Institute of Mining of North named after N. V. Cherskiy (Siberian Branch of Russian Academy of Sciences) (Yakutsk, Russia):

Kiselev V. V., Senior Researcher, Candidate of Engineering Sciences, e-mail: gtf@igds.ysn.ru
Khokholov Y. A., Leading Researcher, Doctor of Engineering Sciences
Kaimonov M. V., Senior Researcher, Candidate of Engineering Sciences

This work is devoted to results of research of the solutions of problems of ecologic safety of northern regions with developed mining industry, regarding territories, polluted with high-toxic solid waste (including radioactive), which greatly threatens biota. Considering the vast area of contamination, volume of high-toxic solid waste, impossibility of its conversion in places, and its transportation to other regions for a number of reasons, Institute of Mining of North named after N. V. Cherskiy developed the Concept, on the basis of a number of original patented techniques of recycling, burial and construction of temporary storages of high-toxic solid wastes directly in its disposal place. This assumes the highest consideration for particular qualities of northern climate, and utilization of natural resources of cryolitic zone, mining technologies and underground mines. There is provided the description of technological schemes of high-toxic solid waste burial and construction of ground and underground storages, based on the use of mining and hydraulic construction technologies in northern regions. Ground storages, designed for storing massive quantity of high-toxic solid waste (emergency underground nuclear explosions, in particular) should be elevated, mound type in design, structure and form and should be equivalent to natural entities of cryolitic zone — heaving mounds. High-toxic solid waste, collected from the contaminated area in winter (recycled in "dead wood" pulpchips, litter, soil, sediment streams) is stacked in layers with sealing, sluicing with water and freezing each layer with an atmosphere cold. Thus, the ice wall is constructed, being a natural refrigerator, which power is charged every winter, and this power is sufficient for maintenance of temperature of high-toxic solid waste below zero throughout the summer. Constructed high-toxic solid waste storage for protection from precipitation and melting is provided with thermal and hydro insulation, using local materials. Conducted research on mathematical models defined optimal modes of work maintenance, which also confirm high reliability of storage even under condition of possible climate warming. Developed underground mode of burial and storage is designed for recycling of high-toxic solid wastes of low volume (geological dumps, concentrates, core samples, etc.) in underground goaf mines with year-round negative temperature regime of rock and atmosphere, suitable for reuse. High-toxic solid waste, pre-chilled during winter, is delivered through wells in pitched underground form work, sluiced with water and freezed with an atmosphere cold. Column-like ice wall functions, such as a burial and a pillar, support the mine roof. The whole mine space is filled with these constructions, using this technology and forms an underground high-toxic solid waste storage. Conducted numerical experiments on exclusively developed mathematical model defined optimal modes of work maintenance, required depth of the storage construction, and estimation of its stability under condition of possible climate warming in the cryolitic zone. Results of the research confirm high impermeability of underground high-toxic solid waste storages and its thermal stability under warming conditions. Thereby, there is a reason to believe that two modes of burial and storage of high-toxic solid waste in cryolitic zone are developed — equally reliable and simple in realization, based on consideration of climatic conditions and reasonable use of natural resources and mining technologies.

