Does the province, country or world really need uranium? Provincially, Quebec closed its last remaining nuclear generating station, Gentilly-2, at the end of 2012. As such, nuclear energy cannot be generated in Quebec. There is therefore no need for uranium in Quebec for energy production purposes. Globally, the need for uranium is questionable. World energy needs are predicted to rise significantly over the next […]
Is nuclear energy better for climate change compared to other forms of energy? To determine the greenhouse gas emissions associated with nuclear energy, we must consider the full lifecycle of nuclear energy production, from mineral extraction to refining to transportation and distribution. There can be huge variances due to local factors, including where the ore is located and where the yellowcake is ultimately transported. The carbon emissions associated with […]
What does uranium look like and how radioactive is it? The uranium oxide produced by the mine site milling facility is a yellow powder known as yellowcake. Uranium oxide is not very radioactive since it does not contain its more radioactive decay products that remain in the tailings at the mine site. However, it must of course be contained and transported with particular care and […]
What would the uranium produced be used for? The yellowcake would be shipped to several uranium processing facilities in Ontario for fuel fabrication (conversion to uranium dioxide and uranium hexafluoride). Uranium dioxide can be used in Canadian CANDU nuclear power plants, which supply about 15% of the electricity in Canada. Uranium hexafluoride is exported and used to create enriched uranium fuel for light-water […]
Could an underground mine collapse? The ore is extracted using drilling and blasting with explosives. Therefore there is always the risk of mine collapse, even if the probability is low. In the interest of getting miners out of the mine as quickly as possible, the usual safety procedures in place to prevent radioactive contamination may be overlooked. Major earthquakes could […]
Could working in a uranium mine affect my health? Working in a uranium mine could affect workers’ health in several ways: Exposure to radiation from radioactive elements: Mineralized rock containing uranium emits radiation. Such rock will also contain other radioactive elements, which are produced when uranium decays, or breaks down. The severity of health impacts depends on the type of radiation, the level of […]
Does living near a uranium mine cause cancer? For those people living in a uranium-rich area, the level of exposure to radiation will naturally be greater than that of the average Canadian simply due to the local geology. Additional amounts of exposure will have a cumulative effect on health impacts experienced from background radiation. Some studies, analyzed in a recent Institut national de […]
How can radiation affect my health? Exposure of the skin: External exposure to alpha radiation is less of aproblem as it has a very short range (2 to 5 cm in air) and does not penetrate the skin (unless you have a cut). Beta radiation’s range is about 3 metres in air. Thin metal and/or personal protective equipment (PPE) is sufficient […]
How could uranium mining affect our traditional hunting and fishing activities? As with all other mines, a uranium mine would generate disturbances caused by the mining, milling and road transportation activity. These disturbances and changes in accessibility of the mine area certainly have the potential to affect wildlife species. In addition, there would be specific concerns related to the presence of uranium and other potentially toxic […]
If I visit a uranium mine regularly, say to deliver equipment, will my health be affected? Radiation levels at the surface of the mine site could be higher than normal (higher than background levels) due to three sources: radon gas, ore dust brought up from the mine inadvertently and from the special waste rock pile. Special waste rock is rock with low concentrations of uranium considered too low to process. Under […]
What catastrophic events could occur? There are a number of low probability but high impact events that could occur. The severity of impact will depend on site-specific factors, such as the proximity of local communities or valuable water resources, and the controls in place. Here are some examples: • a mine collapse; • equipment failures or releases of radioactive and […]
What dose might a mining site worker receive? For uranium mine workers, exposure limits are set by the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission to 50 mSv in any one year and 100 mSv in five consecutive years. Note that in the US, the limits are an average of 20 mSv per year over five years with a maximum of 50 mSv for any one […]
What effects can different doses have on my health? Acute radiation sickness (hair loss, cell loss, thyroid malfunction, skin burn, etc.) is related to effective doses above 500 mSv. However, prolonged exposure to much lower doses are related to increased risk of cancer and other sickness. Exactly what level is safe is not known and there may not be a safe level. Radiation protection […]
What would happen if there were an accident at the milling facility? A dust or slurry release of milled ore from the milling facility could be very dangerous since the ore being processed contains a high concentration of radioactive elements and harsh chemicals. Radon gas would be present and could become concentrated if the release occurs in an enclosed unvented area. The chemical reagents used to extract […]
Will our communities health be affected by uranium mine operations? Impacts on the health of the local population will depend on the distance between the mine site and the community, and on the amount of radiation released by the mine site. Impacts need to be studied on a site-specific basis. Here are the main sources of concern: Airborne dust: If dust containing radioactive elements is […]
Have any tailings management areas been successfully decommissioned in Canada? There are few Canadian uranium tailings management areas (tailings ponds) that have been subject to licensed decommissioning plans under the modern federal regulatory regime and there is lack of experience to confirm best practice on how to meet today’s standards. There are examples of uranium tailings management areas being decommissioned by governments or their agencies […]
What about the long term? Tailings containing radioactive elements, depending on the isotope type, will be radioactive for tens of thousands of years. The chemical toxicity of the tailings will be even more long-term as the stable chemical metals do not degrade further. Can society take responsibility for the long-term stewardship of the contaminants that it made more mobile through […]
