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(USPHS) to determine if any hazard could result from accidental venting and to anticipate the precautions necessary to safeguard public health and safety. This would involve complete USPHS pre-shot surveys of human and livestock populations and distribution. The USPHS would also perform its customary pre- and post-shot radiological monitoring programs of the off-site area. This includes collection of air, water, milk and vegetation samples for analyses. The post-shot drilling and testing programs would remain under the control of the AEC as long as is necessary to protect the health and safety of both the public and project personnel. A monitoring program would be instituted during post-shot drilling to detect the presence of any radioactivity and to effect control measures if needed.

A public information program would be undertaken to acquaint state and local officials and the people in the area of the purpose and progress of the experiment, and of the public safety measures being developed.

3. Ground Water Contamination

Careful consideration has been given to the possibility of contamination of local ground water supplies by solutions escaping from the leach system. It is concluded that this is highly improbable, for the following reasons:

a. The rock formations in which the experiment is proposed are very impermeable, and resist transmission of water.

b. The deposit is dry. No ground water has ever been encountered in underground workings or in deep exploratory holes in the orebody (Figure 6).

c. Every effort will be made to prevent loss of fluids from the chimney area. An extensive system of drainage drifts and monitoring holes beneath and alongside the chimney will be constructed to assure this. In addition to safety considerations, this installation is required to recover all solutions for the experiment and to provide design criteria for a commercial collection system. Pre-shot investigations would determine, in greater detail, the existing hydrologic conditions that would influence the movement of underground water.

C. Project Management

Because of the different technologies involved and the legal requirements for control of nuclear explosives, the execution of the Sloop experiment would require the joint efforts of the Atomic Energy Commission and Kennecott Copper Cor

poration. The Atomic Energy Commission through its Nevada Operations Office would assume responsibility for public safety, explosive protection, and detonation. The AEC would also provide assurance that all phases of the nuclear operation would be conducted in accordance with AEC policies and procedures. The AEC would provide an on-site representative who would coordinate the activities of the AEC contractors, and monitor the progress of work to assure conformity with approved plans. The AEC would also provide for monitoring the post-shot activities with respect to radiological safety and possible release of contaminated material. The portions of the experiment dealing with site evaluation and confirmation, the nuclear detonation, and chimney environment measurements would be conducted under the overall technical direction of the Lawrence Radiation Laboratory.

Kennecott Copper Corporation would be primarily responsible for the leaching phase of the experiment* and would coordinate the leaching activities with the AEC to ensure radiological safety is maintained. Kennecott would direct the construction of the leaching facilities and provide personnel as required for the leaching and process recovery tests.

At the conclusion of the field test program, detailed reports would be published by Kennecott, the Bureau of Mines, the Atomic Energy Commission and Lawrence Radiation Laboratory to fully evaluate the feasibility of a commercial operation at Safford and to set up guidelines for the use of this technique on other suitable deposits.

D. Project Cost and Schedule

The preliminary estimate of the total cost of the experiment including operation of the leaching system for one year is $13,175,000. The major project costs are summarized in Table II.

A time schedule for the work to be performed in the project is given in Table III. It is estimated that nine months would be required from the authorization date until detonation of the explosive. In an additional nine months, after detonation and evaluation of the explosive effects, the leaching tests could begin. It is estimated that a minimum of one year of leaching would be required to accumulate sufficient data to evaluate the techniques. The overall project time from authorization to evaluation would approximate 30 months. Leaching might possibly be continued for a number of years, to obtain additional information.

- Phase 111, page 24.

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