Panel Report

Health is widely accepted as being more than the absence of disease; it is a state of physical, mental and emotional well-being. The terms of reference of the panel reflect this broad understanding by encompassing socio-economic effects along with environmental and health considerations. All three potential impacts on health (i.e. direct physical effects, socio-economic effects, and psychological effects) have, therefore, been included in our analysis of the possible effect of the proposed uranium mines on worker and community health.

4.1 Worker Health

In the six-year period encompassing the uranium mining reviews, steps have been undertaken to update and improve health and safety protection for miners. These initiatives include amendments to Saskatchewan's Occupational Health and Safety Act, a review of its Occupational Health and Safety Regulations and a proposed review of its Mines Regulations; amendments to the Canada Labour Code (1996), and the establishment of the 1994 Efficiency of the Federation Initiative. In response to panel recommendations, the province has amended the Occupational Health and Safety Appendix of the uranium mine surface leases to incorporate the intent of ICRP 60 and 65.

Based on presentations made to the panel, it appears that worker radiation exposures at operating uranium mines in Saskatchewan have been maintained below existing dose limits. Mine operators, working with regulators, anticipate being able to meet the new exposure limits with equal success. The panel commends the recent provincial initiative to adopt new international standards for radiation health safety at the uranium mines; however, there is still concern with the length of time taken by both federal and provincial governments to amend safety standards for mine workers. Will the process to amend regulations continue when the public reviews have been completed? We are also concerned with the provincial practice of the amending of radiation protection standards through surface lease agreements, which do not have the permanence of regulations. Will such standards also apply to workplaces other than uranium mine sites where workers might be exposed to radiation?

Similarly, the records on conventional safety issues are generally positive, indicating that mine operators and regulators have been successful in providing adequate worker protection in Saskatchewan uranium mines. There has not been a resolution, however, of the jurisdictional responsibility for conventional occupational safety and health. The provincial government is the jurisdiction actively monitoring worker safety in Saskatchewan, but the federal authority retains the right to initiate prosecution to enforce compliance.

The panel urges the governments to move quickly to amend their appropriate legislation to reflect the new international standards on radiation protection, to expedite the updating of the Mines Regulations, and to resolve the jurisdictional conflict over administrative responsibility for conventional occupational health and safety in uranium mines.

4.2 Epidemiological Studies

The health and safety impacts of a particular industry can be assessed by a statistical comparison of the health-related events experienced by its workers in comparison with those experienced by the general population. In the past, such epidemiological studies have often been used to assess occupational risks and to identify ways in which workplace safety could be improved.

Workers in Saskatchewan uranium mines are exposed to radon progeny, as well as to a number of heavy metals, such as arsenic and nickel, that are known carcinogens. The possibility exists, therefore, that there may be a synergistic effect on the rates of lung cancers caused by multiple exposures. It was for this reason that we recommended in a 1993 report that "arrangements be made to conduct an ongoing epidemiological study of all Saskatchewan miners (past, present and future)." [D.G. Lee, J.F. Archibald, J. Dantouze, R. Neal and A. Yassi, Dominique-Janine Extension, McClean Lake Project, and Midwest Joint Venture, Supply and Services Canada, October, 1993, p.19.]

In response to that recommendation, the AECB, in collaboration with the mining companies and the Province, has formed a multidisciplinary team to prepare a study proposal and to carry out the study. [D. Baris, A Cohort Mortality Study of Saskatchewan Uranium Miners, Atomic Energy Control Board, Submission to Midwest Public Hearings, Saskatoon, May 28, 1996.] This team, which includes epidemiologists, statisticians, industrial hygienists and clinicians from the participating organizations, proposes to study approximately 5,000 Saskatchewan uranium miners employed between 1975 and 2010 at Cluff Lake, Key Lake, Rabbit Lake, McArthur River, McClean Lake and any additional mines that are subsequently approved.

The project will be carried out in two phases. In the first phase, the project team will compare the mortality rates of Saskatchewan miners with those of a standard population in Saskatchewan. In the second phase, after the data collected in the first phase have been subjected to an appropriate statistical analysis, the team will undertake a case-cohort study to further investigate the incidence of lung cancer and any other causes of death for which excess risk is suggested.

