Panel Report

In August 1991, the governments of Canada and Saskatchewan appointed a joint federal-provincial environmental assessment panel. The panel was established to review several proposed uranium mining developments in northern Saskatchewan, including the McArthur River Project with Cameco Corporation as the proponent. The mandate of the panel is summarized in Section 1.2.2 and the terms of reference given to the panel have been reproduced in Appendix B. This is the third report submitted by the panel.

Developments, even if located in the sparsely populated northern regions of our country, do not occur in isolation. People, as well as the environment, are affected by the opening of a new mine such as the one proposed at McArthur River. Our philosophy in completing this review has, therefore, been to assess as thoroughly as possible the impacts of the project on northern people, as well as on the northern environment. In our view, impacts on the vitality of northern communities, for example, are as significant as impacts on the biota. Both are important; both must be protected and, if possible, enhanced by the development of this project.

Approval of the McArthur River Project is recommended, with certain conditions. The primary conditions are summarized here; detailed justification for these conditions and additional requirements are found in the body of the report.

It is recommended that approval for mining, as described in the Environmental Impact Statement, be granted, subject to the following conditions:

• that the “as low as reasonably achievable” (ALARA) principle be rigorously enforced to protect workers from unnecessary radiation exposures in all stages of the project - development, operation and decommissioning;
• that research continue into methods for reducing effluent volume and contaminant concentrations;
• that improved monitoring of environmental impacts be required at, and downstream from, the release sites;
• and that improved methods for distinguishing between barren and mineralized waste rock be required.

It is recommended that cautious approval be given to the proposal to deposit tailings from the milling of the McArthur River ore, in the Deilmann Tailings Management Facility, as described in the Environmental Impact Statement. The following conditions are attached to this recommendation:

• that rigorous performance requirements be part of the approval;
• that procedures for mitigating any potential malfunctions be identified before deposition of the McArthur River tailings begins;
• that performance monitoring procedures for all stages of the operation of this facility be developed and monitoring initiated before deposition of McArthur River tailings begins. If monitoring identifies that the established performance requirements are not being met, mitigation measures must be implemented; and
• that conceptual plans for monitoring of the decommissioned facility in perpetuity be developed before deposition begins.

It is recommended that approval be given to the construction of a haul road from McArthur River to Key Lake, subject to the following conditions:

• that environmental damage be minimized by following the power line as closely as possible; and
• that clean mine waste rock be used as a primary roadbuilding material.

It is important to recognize that this project is being developed in an area to which aboriginal people are attached historically and spiritually. We are of the opinion that northern people, because they must bear the greatest environmental risk associated with this project and because of their traditional roots in this part of Canada, deserve to share more generously than other Canadians in the benefits produced by the McArthur River Project. To assist in the achievement of this objective, the following additional conditions should be attached to the approval of this project:

• that local people be continuously consulted throughout the duration of the project;
• that adequate financial support be provided by provincial and federal governments for the Environmental Quality Committees;
• that regulatory agencies support the Environmental Quality Committees actively and invite their participation in, and observation of, regulatory activities;
• that agreements reached by the Athabasca Working Group be established as part of a legal document;
• that Cameco be required to report annually on its public involvement programs;
• that an objective of obtaining at least 35% of all required goods and services from northern suppliers be established for the McArthur River project;
• that employment objectives for the participation of northerners in the mine and mill work force be increased from the present level (about 50%) by 1% per year until they reach at least 67%;
• that Cameco be required to report annually on the commitments it made in the Environmental Impact Statement with respect to employment and business opportunities for northerners; and
• that the government agencies and departments providing services in northern Saskatchewan adopt human resources objectives that would lead to a substantial increase in northern participation on their staffs.

It is evident from their words and actions that northern leaders wish to have the issue of revenue sharing resolved in a political forum rather than as part of the environmental review process. We agree with that approach and urge both levels of government to become involved with northern leaders in a multipartite discussion of revenue sharing.

The effects of mining on the northern environment and on the vitality of northern communities will require rigorous long-term monitoring regimes. The monitoring requirements for each component of this project must not be underestimated, either with respect to their scope or their duration. The Deilmann Tailings Management Facility, in particular, will require perpetual monitoring and arrangements should be made, prior to approval, for the monitoring of this facility in perpetuity. Approval should be granted only if the returns from the project are expected to be sufficient to bear the estimated costs of a monitoring program that is of adequate scope and duration to fully protect northern people and the environment.

The recommendations are described in greater detail in Chapter 4 of the report, with the supporting rationale in Chapters 5-13.

Finally, we wish to acknowledge the positive responses that the federal and provincial governments have made to recommendations in our previous reports. Their meticulous attention to the contents of those reports is an indication of their commitment to the environmental assessment process.