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a position to contract with all of them as the remediation unfolds. And on top of that, the firm could add clarity to the price tag associated with a particular cleanup, an estab- lished problem in the field. “We can obtain a better understanding regarding the extent of the contamination,” Kack says. “Producing better data al- lows for better remediation planning.” The heyday for domestic uranium mining began in 1948, when the Atomic Energy Council announced it would pur- chase all uranium ore mined in the U.S. According to the EPA, a lot of that mining – as much as four million tons worth from 1944 to 1986 – took place on the lands of the Navajo Nation. Uranium is a very heavy metal that can be used as a source of concentrated energy, and, according to the World Nu- clear Association, was formed in supernovas about 6.6 bil- lion years ago. Uranium, which provides the main source of heat inside the earth, is 18.7 times as dense as water. While uranium has many uses, it is best known as the principal fuel for nuclear reactors, and as the raw material for nuclear weapons. The world’s largest producers of mined uranium are Ka- zakhstan, Canada, and Australia, which collectively account for two-thirds of the global supply, according to the World Nuclear Association. The United States is the world’s largest Intense uranium mining took place on the lands of the Navajo Nation. As many as 49 of those abandoned mines are scheduled for remediation due to a $1B settlement by the U.S. Department of Justice. / EPA

evaluation of not only the size and scope of a contaminated area, but also of the removal and disposal of the waste. “Our patent application covers the concept and the work flow,” says Jason Kack, west business unit manager of Card- no’s geospatial services area. “Our patent application in- cludes claims on the process itself. This is more than merely a device patent.” “There are countries that have the resources and commitment to complete remediation and others that are not there yet. Initially our focus will be on the countries that have active programs and resources to conduct projects.” While the 49-mine cleanup is enormous, it is only a fraction of the total market in the remediation of uranium mines. According to the EPA and the Bureau of Land Management, there are about 15,000 such mines in the United States, with most of them clustered in 14 western states. To reme- diate all of them would cost multi-billions, and the process of stabilizing the sites could last as long as a century. The mines are strewn across a mix of lands owned by the U.S. government, tribal groups, and the private sector. With its patent-pending workflow process, Cardno would be in

See CARDNO INC., page 8

R June 13, 2016, ISSUE 1156

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