Preliminary Public Dose Evaluation in Support of the Development of the
November 2012
Rare Element Resources Bear Lodge Project
35
SECTION 5
SUMMARY
The proposed BLP is intended to recover and process REE from RER-owned deposits located in
the northeast Wyoming. The project facilities will be at two site locations: the BHM and PUG
near Sundance, Wyoming and a Hydromet plant and TSF near Upton, Wyoming.
In addition to the rare earth metals, the BLP ore contains NORM. The NORM consists of
naturally occurring thorium and uranium and associated radioactive decay products. The thorium
and uranium concentration in the BLP ore is variable but averages approximately 0.036 and 0.01
percent by weight, respectively, which is above typical US background levels of about 1 to 10
ppm in rocks and soils. The presence of NORM in rare earth deposits is not unusual, because it
occurs in most other rare earth deposits and in many resource industries around the world.
However, the presence of NORM in the BLP ore suggests the need to address potential
radiological exposures to members of the public arising from its mining and processing.
Potential radiological doses to the public at the proposed BLP would arise predominantly from
inhalation of NORM in dust; and from radon (radon-222 and radon-220) and associated decay
products. Based on the information in this report, the largest source of public exposure at the
proposed BLP is anticipated to be inhalation of NORM in dust generated from the mining
activities in the Bear Lodge area and from inhalation of radon-222 and associated decay products
in the Upton area.. These components are estimated to account for 74 and 88 percent of the dose,
respectively, given the assumptions described in this report. The average estimated radiation
dose to the public ranged from 0.1 mrem y
-1
to 4 mrem y
-1
. It is expected that given the level of
NORM in the BLP ore and products, coupled with reasonable best practices implemented at the
site, the public dose from BLP activities would be well below regulatory limits and can be kept
ALARA; meeting the optimization component of radiation protection principles.
