integrated Pollution Prevention and Control (IPPC Directive) (Council Directive 96/61/EC

of 24 September 1996). (El País May 7, 2008)

Administration deems Fertiberia's closing plan unacceptable

The Main Directorate of Coasts (Dirección General de Costas) has rejected the closing plan presented by Fertiberia in October 2007 as unacceptable. The company proposed the progressive closure of its Huelva facilities and phosphogypsum stacks over a period of 10 years. The administration rather wants a closure by 2011. The administration does not allow for the opening of new phosphogypsum stacks, but authorizes the continued use of the existing stacks. (El País Mar. 26, 2008)

The Office of the public prosecutor investigates the spills of phosphogypsum and cesium in Huelva

The Office of the public prosecutor of Huelva will investigate the spills originating from the fertilizer factory of Fertiberia and their phosphogypsum stacks located at a distance of 500 meters from the city. The fiscal ministry also will study the releases of cesium-137 in a waste dump located next to the phosphogypsum stacks, as denounced by ecological groups such as Greenpeace or the Asociación Mesa de la Ría

. (El País Feb. 17, 2008)

CRIIRAD study confirms elevated radionuclide concentrations in Huelva phosphogypsum stacks

> View Greenpeace Spain release Dec. 4, 2007 (in Spanish)
> View CRIIRAD release Dec. 4, 2007 (in French)
> Download CRIIRAD report: Rapport CRIIRAD N°07-117, Contrôles radiologiques à Huelva (Espagne), Nov. 29, 2007 (705k PDF - in French)

Study finds high mobility of uranium and other heavy metals in Huelva phosphogypsum stacks

"Presently, about 3 million tonnes of phosphogypsum are being generated annually in Spain as by-product from phosphoric acid in a fertilizer factory located in Huelva (southwestern Iberian Peninsula). Phosphate rock from Morocco is used as raw material in this process. Phosphogypsum wastes are stored in a stack containing 100 Mt (approximately 1200 ha of surface) over salt marshes of an estuary formed by the confluence of the Tinto and Odiel rivers, less than 1 km away from the city centre." [...]
"The main environmental concern associated to phosphoric acid production is that Uranium, a radiotoxic element, is transferred from the non-mobile fraction in the phosphate rock to the bioavailable fraction in phosphogypsum in a rate of 23%. Around 21% of Ba, 6% of Cu and Sr, 5% of Cd and Ni, and 2% of Zn are also contained in the water-soluble phase of the final waste. Considering the total mass of phosphogypsum, the amount of metals easily soluble in water is approximately 6178, 3089, 1931, 579, 232, 193 and 77 t for Sr, U, Ba, Zn, Ni, Cu and Cd, respectively. This gives an idea of the pollution potential of this waste."

Changes in mobility of toxic elements during the production of phosphoric acid in the fertilizer industry of Huelva (SW Spain) and environmental impact of phosphogypsum wastes, by Perez-Lopez R, Alvarez-Valero AM, Nieto JM, in: Journal of Hazardous Materials, 2007 Sep 30, Vol.148 (No.3), p.745-750

Legal proceedings on operation of phosphogypsum stacks in Huelva

On July 12, 2007, the Audiencia Nacional (National Court) declared the operating license for the phosphogypsum stacks null for failure to comply to the Ley de Costas (Law of Coasts). On July 23, 2007, Fertiberia challenged this decision before the Tribunal Supremo (Supreme Court). If the Supreme Court would uphold the judgement, Fertiberia would have to halt its operations immediately. The proceedings had originally been initiated by WWF/Adena

in 2003. (El País July 29, 2007; WWF/Adena July 12, 2007)

Greenpeace demands to declare phosphogypsum stacks at Huelva, Spain, radioactive installations

On March 19, 2007, Greenpeace protested against the situation of the phosphogypsum stacks at Huelva. Greenpeace found radiation levels up to 111 times above permissible levels. The stacks cover an area of 1,200 hectares and contain an estimated amount of 50 million tonnes of phosphogypsum, mostly generated from the Fertiberia fertilizer plant, and in part by the Foret enterprise. (El País March 26, 2007)

