Environmental Assessment Perspective of Decommissioning and Long-Term Management of Uranium Mine Tailings in Saskatchewan, Canada

2001 ◽  
Author(s):  
Malcolm K. Ross ◽  
Don Hovdebo
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Assessment ◽  
Assessment Process ◽  
High Grade ◽  
Innovative Technologies ◽  
The Public ◽  
Public Inquiry ◽  
Tailings Management ◽  
Uranium Tailings ◽  
Term Management

Abstract Uranium was initially mined in Canada as a strategic mineral, primarily for export to the United States. Currently, uranium is produced for the global energy market and Saskatchewan is the sole producing province in Canada. Uranium development in Saskatchewan dates from 1953 and in 2000 accounted for 31% of global mine production. In the 1990’s the Saskatchewan Government Environmental Assessment Branch reviewed a new generation of uranium mines with large reserves and extremely high average grades. Technically, the development of these mines has required the development of innovative technologies to manage the environmental and occupational health and safety issues associated with the mining of high-grade uranium ores. While the development of these innovative technologies posed a challenge to science and engineering, the potential environmental impacts and level of public concern associated with the development of the high grade uranium deposits equally challenged the ability of the Province of Saskatchewan’s environmental assessment process to evaluate the acceptability of the proposed mines. During the assessment process a major technical, and public, issue was the decommissioning and long-term management of uranium tailings containing high levels of radionuclide and metal contaminants. While technically decommissioning and reclamation are phases of mining that are considered at the end of mine life, scrutiny of these issues during the assessment process contributed significantly to the public and technical acceptability of the proposed mine developments. The design, construction, operation, decommissioning and reclamation of uranium tailings management facilities for the proposed high-grade mines were subject to critical analysis during the technical and public review phases of the environmental assessment processes. Advances in tailings management design, incorporating innovative in-pit disposal methods capable of isolating decommissioned tailings from local groundwater regimes, presented a technical solution to concerns about long-term tailings containment after decommissioning. Public awareness and acceptance of the proposed mine developments was enhanced by the creation of an independent, public inquiry which ran concurrently with the existing federal and provincial assessment processes. The public inquiry was a critical factor, providing an independent forum where the technical acceptability of the proposed long-term tailings management methodologies was discussed. In retrospect the development of the new mines reflects the successful application of an assessment and review process in that the projects met the tests of technical and public acceptability in a process that was seen to be fair, timely, rigorous and public.

Perspectives on the Review of AECL's Proposal for Disposing of Canada's Nuclear Fuel Waste

1997 ◽  
Vol 506 ◽  
Author(s):  
K.W. Dormuth ◽  
P.A. Gillespie ◽  
S.H. Whitaker
Keyword(s):  
Nuclear Fuel ◽  
Environmental Assessment ◽  
Geological Disposal ◽  
The Public ◽  
Public Hearings ◽  
Points Of View ◽  
Nuclear Fuel Waste ◽  
Term Management

ABSTRACTA federal Environmental Assessment Panel has completed public hearings on the proposed concept for geological disposal of Canada's nuclear fuel waste. The Panel will make recommendations to assist the governments of Canada and Ontario in reaching decisions on the acceptability of the proposed concept and on the steps that must be taken to ensure the safe long-term management of nuclear fuel waste in Canada. It is instructive to review the background to the public hearings, to consider the issues that have been important in the public review, and to reflect on the opposing points of view presented at the hearings.

THE IMPORTANCE OF PROPERTY ASSET MANAGEMENT IN THE SPANISH PUBLIC SECTOR

2017 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Desiree Sandoica Paris ◽  
Manuel Soler Severino
Keyword(s):  
Public Sector ◽  
Asset Management ◽  
The Political ◽  
The Public ◽  
Political Cycles ◽  
Electoral Cycle ◽  
Historical Heritage ◽  
Under Construction ◽  
Term Management

There are public entities that possess in their hands multiple property assets, that are difficult to manage, being, in many cases, buildings that are considered icons that contribute to the character of their surroundings or that take part of our historical heritage or have some kind of protection. It is difficult for the private sector to manage these assets, if in the public sector, we add the electoral cycle, the problems increase. At a public level, it is more complicated, since it should be understood that the planning of property assets and delivery do not correspond to the political cycles. In addition, policies change once established, perhaps with the development under construction, will inevitably have serious consequences on: the planning, cost and alignment of the building with the final needs of the asset. Therefore, it is important for all the stakeholders to realize that an approach is needed for the long-term management of property asset portfolios. To achieve this goal, we have developed a structured and programmed approach of Property Asset Management adapted to the public sector, in order to provide the best solutions.

