You have questions, and we have answers. That’s really what this blog is about and we’ve launched a new competition to encourage some Q&A.
Here’s how it works:
Ask a question, and you will be entered to win a helicopter trip and tour of the Kiggavik site. Dianne, AREVA’s community relations assistant, will be your guide!
If you are one of the lucky winners, you will have the opportunity to tour the Kiggavik site to see our operations, camp accommodations, kitchen, and the landscape (both from on the ground an in the air). You will also have the chance to see what kind of work people are doing.
Easy enough? You can either submit a question on this blog by clicking here, post a comment directly to this post, fax your question to 1-867-793-2002, or call it in to the Baker Lake office at 1-867-793-2000. Visit to Ask AREVA section to see questions that have already been asked.
Here are two simple rules.
1) You must be a Baker Lake resident and over 18 years old
2) The deadline for questions is August 31, 2010
how is the waste being shipped out of Baker Lake and if there is a spill is it safe?
Hi Rosie,
Please let us know if you need more information after reviewing our answer below.
The short answer to your question is that no radioactive waste is transported through Baker Lake as part of the on-going exploration program, and based on the Kiggavik Project proposal none would be transported during operations. Also, we have an approved emergency response plan and spill management procedures in place.
The detailed answer to your question is as follows:
There are different types of wastes, such as domestic waste, hazardous waste, radioactive waste (waste that is naturally radioactive) and contaminated waste (waste that has become contaminated with radioactive materials).
WASTE MANAGEMENT
During the current exploration phase of the Kiggavik project:
a) The domestic waste, similar to household or construction waste is either incinerated at the exploration camp or sent to the Baker Lake landfill by helicopter.
b) Hazardous waste such as waste oils for example are stored on site until they can be transported to an approved hazardous waste recycling facility.
c) Contaminated waste and radioactive waste, such as exploration drill cuttings are secured in a locked facility at Kiggavik until they can be processed in the proposed Kiggavik mill or transported to an existing licensed uranium mill such as our McClean Lake mill in Saskatchewan. The methods used to manage radioactive waste have been proven effective. No radioactive material is disposed of in Baker Lake.
The waste management plan currently in place at the Kiggavik exploration camp was reviewed and approved by the federal and territorial regulators.
The proposed Kiggavik mine site is presently proceeding through the environmental review process during which the institutions of public government, Inuit organizations, and federal and territorial regulators will assess AREVA’s proposed waste management measures and the public will also have the opportunity to comment and ask questions. AREVA is currently working on the Environmental Impact Statement for this project, which includes not only addressing how we will deal with the various types of wastes but also providing information on their transportation, the containers that may be used and preventive and mitigation measures in the unlikely case of a malfunction or accident.
In this context, although AREVA’s waste management plans have not been finalized nor approved by the regulators and some changes may have to be made, we are currently considering the following measures:
a) Domestic waste would be incinerated on site. A landfill would be constructed within one of the rock piles for domestic waste that cannot be incinerated (similar to any municipal landfill). The domestic waste would be encapsulated within the rock pile during the decommissioning of the site to stabilize it.
b) Hazardous waste, such as oils and chemicals, would be transported to an approved waste disposal and recycling facility.
c) Radioactive and contaminated waste would be managed and secured at the Kiggavik site for long-term stability. These materials would be placed in the proposed Tailings Management Facility then covered with rock, overburden and finally re-vegetated. No radioactive or contaminated waste would be transported through Baker Lake.
SPILLS
Finally, AREVA’s current exploration camp procedures include an emergency response plan to manage spills of any type, including waste materials, and we have people and equipment ready at all times to adequately respond. A similar emergency response plan is also part of the proposed Kiggavik Project. Any spill would be immediately cleaned up and reported to regulatory authorities as required. Safety and environmental protection are our main priorities.
Why do we need uranium?
Hi Corey,
Uranium is used as a fuel to produce clean energy in nuclear reactors. When uranium is extracted from the ground, it goes through many processing steps at the mine site and other locations to make it into fuel for nuclear power plants to generate electricity. Nuclear power is one of the lowest greenhouse gas producing types of energy. The world demand for energy continues to grow as the population increases and countries develop. Nuclear power is expected to be a reliable source of clean base power well into the future.
