SITE REMEDIATION ISSUES IN RELATION TO NORM INDUSTRIES IN MALAYSIA

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

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

3. 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

4. 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?

5. 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

6. 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

7. 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

8. 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

9. TIN SMELTING • OLD INDUSTRY • SMELTING OF TIN ORE • PRODUCING • TIN METAL • TIN SLAG RESIDUES

10. 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

11. 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

12. CONCLUSIONS • REMEDIATION ISSUES MAY ARISE • NEEDED • GUIDELINES • TRAINING • NETWORKING

13. THANK YOU