Gunnar Uranium Mine Environmental Remediation: Northern Saskatchewan

2009 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joe Muldoon ◽  
Laurier L. Schramm
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Assessment ◽  
Environmental Remediation ◽  
Public Involvement ◽  
Monitoring Program ◽  
Waste Rock ◽  
Assessment Process ◽  
Open Pit ◽  
Uranium Mine ◽  
Northern Saskatchewan

Thirty-six now-abandoned uranium mine and mill sites were developed and operated in Northern Saskatchewan, Canada, from approximately 1957 through 1964. During their operating lifetimes these mines produced large quantities of ore and tailings. The Gunnar Mine is located on the shores of Lake Athabasca, the 22nd largest lake in the world. The Gunnar mine (open pit and underground) produced over 5 million tonnes of uranium ore and nearly 4.4 million tonnes of mine tailings. There is an estimated 2,710,700 m3 of waste rock that abuts the shores of Lake Athabasca. After closure in the 1960’s, the Gunnar site along with all of the other uranium mine and mill sites were abandoned with little remediation and no reclamation being done. The governments of Canada and Saskatchewan are now funding the clean-up of these abandoned northern uranium mine and mill sites and have contracted the management of the project to the Saskatchewan Research Council. The clean-up activity is expected to take about 8 years, followed by 10–15 years of monitoring activity before the sites are to be released into an institutional controls program that will allow government oversight of a long term management and monitoring program. The Gunnar site, because of the magnitude of tailings and waste rock, is subject to an environmental site assessment process regulated by both provincial and federal governments. This process requires a detailed study of the projected environmental impacts resulting from the mining activities and an analysis of projected impacts from remediation efforts. Prescribed environmental and land use endpoints will be made based on the environmental assessment studies and remediation options analyzed and implemented based on expected results. Remediation options range from deep lake disposal of tailings to disposal of tailings in the open pit which is now filled with water and fish (contaminated, but which are reproducing successfully) to covering the tailings with a cap. The site also includes many buildings that are remnants of a community of approximately 800 people who once occupied the site. These buildings, many of which contain asbestos, must be appropriately removed and disposed of. The original mine head frame and mill site buildings, many of which still contain the original machinery and equipment, must also be removed and disposed of. The regulatory requirements include the environmental assessment processes, a complex public involvement strategy and licensing from the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission. The environmental assessment process, specific site studies and public involvement initiatives are underway with the long term goal of releasing the property in a fully remediated state.

Governance and Public Policy Challenges in Managing Disruptive and Innovative Technologies

2019 ◽  
pp. 155-183
Author(s):  
Henry Frank Wissink
Keyword(s):  
Public Policy ◽  
Public Sector ◽  
Global Scale ◽  
Best Interests ◽  
Innovative Technologies ◽  
The Public ◽  
It Impacts ◽  
Global And Local

This chapter is an effort to promote and guide thinking about the global and local challenges in how governments respond to innovative and disruptive projects and technologies. The chapter is based on the considerations of and concerns regarding the challenges and changes that we face on a global scale and how it impacts on the notion and need for innovation. Not all inventions or innovations are disruptive or serve the interest of the public at large, and some even may have serious harmful consequences or impacts. These may be unforeseen or sometimes deliberately obscured and perhaps just serve the narrow interests of profiteers. Governments are required to consider their roles and plan to be responsible and proactive to ensure that the best interests of both the business and public sector are pursued for the purposes of long-term sustainability.

scholarly journals Long-term management of high-grade atrioventricular block using cilostazol in a cat

