Reversing Mother Nature, Part Three

We talked to North America's leading In Situ Leach (ISL) uranium mining engineers, and had them explain exactly how ISL worked. Most of the significant ISL operations in the United States were designed and/or constructed by these engineers. They explained how ISL mining is really just reversing the process of Mother Nature.

CLEANING UP THE PROJECT

Not so fast. Shipping the uranium out of the ISL plant isn't the final step. The water has to be cleaned up, the property returned to its original condition. If done properly, then the footprint of the ISL uranium operation should have been nearly erased. In an earlier article, "Wyoming Uranium: Now and the Future," we talked to Pat Drummond at Smith Ranch about this process:

The company is meticulous in restoring the landscape as well. Any restoration work on the surface is called "reclamation." That can involve farming. "When we start a well field, we have to, by license, remove the topsoil and store it somewhere," Drummond explained. "When we go back to reclaim the property, we take all the pipes out, we take the houses down, and cut our wells off. It's all identified. We put an ID marker on the well. In 50 years time, when Farmer Joe comes around and wonders what was there, the state can say, 'That was a uranium well.' From the time we've stopped mining, we put everything back to normal."

The one item we did not address at the time was cleaning up the water after the orebody has been mined out. Why is restoring the water back to background important? "In the mining process, you're basically elevating sulfate," explained Anthony. "You're also elevating calcium because you're lowering the pH a little bit, down to 6.5 to 7. Because you run it across the ion exchange circuits, you get a little leakage of chlorides into the lixiviant." Subsequently, the water will have sulfate, chloride, calcium and bicarbonate circulating within it. "When you add carbon dioxide, you're forming bicarbonate," Anthony noted. "These are the major ion groups you are elevating during the mining process." He also added that in some projects, you may get arsenic, vanadium and/or selenium. "They all go into the solution so that at the end of your mining process, these ions will be elevated above their baseline values." The water will need to undergo a purification process to return them back to a quality consistent with baseline values."

What does the ISL operator do with the water once the facility has mined out the uranium? There are three options, which we discussed with Glenn Catchpole, who has also set up previous ISL operations. In 1996, Catchpole was the General Manager and Managing Director of the Inkai uranium solution mining project in Kazakhstan. He is currently the Chief Executive of Uranerz Energy. "Here's my order of priority: If you have a receiver formation for deep disposal on your project, that's my first choice." Sometimes, a project may not have access to a deep disposal aquifer, warned Catchpole.

The water is sent down the receiver formation, down about 4000 feet. "You're usually sending this water to a formation that is very briny, a poorer quality than what you're sending down," Anthony pointed out. Another option, according to Catchpole, would be operations ponds, or evaporating ponds, where the water is evaporated. A third option is "land applied." Catchpole explained this was for land application. "You take your waste stream, you treat it to remove the certain level of impurities, according to the government requirement, and then you're allowed to disperse it on the land surface, as if you were irrigating." When applied to the land, it is soaking into the land. "It's growing grass, and it's going into the groundwater system," concluded Catchpole, "Whatever water quality standard they allow for you to put that water in the land, they want to ensure it doesn't accumulate some particular chemical over time that is going to build up and contaminate the land."

Generally, during the restoration process, the water is circulated through the barren orebody about eight times. It's another instance of pore volumes – eight more times through the sandstone formation. Anthony explained, "Normally, the first pore volume is evacuated and disposed of via a disposal well." But he warned, "This will cause an inflow of surrounding native water back into the mine zone. The resulting water is pumped to the surface and processed through a reverse osmosis unit." Anthony compared this to the desalination of seawater. "The reverse osmosis equipment acts like an 'ion filter,' allowing pure water to pass through a membrane and filtering out ions of sulfate, calcium, uranium, bicarbonate and so forth," Anthony explained

Two streams of water are produced by the reverse osmosis unit. One stream is called "product water," and is normally consistent with drinking water quality. The smaller stream of water is called "brine." It contains, according to Anthony, "95 percent of all the dissolved ions that were in solution." He said, "The brine is disposed down a deep well into an underground formation, which is typically not suitable for any use."

