MISSION: Southwest Research and Information Center is a multi-cultural organization working to promote the health of people and communities, protect natural resources, ensure citizen participation, and secure environmental and social justice now and for future generations

Glossary

Sometimes we at SRIC (and many of our long-time supporters and friends) take for granted our understanding of words we use every day that concern environmental issues. Some of these words may not be familiar to all our readers. We are including a glossary in each issue to help all our readers become more familiar with environmental words and phrases. Please let us know if there are other terms you would like explained.

Aquifer

Groundwater; the primary source of potable water in arid and semi-arid areas.

Carrying capacities

BThe population an area will support without undergoing environmental deterioration.

Characterization

The thorough identification of all organic, inorganic and radiological components of a given waste or a given waste stream.

Comisión

Spanish for Commission.

Commodification

To market the buying and selling of water rights from one region to another (e.g. rural water rights to municipalities).

Derechos

Spanish for Rights.

Groundwater restoration

The act or activity of restoring groundwater to its original condition, or to certain minimum standards established by federal, state or tribal government.

Infrastructure

Facilities and services (i.e., roads, power, water/sewer systems, police, fire) needed to sustain industrial, residential, and commercial activities.

Mercedes

Spanish for Grant.

Mixed waste

Wastes having both radiological and chemical properties, or having separate origins in nuclear and chemical processes, that have been mixed or otherwise combined together.

Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs)

A class of organic compounds used in a variety of industrial applications, including as insulation fluids in electrical transformers; EPA has classified most PCBs as human carcinogens.

Uranium solution mines

Type of uranium mining that is conducted by injecting chemical solutions through wells into a rock formation to leach, or extract, uranium from its host rock and by pumping out the uranium-laden groundwater for further processing and concentration of the uranium; also called in situ leach (ISL) mining.