2019 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
pp. 205511691987891
Author(s):  
Naoki Iwasa ◽  
Naohito Nishii ◽  
Satoshi Takashima ◽  
Yui Kobatake ◽  
Saki Nomura ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Histopathological Examination ◽  
Pacemaker Implantation ◽  
Clinical Signs ◽  
Conduction System ◽  
High Grade ◽  
Av Block ◽  
Histological Findings ◽  
Case Summary ◽  
Term Management

Case summary A 12-year-old neutered female domestic shorthair cat was admitted for syncope. Clinical signs and electrocardiography revealed high-grade atrioventricular (AV) block. Treatment with cilostazol ameliorated the clinical signs and arrhythmia. However, the high-grade AV block recurred on several occasions. After 640 days, the cat presented again with clinical deterioration owing to reoccurrence of the arrhythmia and it died 11 days later. Histopathological examination revealed a loss of conduction cells within the His bundle. Relevance and novel information To our knowledge, this is the first report of high-grade AV block treated with cilostazol in a cat. Treatment with cilostazol prolonged survival for 650 days without pacemaker implantation. Histological findings suggested that the AV block was related to fibrosis of the impulse conduction system.

Gunnar Uranium Mine Environmental Remediation: Northern Saskatchewan

2013 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joe Muldoon ◽  
Tamara Yankovich ◽  
Laurier L. Schramm
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Assessment ◽  
Environmental Remediation ◽  
Public Involvement ◽  
Stable State ◽  
Waste Rock ◽  
Assessment Process ◽  
Open Pit ◽  
Uranium Mine ◽  
Northern Saskatchewan

The Gunnar Mine and mill site was the largest of some 38 now-abandoned uranium mines that were developed and operated in Northern Saskatchewan, Canada, during the Cold War years. During their operating lifetimes these mines produced large quantities of ore and tailings. The Gunnar mine (open pit and underground) produced over 5 million tonnes of uranium ore and nearly 4.4 million tonnes of mine tailings during its operations from 1955 through 1963. An estimated 2.2 to 2.7 million m3 of waste rock that was generated during the processing of the ore abuts the shores of Lake Athabasca, the 22nd largest lake in the world. After closure in the 1960s, the Gunnar site was abandoned with little to no decommissioning being done. The Saskatchewan Research Council has been contracted to manage the clean-up of these abandoned northern uranium mine and mill sites. The Gunnar Mine, because of the magnitude of tailings and waste rock, is subject to an environmental site assessment process regulated by both provincial and federal governments. This process requires a detailed study of the environmental impacts that have resulted from the mining activities and an analysis of projected impacts from remediation efforts. The environmental assessment process, specific site studies, and public involvement initiatives are all now well underway. Due to the many uncertainties associated with an abandoned site, an adaptive remediation approach, utilizing a decision tree, presented within the environmental assessment documents will be used as part of the site regulatory licensing. A critical early task was dealing with major public safety hazards on the site. The site originally included many buildings that were remnants of a community of approximately 800 people who once occupied the site. These buildings, many of which contained high levels of asbestos, had to be appropriately abated and demolished. Similarly, the original mine head frame and mill site buildings, many of which still contained the original machinery and equipment, also had to be dismantled. Remediation options for the accumulated demolition debris have been assessed, as have remediation options for the waste rock and tailings, all of which form part of the environmental assessment. The regulatory requirements include the environmental assessment processes, a complex public involvement strategy, and licensing from the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC) with the long-term goal of releasing the property in a remediated and stable state to the Province of Saskatchewan. Prescribed environmental and land-use endpoints will be determined based on the environmental assessment studies and remediation options analyzed and implemented. Ultimately, the site will be released into an institutional controls program that will allow long-term government management and monitoring.

scholarly journals Best practices for Strategic Environmental Assessment and application to the Ontario Long-Term Energy Plan

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tania Baynova
Keyword(s):  
Best Practices ◽  
Environmental Assessment ◽  
Development Project ◽  
Strategic Environmental Assessment ◽  
Assessment Process ◽  
Long Term Effects ◽  
Term Energy ◽  
Resource Exploration ◽  
Project Level