CONCLUSION

For all the lip service and media attention paid to the environmental movement in terms of financial support, recognition and respect, it is the ISL miner who cares more about the environment, about preserving Mother Nature. Environmentalists remain ignorant of, or care not to publicize, the dangers of coal-fired electrical generation. Mining and burning coal to generate power for industry and residential electricity poses a greater threat to Mother Nature than ISL mining and nuclear power-generated electricity. No more evident a case in point is New Mexico, where the Navajo Nation "banned" uranium mining, because their president was misled by environmentalists in believing ISL uranium mining could pose a threat to groundwater. At the same time, the Navajo Nation enjoys over $100 million in coal royalties each year, as their air is polluted by carcinogens filling their air from coal mining in the San Juan Basin and coal-fired plants, which produce most of their electricity. It is time for the world's environmentalist movements to wake up and smell the air they are breathing.

Unfortunately, ISL uranium mining will not replace conventional uranium mining in many deposits across the world. According to the World Nuclear Association, ISL mining accounted for 21 percent of worldwide uranium mining in 2004. "The overriding constraint of ISL is the technology is only applicable to selected uranium deposits," Stover cautioned. "It's those deposits wherein the uranium ore resides in a permeable environment, where you can flow water through the deposit and where you can bring the dissolved oxygen and carbon dioxide into contact with the uranium." Stover explained that, during the evolution of ISL mining, a number of projects failed because the uranium was associated with organic material, was not accessible to the leaching solution, or the uranium was tied up in clays or shale-like material. "They were not able to flow fluid through it," explained Stover. "The key issue at the onset is a careful characterization of the host environment in which the uranium exists."

The key advantage to ISL is the far lower capital costs to start up a project, compared to the hundreds of millions required for a conventional mining and mill complex. For example, UR-Energy's William Boberg and Uranerz Energy's Glenn Catchpole both believe they can install an ISL operation on their Wyoming properties for as little as $10 million. Labor costs are also less. Doug Norris pointed out, "In its heyday, the Highland mine probably had 4,000 working in it." By comparison, Cameco's Smith-Highland ranch in Wyoming may soon ramp up to nearly 100 employees. "We're talking about installing a centralized water treatment plant supported by a large number of water wells, typically completed with PVC," Stover explained. "That's in contrast with conventional mining, where you have extensive earth moving, in the case of an open pit or extensive underground workings, and a more complicated, much larger processing plant."

In terms of environmental impact, ISL offers something sensible to the environmentalists. "ISL is much less intrusive, and it is short lived," Stover said, echoing the sentiments of all who have been involved in this type of uranium mining. "It's acceptance by the general public is much more favorable," he concluded.

What does the future hold for ISL uranium mining in the United States? "Up until 2004, prices were flat," Norris pointed out. "The economic picture has just now switched to where mines can start coming on again, but it does take years to properly define where the ore is. It takes a lot of geologic drilling and time to decipher it. Then there are the regulatory requirements, and that can take several years. Even if everybody reacted right now to what's out there, it would still be several years, upwards of five years, before production jumped from its existing rate to 10 to 20 million pounds at the most."

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Wingless Fleas

A Flea is a common small wingless insect. Fleas, being external parasites, live by hematophagy off the blood of mammals and birds that they live on. There is several different species of fleas, with the most well known being:

- Cat Flea

- Dog Flea

- Northern Rat Flea

- Oriental Rat Flea

It is rare that flea's become damaging to their host; in most cases they are just nuisances. There can however become a problem when the host suffers an allergic reaction to the flea saliva. Spots where fleas bite are normally visible by a slightly raised and itchy swolled spot, that will have a single puncture at the center.

It is important to note that opposite to what I said above, fleas can transmit diseases. This is a rare scenario, but does happen, and an example is the bubonic plague where the disease was transferred between rodents and humans. If that is not bad enough Murine typhus fever and even some cases of tapeworms can be transmitted by fleas.

Fleas are busy little insects and will pass through a complete life cycle, egg to adult, in as short as two weeks to as long as eight months, depending on environment conditions. Generally after a blood meal a female flea will lay eggs, about 15 per day, and up to about 600 in its whole lifetime. The eggs are generally layed on the host, and will often times drop off the host. These Flea eggs take between 2 days to 2 weeks to hatch.

