Page 244 - Beyond Decommissioning

Experience and lessons learned 225

complex, including areas to practice baseball, golf, and volleyball. Site’s ponds and
wetlands have been restored for fishing activities. Redevelopment plans also include
walking paths and a playground.
The waste from processing uranium ores is disposed of on the mining sites.
This mining waste is very low-level because uranium is one of the least radioac-
tive elements in nature and the uranium concentration of uranium-bearing ores is
generally low. This low concentration entails that large amounts of rock have to
be mined to extract uranium. The rock is crushed onsite. Once the uranium has
been removed, the mining residues contain radionuclides that are the descendants
of uranium. All the radionuclides remain contained in the soil, except the radon
gas. When a site is remediated, the waste is normally covered by a layer of rock to
prevent it from being dispersed by erosion. The cover is also a shield against
gamma radiation, release of radon gas, and inhalation of airborne dust. The former
open-cast uranium mine at Puy-de-l’Age, near La Crouzille in Limousin, France
has been remediated and redeveloped. Part of the site has been converted into
agriculture and forestry, and another part has been redeveloped as a lake
(radioactivity.eu.com, n.d.).
The industrial archaeology of Sardinia, Italy is an outstanding showcase of the
island’s cultural past. In particular, this refers to the extraction of minerals, an activity
that began in Sardinia in prehistorical times and went on with the Phoenicians and the
Romans. In the 1960s, the reduced demand of coal and other minerals, and the high
extraction and export costs made the industry decline, and all mines were closed down
in the 1990s. What remains of the miming works is so impressive that UNESCO has
declared the area of Sulcis-Iglesias-Guspini, the largest mining area, as the Geo-
mineral, Historical, and Environmental park of Sardinia, now a protected area. This
meant rehabilitation of these pieces of industrial archeology and the opening of their
doors to the public a few years ago.
2
The park is very large, some 3500 km , divided into eight sections and administra-
tively shared by 85 municipalities. Today, these areas can be visited and some host
corporate and other events with the aim of encouraging tourism (not an easy task,
given the relative remoteness of Sardinia).
In some mining sites in Sardinia facilities and machinery have been salvaged and
restored; unfortunately, in most cases the ruins of the miners’ houses, the rusty railway
tracks, and the gutted buildings where the minerals were processed look like ghost
towns. Beneath these sites there is an underground labyrinth of tunnels, shafts, and
passages, which extend long distances. Among the most notable buildings and sites
one could quote: the mining headquarters at Montevecchio; the Piccalinna works still
exhibiting mining machinery, Saint Anthony mine with its peculiar crenellated tower,
and metal forging and tempering workshops. The industrial past of these sites is fully
visible and alive (Sardegna.com, 2010).
While lacking the shelter of underground mines (see Section 6.3) open-pit mines
offer other opportunities The Shimao Wonderland Intercontinental hotel in Shang-
hai, China spans 100 m down into an abandoned quarry. The open-top space allows
in natural light while the rocky walls around provide scenic views (99%
Invisible, 2016).