What is a tailings pond? The crushed/milled ore from which the uranium has been chemically extracted contains uranium’s radioactive decay products, such as thorium-230 and radium-226. These products will continue to be radioactive for thousands of years. Thorium-230 has a half-life of 77,000 years. Even once the uranium has been removed from the ore, the remaining tailings retain 85% of […]
What will the site be like once mining and milling activities have ceased? When mining operations cease, the mine will be closed and the site will be rehabilitated. The milling facility, water treatment plant and other equipment will be dismantled. Much of this will be radiation contaminated and will require special handling. Special waste rock and contaminated material may be placed in the mine excavations before sealing the […]
What would happen if a tailings pond breached or leaked? To help prevent their leaking into the environment, tailings ponds often have a membrane liner or are built in an area of low ground permeability. Even so, water could leak or permeate through to the groundwater and contaminate aquifers with the toxic heavy metals and radioactive elements from the tailings water. Some tailings ponds are […]
Who pays for the decommissioning? Who manages leaks after the mine has been closed? Under current regulations, the proponent of the mine is held responsible for its decommissioning and must provide financial guarantees (put money aside) for the closure of each stage of the mine. However since the detailed environmental assessment for the decommissioning work is not done until it becomes time to apply for a license to decommission […]
How can radiation affect my health? Exposure of the skin: External exposure to alpha radiation is less of aproblem as it has a very short range (2 to 5 cm in air) and does not penetrate the skin (unless you have a cut). Beta radiation’s range is about 3 metres in air. Thin metal and/or personal protective equipment (PPE) is sufficient […]
What is radiation? Radiation is energy that is transmitted in the form of waves or particles. As a radioactive element decays, it emits alpha or beta radiation, alongside gamma radiation. Alpha and beta radiation consist of energy released in the form of particles that can be stopped by light-weight shielding such as a piece of paper. Gamma radiation […]
What is uranium? Uranium is a naturally radioactive heavy metal represented by the symbol U. Its most commonly occurring (and most commonly mined) isotope is U-238. U-238 decays along a defined path, changing to the next element in the series and releasing fixed amounts of radiation. The decay series for Uranium-238 contains some 18 radioactive elements before reaching […]
Could an underground mine collapse? The ore is extracted using drilling and blasting with explosives. Therefore there is always the risk of mine collapse, even if the probability is low. In the interest of getting miners out of the mine as quickly as possible, the usual safety procedures in place to prevent radioactive contamination may be overlooked. Major earthquakes could […]
How is uranium mined? Uranium can be extracted in an open-pit mine, in an underground mine or using a technology called in-situ leaching recovery where the uranium minerals are dissolved in liquid underground, the liquid is pumped to the surface and the uranium is taken out of the solution. These FAQs focus on activities at a typical underground mine […]
If uranium extraction were to occur, how long would mining operations last? Mining operations would likely continue until there is no longer any economically recoverable uranium ore at the site. For various reasons, the prediction of a mine’s life is difficult and with fluctuations in the price of uranium, mining activity may be slowed, or even stop for a period. To be economically viable, 10 years is […]
What activities take place at a uranium mining site? The activities that take place at a mine site depend on whether a mine is in its exploration, production or closure phase. Exploration Phase Early exploration by prospectors seeks to identify the presence of a particular mineral in a given area to determine whether or not a mine is an eventual possibility. Once early exploration […]
What catastrophic events could occur? There are a number of low probability but high impact events that could occur. The severity of impact will depend on site-specific factors, such as the proximity of local communities or valuable water resources, and the controls in place. Here are some examples: • a mine collapse; • equipment failures or releases of radioactive and […]
What does uranium look like and how radioactive is it? The uranium oxide produced by the mine site milling facility is a yellow powder known as yellowcake. Uranium oxide is not very radioactive since it does not contain its more radioactive decay products that remain in the tailings at the mine site. However, it must of course be contained and transported with particular care and […]
What is a tailings pond? The crushed/milled ore from which the uranium has been chemically extracted contains uranium’s radioactive decay products, such as thorium-230 and radium-226. These products will continue to be radioactive for thousands of years. Thorium-230 has a half-life of 77,000 years. Even once the uranium has been removed from the ore, the remaining tailings retain 85% of […]
What is uranium? Uranium is a naturally radioactive heavy metal represented by the symbol U. Its most commonly occurring (and most commonly mined) isotope is U-238. U-238 decays along a defined path, changing to the next element in the series and releasing fixed amounts of radiation. The decay series for Uranium-238 contains some 18 radioactive elements before reaching […]
What will the site be like once mining and milling activities have ceased? When mining operations cease, the mine will be closed and the site will be rehabilitated. The milling facility, water treatment plant and other equipment will be dismantled. Much of this will be radiation contaminated and will require special handling. Special waste rock and contaminated material may be placed in the mine excavations before sealing the […]
What would happen if a tailings pond breached or leaked? To help prevent their leaking into the environment, tailings ponds often have a membrane liner or are built in an area of low ground permeability. Even so, water could leak or permeate through to the groundwater and contaminate aquifers with the toxic heavy metals and radioactive elements from the tailings water. Some tailings ponds are […]
What would happen if there were an accident at the milling facility? A dust or slurry release of milled ore from the milling facility could be very dangerous since the ore being processed contains a high concentration of radioactive elements and harsh chemicals. Radon gas would be present and could become concentrated if the release occurs in an enclosed unvented area. The chemical reagents used to extract […]