International exchange on uranium mine remediation - G.E.O.S. contributes expertise on dealing with uranium contaminated sites

At the CGULS meeting in November 2022 in Johannesburg/South Africa, Lars Uhlig, expert for the remediation of uranium contaminated sites at G.E.O.S., reported on the experiences in dealing with uranium legacies in Africa and Central Asia. The CGULS Group (Coordination Group for Uranium Legacy Sites) is a division of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in Vienna. The meeting in Johannesburg was held for international exchange on uranium mine remediation and the preparation of an IAEA group for the entire continent of Africa.

In the seminar, delegates from various African countries outlined how they are currently dealing with uranium contaminated sites. In addition, speakers from Europe, the USA and Central Asia shared their experiences and knowledge. G.E.O.S. has been involved in national and international uranium remediation projects since 1990. For more than 15 years, the WISUTEC branch has also been managing remediation sites in Central Asia. In Africa, a mine site in Zambia has already been investigated and projected by WISUTEC. The experts from Chemnitz also accompanied the remediation works. Lars Uhlig reported at the seminar in Johannesburg on the many years of experience in managing contaminated sites and dealing with authorities and the local communities.

The CGULS group promotes cooperation between member states with uranium contaminated sites and national and international organisations. Special attention is currently being given to remediation works in Central Asia, funded by the European Bank for Reconstruction (EBRD) and the European Commission. CGULS activities include:

• Facilitating meetings between member states and international organisations
• Capability tests for laboratories
• Expert assignments to study remediation strategies
• Scientific on-site inspections
• Expert input to the evaluation of remediation measures
• Expert assistance in the development of site-specific monitoring plans