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The Hoodia Scams Have Lasted Long Enough

The big news about Hoodia supplements is that almost all Hoodia Gordonii products available today are ineffective – using fake hoodia. A well respected health author claims over 90% of the hoodia gordonii are known to be fake. This data seems to be backed up my major testing facilities who are claiming similar numbers.

So we did some research of our own and there's buzz on a newer Hoodia Gordonii product called Hoodia Prime. We used it on our test subject to see what she would say.

The results aren't what you might think they would be. But more on that in a minute.

When was the last time you stopped and thought about the companies that create the natural health supplements you take? Often times, it is easy to assume that the regulatory forces that ensure our food is safe, our water is clean, and our medications are effective will ensure that everything we put in our bodies is safe and sound. Unfortunately, this is not always the case. Industries such as the natural health industry can be harder to regulate and with products like Hoodia Gordonii, which is supposed to be produced almost entirely in South Africa, and the shortcuts and scams that exist are more widely spread than many purchasers realize.

So we tried Hoodia Prime. Our test subject took the suggested dosage. Nothing happened. We continued trying it, still nothing. It sure did seem like this was another hoodia Gordonii product that fell into the scam category.

But then by the end of day two, something happened. Our test subject said she was not hungry for dinner. A fluke? Perhaps. Read on.

The very next day she awoke and again was not at all hungry. This was definitely not the norm for this person, who typically ate a hearty dinner and would almost always eat a breakfast. She took her recommended dosage of two Hoodia Prime capsules in the morning with a glass of orange juice.

Again, throughout the day, no hunger whatsoever. She said she had to literally remind herself to eat, and when she did eat, it was a forced action, only because she knew she had to eat.

This Natures Biology Hoodia Prime was definitely working. But was it real Hoodia or some other ingredient that was causing the appetite suppression? Companies have been known to put other things in their capsules, and we were going to find out if this was the case here.

The lot # on our bottle had been part of a large lot that was independently tested at Alkemists Pharmaceuticals. This company tests the majority of the Hoodia on the market and has found more fakes than you'll find at a plastic surgeons office.

Theses were the three tests performed:

Analysis of Identity and Purity
Analysis of Chromatagraphy
Analysis of Macroscopy and Microscopy

Using these three tests, a company isn't going to fool anybody with any fake Hoodia. There are things they can do to get around each test, but you can't fool all three tests at once.

What we found by reviewing the tests conducted on Hoodia Prime is that it's the real deal. It passed all three rigorous tests without a hiccup, and was proved to be pure South African Hoodia Gordonii. In a world where 9 out of 10 Hoodia Gordonii products are scames, Hoodia Prime stood out and shined.

Not only did it pass the lab tests, but it passed our own test where our very own test subject used the product and verified its effectiveness. Natures Biology, the company that makes Hoodia Prime, also says it conducts its own lab tests at yet an additional lab facility.

So, our hats come off to the folks at Natures Biology for bringing a quality product like Hoodia Prime to the market. Bravo.

Having said that, if you are contemplating any other product other than Hoodia Prime, keep in mind that your Hoodia Gordonii supplement may be packed with things you don't know about. Since Hoodia took off as a weight loss option in recent years, manufacturer have been using it as a front to sell essentially useless products to buyers who don't know any better.

The main concern for many people, especially those who regularly take health supplements, is that they are getting what they paid for. The product needs to be the exact ingredients that are listed on the bottle – this is the very reason that there are laws in place requiring such labeling, to ensure those with allergies and special needs are able to accurately measure what they intake.

Yet, these safety protocols are worthless when manufacturers like those that make counterfeit Hoodia Gordonii lie on their labels and produce products that are full of fillers such as sawdust, random plants from other countries, and cheap ingredients that can by highly allergenic. Not only that, but often times these cheap ingredients will interact with existing medications that a consumer may be taking, causing an increased risk of liver, heart, or brain damage.

So tread carefully before you buy something. Pure Hoodia is certainly effective at appetite control, as proven via our test. But just remember, 9 out of 10 Hoodia Gordonii products are believed to be fake.

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What Enables You To Flip Your Cell Phone Open?

The latest Nokia N90 and Motorola RAZR V3 clamshell mobile cell phones all incorporate sophisticated hinges which allow you to flip open your cell phones smartly amongst admiring onlookers. Another winner is the hinge assembly in Orange SPV M5000 3G PDA cell phone device which allows the screen half of the cell phone to swivel 180 degrees and close to allow simultaneous tablet mode and full phone functionality.