1. Tsyganov A. V. Radioaktivnoe zagryaznenie territorii Yakutii v rezultate yadernykh ispytaniy v atmosfere, provedeniya mirnykh yadernykh vzryvov i deyatelnosti gornodobyvayushchikh predpriyatiy (Radioactive contamination of Yakutian territory as a result of nuclear testings in atmosphere, carrying out of peaceful nuclear explosions and activity of mining enterprises). Radiatsionnoe zagryaznenie territorii Respubliki Sakha (Yakutiya): problemy radiatsionnoy bezopasnosti : sbornik dokladov pervoy Respublikanskoy nauchno-prakticheskoy konferentsii. 14–15 yanvarya 1993 goda (Radioactive contamination of territory of Sakha Republic (Yakutia): problems of radiation safety : collection of reports of the first Republican scientific-practical conference. January 14–15, 1993). Yakutsk, 1993, pp. 157–161.
2. Yaroshinskaya A. A. Yadernaya entsiklopediya (Nuclear encyclopaedia). Moscow, 1994, 120 p.
3. Kiselev V. V., Burtsev I. S. Likvidatsiya posledstviy avariynykh podzemnykh yadernykh vzryvov v zone mnogoletney merzloty (Liquidation of results of emergency underground nuclear explosions in the permafrost area). Yakutsk : Publishing House of Yakutsk Science Center of Siberian Branch of Russian Academy of Sciences, 1999, 148 p.
4. Kiselev V. V. Mining methods of crash underground explosions in the Arctic. The 4^th International Conference on Environmental Radioactivity in the Arctic. Edinburgh, Scotland 20–23 September, 1999. Norway : Norwegian Radiation Protection Authority, 1999, pp. 345–346.
5. Biyanov G. F. Plotiny na vechnoy merzlote (Dams on permafrost). Moscow : Energoizdat, 1983, 163 p.
6. Sulin G. A. Tekhnika i tekhnologiya razrabotki rossypey otkrytym sposobom (Technics and technology of open-cast mining of placers). Moscow : Nedra, 1974, 232 p.
7. V. V. Kiselev, Yu. A. Khokholov, M. V. Kaymonov. Sposob ochistki rusel malykh rek kriolitozony ot donnykh otlozheniy zagryaznennykh radionuklidami (Method of purification of small river beds of cryolithic zone from radionuclide-contamined bottom sediments). Patent RF, No. 2331732, MPK Е02В 3/02. Applied: December 10, 2007. Published: August 20, 2008. Bulletin No. 23, 4 p.
8. V. V. Kiselev, Yu. A. Khokholov. Sposob zakhoroneniya tverdykh radioaktivnykh otkhodov v zone mnogoletney merzloty (Method of burial of solid nuclear wastes in permafrost area). Patent RF, No. 2134459, MKI GG 21 F/24. Applied: August 12, 1997. Published: August 10, 1999. Bulletin No. 22, 4 p.
9. V. V. Kiselev, Yu. A. Khokholov, M. V. Kaymonov. Sposob pererabotki i zakhoroneniya radiatsionno zagryaznennoy rastitelnosti na territoriyakh kriolitozony (Method of processing and burial of radioactive contamination flora on cryolithic zone territories). Patent RF, No. 2407084, MPK G21F 9/24. M. V. Kaymonov. Applied: June 15, 2009. Published: December 20, 2010. Bulletin No. 35, 6 p.
10. Kiselev V. V., Khokholov Yu. A. Optimizatsiya geometricheskikh razmerov poverkhnostnykh mogilnikov tverdykh radioaktivnykh otkhodov (TRAO), vozvodimykh v kriolitozone (Optimization of geometric sizes of surface solid nuclear waste repositories, built in ctyolithic zone). Zabaykale na puti k ustoychivomu razvitiyu: ekologiya, resursy, upravlenie : materialy mezhdunarodnoy konferentsii (Transbaikalia on the way to sustainable development : ecology, resources, management : materials of international conference). Chita, 2001, Part 1, pp. 68–70.
11. Kiselev V. V., Khokholov Yu. A., Kaymonov M. V. Matematicheskoe modelirovanie dinamiki temperaturnogo rezhima mogilnikov tverdykh radioaktivnykh otkhodov, vozvodimykh v kriolitozone (Mathematical modeling of dynamics of temperature mode of solid nuclear waste repositories, built in cryolithic zone). Sergeevskie chteniya : materialy godichnoy sessii Nauchnogo soveta Rossiyskoy Akademii Nauk po problemam geoekologii (Sergeev readings : materials of annual session of Scientific Council of Russian Academy of Sciences on geoecological problems). Moscow : GEOS, 2002, Iss. 4, pp. 443–449.
12. Permyakov P. P. Matematicheskie modeli i prognoz massoobmennykh protsessov pri likvidatsii radioaktivnykh otkhodov (Mathematical models and forecast of mass-exchange processes in the time of liquidation of nuclear wastes). Radiatsionnaya bezopasnost Respubliki Sakha (Yakutiya): materialy III Respublikanskoy nauchno-prakticheskoy konferentsii. 18-20 oktyabrya 2011 goda (Radiation safety of Sakha Republic (Yakutia): materials of the third Republican scientific-practical conference. October 18-20, 2011). Yakutsk, 2012, pp. 342–346.
13. V. V. Kiselev, Yu. A. Khokholov, M. V. Kaymonov. Podzemnyy beskonteynernyy sposob zakhoroneniya tverdykh istochnikov radioaktivnogo izlucheniya v otrabotannykh podzemnykh gornykh vyrabotkakh kriolitozony (Underground non-reservoir method of burial of solid sources of nuclear radiation in developed underground mine openings of cryolithic zone). Patent RF, 2263985, MPK⁷ G21F 9/34, 9/24. Applied: August 11, 2003. Published: November 10, 2005. Bulletin No. 31. 4 p.
14. Mamonov A. F. Vzaimodeystvie vmeshchayushchikh porod s zakladochnym massivom na rossypnykh shakhtakh Severa (Interaction of host rocks with stowing massif on placer mines of North). Yakutsk : Publishing House of Yakutsk Science Center of Siberian Branch of Russian Academy of Sciences, 1999, 154 p.
15. Neobutov G. P., Grinev V. G. Razrabotka rudnykh mestorozhdeniy s ispolzovaniem zamorazhivaemoy zakladki v usloviyakh mnogoletney merzloty (Development of ore deposits, using frozen backfilling in permafrost conditions). Yakutsk : Publishing House of Yakutsk Science Center of Siberian Branch of Russian Academy of Sciences, 1997, 104 p.
16. Kiselev V. V., Khokholov Yu. A., Kaymonov M. V. Gornyy Informatsionno-Analiticheskiy Byulleten — Mining Informational and Analytical Bulletin, 2006, No. 3, pp. 129–134.