Uranium is also used to produce isotopes for medical treatments. Please ask any other questions you have about uranium. A good source for additional information are these fact sheets on the Canadian Nuclear Association’s website: http://www.cna.ca/english/pdf/nuclearfacts/04-NuclearFacts-uranium.pdf
Since the “world” want the uranium from near my home, who is essentially going to get the uranium and what are they going to give in return to make sure our land will be restored, as well as the lively hood of our animals and fishes, then eventually my fellow Inuit that eat the animals & fish?
Hi Sarah,
Approximately 85% of uranium produced in Canada is exported to countries around the world for use in nuclear reactors. The remainder is used for electricity generation in Canada and in medical isotope production. Although Nunavut does not have any nuclear reactors to use the uranium, the area will benefit from jobs, training, and business opportunities to name a few.
When mining and milling activities are complete, we would decommission the site and return the land to a stable, self-sustaining condition for traditional use. Cluff Lake, one of our closed uranium mining operations in Saskatchewan, has undergone this decommissioning process. We will post an article this week on the decommissioning process and include photos of how our Cluff operation evolved.
The Kiggavik Project Proposal, which you can download here (http://www.kiggavik.ca/download/Kiggavik-ProjectProposal.pdf), outlines our preliminary decommissioning and reclamation plan in section 2.10. A detailed plan will be included in the environmental impact statement.
I Was Just Wondering.. If You Guys Are Still Hiring Dump Truck Driver’s?
My Name Is Candy Ivalutanar Of Repulse Bay. My Email Address Is candy_ivalutanar@live.ca
If You Guys Are Still Hiring Can You Write To Me….
Thank You.
Hi Candy,
There are no truck drivers needed for the Kiggavik Project during exploration and environment phases, which will last another 4 or 5 years. Truck drivers would be hired after that for construction and operations. The best thing to do is to send in a resume to the Baker Lake office by fax (1-867-793-2002) or email it to careers@areva.ca.
I would like to know what types of jobs available your company has, as there are still people in Baker Lake seeking employment, various from labourers to truck drivers and office administration where both English and Inuktittut is required.
I wanna kno what is going on and see the people who work there see what they do..I heard that there is so many stuffs..
see who is doing there job
Hi Sally,
Presently there are 25 local Baker Lake people working in Community Relations, logistics, camp operations, wildlife monitoring, kitchen helpers and wildlife assistants. Bilingual people are required for certain jobs such as community relations.
We encourage people to drop off a resume at the Baker Lake office, fax it to 867-793-2002 or email it to careers@areva.ca so we have their information on file.
Hi Diana,
There is exploration, wild life monitoring, environmental baseline monitoring, and camp maintenence going on. All of these activities require people to do different jobs. There is also a kitchen with a chef and a helper. We also have a first aid centre with a qualified first aid attendant. There are two people looking after environmental and radiation protection at a time and one safety Officer. Because you asked a question, your name is being entered to the draw for a trip to see the camp in real life. In case you or others don’t see the camp in person, we will write a blog about what it’s like to work at the camp.
how much uranium do you think the kiggavik site has and how long do you think the mine will be open for?
Hi Adam,
Our current estimates indicate that there are approximately 44,000 tonnes of uranium ore reserves at Kiggavik. We foresee that mining activities would start 2 to 3 years prior to milling. Based on anticipated production rates of 2,000 to 4,000 tonnes of uranium concentrate, also known as “yellowcake,” mining would last 13 to 25 years, while milling would last 11 to 22 years.
what processes does the uranium that is still in the ground need to take to become ready for use in medical isotopes? how much of Canada’s isotopes would be made from uranium mined at Kiggavik?
Hi Kent,
In order to turn the ore that comes out of the ground at a uranium mine into medical isotopes, it goes through a number of processes including mining, milling, conversion, enrichment, and fuel production before a nuclear reactor can generate isotopes.