These hinge assemblies which were previously used in laptop computers have been designed into the sleekest cell phones, personal digital assistants (PDA) and small handheld digital cameras over the past few years.

Basically, the hinge assembly connects the cell phone base to the folder unit which contains the display screen. From the simple open-snap-close mechanism, the latest hinge mechanism now can control the angle of opening. Free-stop designs, where the folding stops at any angle, and 2 degree-of-freedom hinge assembly is in vogue. This flip-and-twist hinge assembly combines 2 rotary hinges with perpendicular axes, letting the clamshell cell phone flip open then twist 180 degress.

Each tiny custom hinge comprises a guide pin, shaft, cam, spring and housing. Advancing from the classic hinge components which were made from polyoxymethylene, the latest complicated hinge components are designed and manufactured from metals to provide stronger rotary hinge joints. These hinge components are manufactured using the metal injection molding (MIM) process or cnc machining. The former process, which is suitable for complex solid net-shape components, allows the mass production of hinge components competitively. However, with the recent shortening of product cycle in the competitive cell phone market, especially in Japan, more and more cell phone manufacturers are working with competent precision machining companies capable of machining these hinge components.

Leading Japanese companies in developing and selling sophisticated hinge units include Strawberry Corporation, Sugatsune Kogyou Co., Ltd, Omron Corporation and Yamamoto Precision Co., Ltd.

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The Science Of Astronomy Really Is Fascinating

Galaxies, the cosmos, astrophysics, observatories, telescopes: How do we possibly comprehend the reality that the universe is beyond measure, infinite, and endlessly mesmerizing?

We can't; that's why astronomy remains so completely fascinating. It's the things in life we do not understand that most often draw our interest; that's simply a natural human impulse -- to be curious, to wonder and to want to be in awe of something far beyond and outside ourselves.

We know that stars, like everything else, live and die and that there are scientifically "correct" patterns in the remote sky that both perplex and bewitch us. If astronomy fascinates, it is because there exists in everyone a profound empathy with a world that is inaccessible in its complexity. Who among us has not felt, even fleetingly, spellbound by the immensity of this cosmos, this universe?

Modern observatories regularly function as educational centers, providing this feeling of entrancement by presenting the wonder of the cosmos directly to the audience, short-circuiting the intellect for an hour or so and uncovering the wonder at the magic of theuniverse; promoting a sensory, visceral feeling for the human condition and its place in the great book of the cosmos.

Astronomy, the science of stars, planets, galaxies, and black holes, is the oldest science, yet it is the most intriguing because the study of the universe will help answer the most important questions human beings can ask, such as:

How did the universe begin?

What is the structure of the universe?

How will the universe change in the future?

How do the planet Earth and its inhabitants fit into the larger universe of space and time?

Though we may never know the answers to these kinds of questions in our lifetime, we're always thankful for those who will follow us, prepared, with a scientific brain, to one day provide answers -- and maybe more -- to humankind.

It's difficult to understand our own galaxy, and we're constantly "adding to it," or discovering new frontiers and small, more distant planets than those we're already familiar with. The sun, and the concept of the planets just in our galaxy alone, provoke wonder and all kinds of speculation. It's food for our brain; it's one of those applications of learning that so enthrall, it doesn't seem like we're "studying" anything. It's an effortless exercise in the Unknown Sphere of the Universe.

What better way to pass the time, to postulate upon, to have an intellectually stimulating discussion, maybe with people you don't even know yet?

And what about the theories of particle physics that have been developed in conjunction with the standard Big Bang model to explain the origin, evolution and
present structure of the universe?

What about the origins, evolution, interiors, and energy production of the stars themselves? How are they formed? Why? And we've all heard of "interacting galaxies," but just what, exactly, does it mean? It all sounds like, well, a kind of heaven -- a place we know exists, but that we cannot quite see or understand.

Then, there's Newton's laws, the concept of work and energy, momentum, gravitation, sound and light waves.

If you haven't felt a slight thrill yet, it's eitherbecause you already know about these atmospheric wonders, or you've been living under a local rock.

So get out there and Observe the Universe! It's absolutely spellbinding!

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