Validity of the Methodology for Establishing Baseline Water Quality for Uranium

This paper examines the research a teacher completed during the Research Experience for Teachers in Manufacturing for Competitiveness in the United States (RETainUS) summer project and the implementation of the research in a high school science classroom. The research involved the importance of establishing a baseline water quality level prior to in situ recovery mining for uranium. Water is the life line of many and the quality of that water is being questioned by many. In South Texas there is a clash between private citizen groups and uranium mining companies regarding ground water quality in uranium mining sites. Private citizens’ groups are claiming that uranium mining companies are contaminating the ground water with drilling and uranium production processes and that the baseline well locations and averages are not randomly selected. However, research findings show that the drilling process is similar to that of other drilling processes. There is not a clear variation between drilling for baseline water wells and drilling for identification and production of uranium deposits. The claims that uranium companies are polluting the ground water may be valid but the phenomenon needs to be better understood before conclusions can be made on the causes of uranium contamination in ground water. There are many improvements that can be made by private citizens, uranium companies, and the regulatory agencies to maintain better water quality. Using this research experience, the teacher created a thematic unit using the question of “Is your water safe to drink?” for a high school aquatic science class following the legacy cycle format. Students will explore what makes water safe to drink, where well water comes from, drilling water well practices, and the uranium mining process. Students will test their own water samples for basic water contaminants. Student learning will be gauged by a scenario of the student working at an environmental lab and lastly sharing their new found knowledge with local publications. Students in this community are aware of uranium in the ground water, as the area has been plagued with water quality problems. This legacy cycle will give the students information need to become informed citizens.