Canada is the leading producer of medical isotopes; in fact, the National Research Universal Reactor (NRU) in Chalk River, Ontario, provides more than half of the world’s medical isotopes.
At this point, we don’t know how much of the uranium used to produce isotopes in the future would come from Kiggavik.
HOW MUCH TIME DO THA MINE SURVEY AREA/AREAS FOR SAFETY MEASURE ON TRANSPORT SPILSS ECT!ANIMALS BEHAVIOURS THERE YEARLY TRAILS ,BREEDING S ALSO HUNTERS IDEAS:)
Hi Appak,
We spend a great deal of time ensuring the safety of our employees, the wildlife, the environment, and nearby communities. When the mine is operating, there will be an emergency response assistant plan
(ERAP) registered with Transport Canada with qualified people ready to respond to accidents. Training of local people along the shipping route will be provided and equipment necessary to contain a spill will be made available. A transportation risk study is in progress and the Environmental Impact Statement will contain details of spill response and prevention.
In our operations, caribou have the right of way. We conduct wildlife and marine studies before, during, and after operations. A key part of understanding wildlife in the area is using Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit with the help of local people. We also hire local people to monitor wildlife in the area around the Kiggavik site.
what are the dangers if any during the mining of the uranium and after and how much affect will it have to our wildlife
Hi,
I’m a Grade 9 Energy & Mines teacher at the Baker Lake High School. My students will be learning about the Meadowbank and the proposed Kiggavik project over the course of the year. My students have been wondering about future job opportunities and site facilities. So my question is, what training programs will be available to people from Baker Lake as a result of the Kiggavik project and what amenities and facilities can workers look forward to during their time at Kiggavik? Another question I have is that many community members feel that Agnico Eagle has contributed very little to our community in terms of new infrastructure and direct capital, will this also be the case for AREVA or are there plans in place? For example, we have many students who are young parents and they cannot continue to attend school because of inadequate day care facilities. We are in desperate need of a new day care. This would be a project that would be greatly appreciated by the entire community and would incur very little cost for a huge company like AREVA. Just a thought.
Hi Nick,
Modern uranium mining is conducted in a way that ensures workers and the environment are kept safe. The safety record for uranium mining shows that the industry has fewer lost time accidents than the health care and construction industry, and about the same as office work. Exposure to radiation is a small fraction of the regulated exposure limit. Offsite impacts from a uranium mine are carefully monitored and regulated. Following the operation of a uranium mine, the land is returned to be very similar to prior to mining.
Wildlife has the right of way at exploration site and we implement a Wildlife Monitoring and Mitigation Plan (WMMP) in an effort to minimize disturbance. This plan informs when to shut down a drill, when to perform certain surveys and at what altitudes to fly. An additional requirement of the WMMP is a wildlife report that is submitted to the Baker Lake Hunters & Trappers Organization and the Government of Nunavut each month the Kiggavik exploration site is active. The annual report also includes a summary of wildlife activities on site for the season. You can read the Wildlife Monitoring and Mitigation Plan here: http://www.kiggavik.ca/download/Wildlife_Mitigation_and_Monitoring_Plan_V4.pdf. We also have a local wildlife monitor on site to provide advice to AREVA’s environmental staff and to ensure the WMMP is implemented.
We will continue to operate with considerations to wildlife if the project moves forward to an operating mine. AREVA has hired a number of professional consultants to collect information near Kiggavik by researching previous wildlife work, conducting field studies and learning from Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit (IQ). We will use all of this information to write an environmental impact statement that will outline the possible impacts the project may have on workers and the environment, including wildlife and what we will do to manage these. The Environmental Impact Statement will be subject to regulator and public review.
Hi Chris,
Presently there are about 25 local Baker Lake people working in community relations, logistics, camp operations, wildlife monitoring, and as kitchen helpers and wildlife assistants. Other jobs required in the current phase of the project include radiation technicians, engineers, and geologists. As the project develops, there will be a number of potential careers available as we see at our Saskatchewan operations, including human resources staff, mill operators, chemists, engineers, health and safety specialists, heavy equipment operators, mechanics, accountants and welders – the list can go on and on. Some on-site training specific to site activities is given to employees. If the mine goes forward, we would look at developing similar initiatives to what we have done for the uranium mines operating in Saskatchewan. For example, we contribute to a Multi-Party Training Plan (MPTP) co-sponsored by 5 mining companies, Saskatchewan Ministry of Post-Secondary Education and Northlands College located in Northern Saskatchewan. The MPTP helps prepared local people for jobs at the mine.