Phosphogypsum tailings dam failure in Huelva, Spain

50,000 cubic meters of acidic (pH 1.5) and toxic liquid spilled from a phosphogypsum stack at Huelva in Southern Spain at 3 p.m. on December 31, 1998. The 75-hectares tailings dam, operated by the companies Fertiberia

and FMC Foret, is located in the salt marshes of Rincón in the outskirts of Huelva, and it contained 1 million cubic meters of liquid. It failed during a storm, when waves of four meters height damaged the embankment. The liquid spilled into Ría de Huelva, a tributary to Río Tinto.
The director of the Fertiberia plant in Huelva indicated that the dam was constructed "following the guideline of a North American company of great experience and prestige", and that Ría de Huelva will not suffer damages since those remainders were spilled there directly until 1997.
Ecologists claim that 400,000 cubic meters spilled, instead of 50,000.
(El Mundo / El País / La Vanguardia Jan. 2 & 3, 1999)

> see also: Safety of Tailings Dams

> For more phosphogypsum dam failures, see: Chronology of major tailings dam failures (watch for ore "phosphate")

LITERATURE

Feasability Analysis: A Comparison of Phosphogysum and Uranium Mill Tailing Waste Unit Designs

by U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Solid Waste, January 1997, 33p.
Download

(238k, PDF format)

Summarized Comparison between 1993 Florida Phosphogypsum Management Regulations, New/Proposed Gypsum Stacks in Florida, and Uranium Mill Tailings Management Standards
[...]
"There are some trends and differences that can be highlighted from Table 5-1, as follows:

The 1993 Florida Phosphogypsum Management regulations are less stringent than the uranium mill tailings standards defined in 40 CFR 192 Subpart D in several important respects.

First, the uranium tailings standards require a double composite liner with two geomembranes and an underlying layer of 3 feet of compacted soil with minimum hydraulic conductivity of 1x10^-7 cm/sec. The gypsum standards require only one geomembrane and 2 feet of compacted gypsum with minimum hydraulic conductivity of 1x10^-4 cm/sec (or an underlying 18-inch layer of compacted soil with maximum hydraulic conductivity of 1x10^-7 cm/sec, which has not been used in any of the four cases analyzed in Section 4).
Second, the uranium tailings standards require a leachate collection system that is also used as detection system. If the measured volume of liquids recovered exceeds a pre-determined action leakage rate, a response action plan is set in motion to mitigate or stop any leaks. In the gypsum case, leakage through the liner is expected and it is actually calculated in the technical reports presented in the permitting process.

All three gypsum stacks constructed or proposed since the enactment of the 1993 Florida Phosphogypsum Management regulations have followed or exceeded the Florida standards but none of the designs approach the protectiveness of the uranium mill tailings standards.

The Plant City gypsum stack proposal goes beyond the Florida standards due to the environmental sensitivity of the area (i.e., proximity of a potential future wellhead area) and, quite likely, because of increased public concern in Florida after recent environmental incidents in the phosphoric acid industry.

A trend that is clearly noticeable in the technical reports presented to support the Florida permit applications is an increasing level of detail and analysis. For example, a new topic that is receiving more attention (both in field work efforts and proposed preventive measures) is sinkhole potential.

The approach at the Nichols plant of a modified gypsum stack is interesting, as it allows usage of an old stack for the remaining years of its useful life, fulfilling at the same time the 1993 Florida regulation's closure requirements. Furthermore, it is a potential solution for those situations with land availability restrictions; it does not have to go through the DRI process as it does not change the footprint of the original gypsum stack; and the ZOD is not reduced, but remains within a horizontal range to the property boundary."

Handling of radium and uranium contaminated waste piles and other wastes from phosphate ore processing

by G.Schmidt, C.Küppers; annex by P.Robinson
Nuclear Science and Technology, Report EUR 15448 EN. 121 p. ISBN 92-827-4076-5, published by the European Commission, Luxembourg 1995.

ABSTRACT

"Natural phosphate ores contain radionuclides of the uranium series. In this report, calculations and evaluations of radiation doses for the public and for workers from the phosphate industry are performed. From these findings, it is evaluated whether established radiation protection procedures should also apply to certain facilities, occupations and waste management practices in the phosphate industry. Measures for improvement and remediation are discussed and evaluated, and recommendations given."