This epidemiological study will provide a factual basis on which to assess health implications for uranium mine workers. It will also indicate if the current protection strategies are adequate and, if not, what areas require improvement. Without this information, sound decisions could not be made with respect to possible increased levels of protection.

The study, initiated as a result of the review process, is of potential importance to the protection of mine workers. We, therefore, commend those who have initiated this epidemiological study and recommend that continued financial support be provided to ensure its completion. 

4.3 Community Vitality and Health

Community vitality is defined as the social well-being and quality of life experienced by community residents. The vitality of a community is also intimately connected to community health because it is recognised that the state of our health is affected by factors like employment, income, education, housing, the environment, and individual lifestyle choices.

The uranium mining industry will continue to have a large influence on community vitality and health in northern Saskatchewan because it is a major employer, and has helped to develop road and air transportation routes, and the electrical power grid for the north. Unfortunately, the industry's activities also have the potential to contaminate large areas and poison the air, the water, and the country foods upon which many northerners depend. In addition, there is a communal sense of injustice and anger caused by the extraction of resources worth billions of dollars from their traditional lands while many northerners are struggling to meet basic needs. This collective sense of injustice is one of the main driving forces behind the desire of northern communities for some form of revenue sharing.

It is clear that uranium mining may cause both positive and negative impacts to northern communities. There is a need to identify a set of indicators that can be used to assess more accurately the impacts of uranium mining on the quality of life of northern residents. We commend the leadership of Cameco for offering to provide $250,000 annually towards the funding of a social scientist in the north, and the establishment of a northern community socio-economic and health impacts database. We also welcome the province's commitment to "facilitate discussions among the uranium industry, the Environmental Quality Committees, and the emerging northern health boards to clearly identify the key database indices and additional areas of monitoring." [The Government's Position on Proposed Uranium Mining Developments in Northern Saskatchewan, McArthur River Project, Government of Saskatchewan, May, 1997, p. 22.]

The panel notes that the industry as a whole is taking steps to actively seek the opinion of northern residents on community vitality issues. The industry communicates directly with representatives of the six Athabasca communities via the Athabasca Working Group, and is attempting in that forum to reach a consensus between the peoples of the region and the mining companies on the way in which mining is carried out in the north. The mining companies also committed to continuing their support, in principle and in kind, to the three Environmental Quality Committees, by providing transportation, accommodation, and information for mine site visits, and by listening to the concerns of the committees. [For example, J. Tosney, President, Cigar Lake Mining Corporation, Transcript of Supplementary Public Hearings for Midwest and Cigar Lake, La Ronge, Saskatchewan, August 27, 1997, p. 142.]

There are many signs that the industry is responding to the concerns of northerners. The proportion of northern residents in the workforce is steadily increasing; the way in which contracts are now tendered has resulted in a dramatic increase in opportunities for northern businesses; incentives are provided to encourage northern students to improve their qualifications by staying in school; financial and operational support have been provided for pre-employment training programs as part of the Multi-Party Training Plan; and, employees are provided with education and training opportunities. This list is far from exhaustive but serves to demonstrate that the uranium mining companies are trying to be responsible corporate citizens in the north.

We are also encouraged by recent federal and provincial government initiatives to monitor different aspects of community health, including cumulative effects and the possible contamination of country foods, a baseline community health status survey, and the health study of uranium mine workers. These initiatives should augment the general health planning process for northern Saskatchewan. Both levels of government help fund the Multi-Party Training Plan, and have recently begun discussions with northern leaders on the issues of offloading, taxation, self-government financing and revenue sharing. This latter initiative will likely be a lengthy process, but has the potential to dramatically affect the way many northern residents view uranium mining, particularly if the discussions produce a wider sharing of the benefits.

It is necessary to conclude this discussion of community vitality on a more sober note. Northern residents have exceedingly high expectations of the uranium mining industry. Many hope that it will be the economic saviour of their region; however, the population growth rate in the north is extremely high, making it difficult to provide adequate levels of employment within the region to the increasing numbers of school graduates. It will not be possible, nor would it be advisable, for the uranium mining industry to solve all of the north's economic difficulties. There is a need to diversify the economic base of the north to make it less dependent on a single industry.