Working at Kiggavik is a unique experience. Since it’s located 80km west of Baker Lake, it is a fly in operation. There is a nice camp for employees, shower and washroom facilities, office, and kitchen and dining area. We also have a first aid building on site. The biggest comment the camp gets from staff is about the delicious food in the kitchen! The details of what the camp would look like if the mine went forward are not finalized. The best way for your students to get an idea of what it’s like, is probably to watch this room tour at our McClean Lake camp in northern Saskatchewan: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UzjSHBbDCSw. This camp operates 7-days in and 7-days out, offering a number of activities including fishing, racquetball, basketball, volleyball, fitness centre, canoeing, biking, and organized games/activities. And yes, the kitchen is great.
It is very important for us to be apart of the communities we operate in or near – this includes supporting local organizations through sponsorship, scholarships, and donations. We have done so in Baker Lake with such projects as the Kivalliq Science Fair, Northern Youth Abroad, sports events and high school awards and will continue to be involved as the project progresses. Many long term benefits from our developments are also seen through employment and local contractors and suppliers. We have northern supplier preference and employment policies that make these benefits certain. Additional infrastructure is often part of a project, and could potentially benefit the nearby communities. You can see the economic impact from Saskatchewan operations here: http://www.arevaresources.ca/library/fact_sheets/uranium_in_sask_01/economic_impact.php
Your idea for a day care is a very good one. We receive a number of requests for funding every year, and make sure to invest in worthwhile initiatives. We would consider contributing to a day care facility when we receive a sponsorship proposal for this facility.
Chris, if we can ask you to share this blog with your students we would love to see some interaction and questions from the students.
How will the uranium mines and exploration camps affect the wildlife migration patterns in the surrounding area and what is your company doing to aid with the communities directly affected by the inevidable changes?
Hi Amey,
Wildlife has the right of way at our exploration site and we implement a Wildlife Monitoring and Mitigation Plan (WMMP) in an effort to minimize disturbance. This plan requires that actions be taken to protect caribou including altitude restrictions, monitoring and drill shutdowns. The WMMP also requires that we submit a wildlife report to the Baker Lake Hunter & Trapper Organization and the Government of Nunavut each month the Kiggavik site is active. You can read the WMMP here: http://www.kiggavik.ca/download/Wildlife_Mitigation_and_Monitoring_Plan_V4.pdf. We also have a local wildlife monitor on site to provide advice to AREVA’s environmental staff and to ensure the WMMP is implemented.
AREVA is working to design the Kiggavik Project with consideration for caribou in order to minimize potential impacts. We have been carrying out environmental baseline work since 2007 and this has included field research, Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit (IQ) and collaborative work with other organizations. We deployed 10 satellite collars on caribou late 2009 and plan to deploy an additional five collars this November in order to contribute to the overall understanding of caribou movements. This information will be provided in an Environmental Impat Statement (EIS) that will describe the baseline conditions and predict the impacts to wildlife and how these impacts will be mitigated.
There will be opportunities for the public to comment on the Environmental Impact Statement during the environmental assessment process.
Roads will be constructed so that caribou can easily cross and the concept of giving caribou the right of way will continue.
We are also studying the possible socio-economic impacts and how to maximize benefits while minimizing and mitigating possible impacts. The company will be required to negotiate an Inuit Impact and Benefit Agreement with the regional Inuit association that may include programming identified as important to the potentially impacted communities. AREVA participates in a Government of Nunavut-led socio-economic monitoring committee. We have been working with the community of Baker Lake through a Community Liaison Committee since 2006. Various organizations in Baker Lake appoint members to advise the company on matters important to the community. A similar liaison will continue with the community throughout the duration of the mine.