CONCLUSIONS

"The findings in this report are summarized with the following statemens:

Processing and waste handling in the phosphate industry is associated with radiation levels of concern for workers and the public. The level of protection for these groups should be more similar to the level of protection that is state of the art in other industries, particularly the nuclear industry.
Radiation protection measures for workers are necessary, especially for certain areas of the facility and for repair jobs, because potential radiation doses reach a relatively high level of concern compared to protection levels in other industrial branches.
Some waste management practices still found in the phosphate industry of today deliver relatively high individual and/or collective doses to the public, that can be substantially reduced by shifting to alternative management strategies.
Environmental risks from phosphogypsum piles can be reduced using relatively simple and cheap measures such as covers, liners or a more sophisticated wastewater treatment. These are in place and working well at other facilities in and outside Europe.
The unrestricted reuse of materials from phosphate processing facilities and of waste materials creates potential hazards to man that exceed established limits for radiation protection."

Available from:
Office for Official Publications of the European Communities
2, rue Mercier, L-2985 Luxembourg, Luxembourg
Tel. +352-2929-1, Fax: +352-488573 / 486817
(or from national distributor of EU publications)

Natural Radionuclide Concentrations in Materials Processed in the Chemical Industry and the Related Radiological Impact

by J. Hofmann, R. Leicht, H.J. Wingender, J. Wörner, August 2000, 115 p.
Nuclear Safety and the Environment, Report EUR 19264, European Commission, Directorate-General Environment
> Download full report

(325k PDF)

Abstract

"Subject of this study is the potential radiation risk that can result from the presence of naturally occurring radioactive materials in raw materials usually considered as not radioactive and used in the manufacturing of chemical products.
In a review concerning such raw materials (phosphate ores, Zirconium, various metal ores) basic information on major companies involved, quantities produced, range of radionuclide concentration, chemical processes, products and by-products has been compiled for EU member states.
Typical radiation exposure scenarios such as radiation exposure of staff due to direct radiation, dust inhalation and dumping of various materials as well as the exposure of the public due to dumping and use of products have been investigated. The results show that the inhalation of dust is the major source of dose uptake which may require limiting dust concentrations.
In a survey concerning the current legislation in the European Union and its member states the problems radon at workplaces, testing and remedying existing workplaces, controlled and supervised areas and protection against exposure from natural sources are discussed. Regarding the regulation and classification schemes identified and taking into consideration the exposure estimates derived, it can be concluded that the dust inhalation situation of staff should be carefully and specifically re-considered before any additional regulatory measures are taken."

Phosphate and Molybdenite - Extraction and Beneficiation of Ores and Minerals

Technical Resource Document: Other Mining Sectors, Volume 7. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Solid Waste, EPA/530-R-94-034, NTIS/PB94-201001, November 1994, 135 pages.
[Report summarizes EPA site visits to phosphate and molybdenite mines. Includes reports of EPA site visit to IMC Fertilizer's Four Corners (phosphate) Mine near Duette, Florida and Cyprus Minerals Corporation's Thompson Creek (molybdenite) Mine near Challis, Idaho. Discusses the extraction and beneficiation activities at each site. The report includes a description of mine operations, mine waste generation and management practices, and regulatory status on a site-specific basis; The information was gathered from State and Federal agency files, as well as observations made during the site visits.]

Available from: National Technical Information Service , 5285 Port Royal Road, Springfield, VA 22161, USA, Tel. +1-703-487-4650, Fax: +1-703- 321-8547
Also available by Download (1366k PDF)

Radiological Considerations of Phosphogypsum Utilization in Agriculture

by C.L.Lindeken, U.S. DOE, UCRL-84927, 1980, 22 p.

Data Set of World Phosphate Mines, Deposits, and Occurrences

by C.B. Chernoff and G.J. Orris, USGS Open-File Report 02-156A&B, 2002

REGULATIONS

U.S. EPA: 40 CFR Part 61 - National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants: Select for Download (PDF format)

Subparts of interest:

Subpart K - National Emission Standards for Radionuclide Emissions From Elemental Phosphorous Plants
Subpart R - National Emission Standards for Radon Emissions From Phosphopgypsum Stacks