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.

In all of our operations, we make sure that the environment, including fresh water lakes, is not negatively impacted.  We take careful steps to take care of the water.  The potential impacts and how we would protect the environment will be in the Draft Environmental Impact Statement, which we plan to release next year.  The Nunavut Impact Review Board (NIRB), other institutions of public government and territorial and federal regulators will review the impact statement and provide opportunities for the public to participate in the review.  Please visit the NIRB website at www.nirb.ca for more information on the NIRB review process and public participation opportunities.

If something happens by accident, we would implement our emergency response plan (similar to what we have in Saskatchewan), that would allow us to quickly clean up and contain any problems.  The Kiggavik Project would not harm the water quality downstream in any communities.  Air, water, lake sediment, plant and animal samples from 6 communities downstream from Saskatchewan uranium mines have been monitored by northern residents in the Athabasca Working Group Community Environmental Monitoring Program each year for the past 10 years.  No contamination from the uranium mines has ever been found in or near any of these communities.  The annual reports from this community based environmental monitoring program can be found on our website at http://www.arevaresources.com/library/athabasca_working_group.  We would propose that a similar approach be taken in Nunavut.

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

During the environmental assessment phase of the Kiggavik project, which is expected to last approximately another 3 years, AREVA operates a year round Community Relations Office in Baker Lake and a seasonal exploration camp at the Kiggavik site 80 km west of Baker Lake for about three months in the summer. Throughout the year, the Baker Lake office is staffed with a Community Liaison Officer and a Community Relations Advisor. During the summer, the Baker Lake office is also staffed with a Community Relations Assistant and a Logistics Assistant. During the summer, the Kiggavik exploration camp is staffed with 40 to 50 AREVA staff and contractors who operate the camp and carry out exploration and environmental baseline work. Typically, the Kiggavik camp employs 15 to 20 locally hired people for three months and about another 10 local people for shorter periods. Jobs currently performed by Baker Lake residents include Wildlife Monitor, Camp operator, Geological Assistant, Cooks Helper, environmental assistant and archaeological assistant. Residents of Nunavut are encouraged to apply for all openings. If the Kiggavik project advances to become an operating mine, the job opportunities will increase to approximately 500 for a period of 20 plus years. This could begin as early as 2017. Through preferential hiring practices and training programs, AREVA would expect the northern content of the Kiggavik workforce after a few years of operation to be similar to our McClean Lake Saskatchewan mine, which has achieved higher than 50% northern content. Openings for work for AREVA in Nunavut will be posted on this blog and also at www.arevaresources.ca/careers. Applications can be sent to this blog, dropped off at the Baker Lake office or faxed to the Baker Lake office at 867-793-2002 or emailed to AREVA at careers@areva.ca.  Most seasonal positions for the Kiggavik camp are filled with applicants from Baker Lake but a few workers from other Kivalliq communities have been hired as well.  Full time positions are open to all applicants.

Yes.  AREVA implements health and safety programs that ensure the protection of our workers.  Employees are required to wear protective equipment such as hardhats, safety glasses, steel-toed footwear, gloves, and conduct their work in compliance with established safe work practices and regulatory standards. Employees receive regular training.  All AREVA mine site workers are also monitored for radiation exposure and receive the reports of their results. Government statistics show that uranium mining is one of the safest occupations.

No. The Canadian government has for many years had policies and rules to prevent Canadian uranium from being used for nuclear warfare. In fact, the opposite is happening: AREVA is part of a program that turns enriched uranium from weapons into uranium for electricity.

Conventional waste will be incinerated or placed in a landfill. Mill tailings will be placed back in a mined out pit designed to contain the material and the pit will be covered with fill materials and vegetated. Waste rock that contains materials that could harm the environment (called special waste rock) will be placed in a mined out pit like tailings. Here is a photo from the tailings management facility at McClean Lake operation in northern Saskatchewan.