Research shows that project-level Environmental Assessment (EA) in Ontario is failing to achieve the goals that it was designed to meet, including protection and management of the environment. The practice of Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) is emerging internationally and an increasing number of countries and organizations are carrying out SEA either formally or informally. Although there is a considerable amount of debate in terms of standardized SEA methodology, SEA is seen as a proactive tool for incorporating sustainability objectives within Policies, Plans and Programmes (PPPs) and addressing cumulative and long-term effects of of multiple projects and policy decisions. The energy sector is globally a large impact generator in terms of resource exploration, production, consumption and waste disposal. Energy development and policy in Ontario have great implications for sustainable development. Project-level EA is the process followed for developing energy infrastructure. However, decisions regarding energy supply are strategic in nature and cannot be adequately addressed through project-level EA. Therefore, SEA is an important tool used to deal with such decisions in the early stages of the assessment process and can help decision makers make informed choices regarding the long-term sustainability of strategic energy initiatives. This study focuses on identifying best practices criteria for carrying out SEA and investigating the extent to which the Ontario Long-Term Energy Plan conforms to SEA best practices.

scholarly journals Best practices for Strategic Environmental Assessment and application to the Ontario Long-Term Energy Plan

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tania Baynova
Keyword(s):  
Best Practices ◽  
Environmental Assessment ◽  
Development Project ◽  
Strategic Environmental Assessment ◽  
Assessment Process ◽  
Long Term Effects ◽  
Term Energy ◽  
Resource Exploration ◽  
Project Level

Research shows that project-level Environmental Assessment (EA) in Ontario is failing to achieve the goals that it was designed to meet, including protection and management of the environment. The practice of Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) is emerging internationally and an increasing number of countries and organizations are carrying out SEA either formally or informally. Although there is a considerable amount of debate in terms of standardized SEA methodology, SEA is seen as a proactive tool for incorporating sustainability objectives within Policies, Plans and Programmes (PPPs) and addressing cumulative and long-term effects of of multiple projects and policy decisions. The energy sector is globally a large impact generator in terms of resource exploration, production, consumption and waste disposal. Energy development and policy in Ontario have great implications for sustainable development. Project-level EA is the process followed for developing energy infrastructure. However, decisions regarding energy supply are strategic in nature and cannot be adequately addressed through project-level EA. Therefore, SEA is an important tool used to deal with such decisions in the early stages of the assessment process and can help decision makers make informed choices regarding the long-term sustainability of strategic energy initiatives. This study focuses on identifying best practices criteria for carrying out SEA and investigating the extent to which the Ontario Long-Term Energy Plan conforms to SEA best practices.

IMPACTS OF REGION-WIDE URBAN DEVELOPMENT ON BIODIVERSITY IN STRATEGIC ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT

2005 ◽  
Vol 07 (02) ◽  
pp. 229-246 ◽  
Author(s):  
BERIT BALFORS ◽  
ULLA MÖRTBERG ◽  
MIKAEL GONTIER ◽  
PETER BROKKING
Keyword(s):  
Urban Development ◽  
Environmental Assessment ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Urban Expansion ◽  
Strategic Environmental Assessment ◽  
Ecological Modelling ◽  
Assessment Process ◽  
Planning System ◽  
Natural Habitats

In urbanising regions, urban sprawl and infrastructure cause profound alterations of natural habitats. Initial decisions on urban expansion and major infrastructure investments are often made on a strategic level where the long-term development of a region is determined. For these types of decisions a strategic environmental assessment can be prepared. However, the lack of an adequate conceptual and methodological framework can pose a major problem for the prediction of impacts, not least concerning biodiversity. This paper will highlight the need for effective methods for biodiversity analysis at landscape and regional levels, with reference to the long-term urban development of the Stockholm and Mälaren regions. Problems of habitat loss, fragmentation and other impacts related to large-scale urbanisation and infrastructure developments will be addressed. GIS-based methods focusing on predictive ecological modelling will be discussed in a scenario context. The implementation of such methodologies in the strategic environmental assessment process would allow a better integration of biodiversity in planning and decision-making, further promoting a sustainable planning system.

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