Panel Report

The proponent proposes to construct and maintain an 80-km haul road between the McArthur River and Key Lake sites, utilizing wherever possible an existing electrical transmission line corridor. Cameco would ship ore as a slurry from the McArthur River mine to the Key Lake mill in specially designed vessels, loaded four at a time, on large trucks designed in a B-train configuration. The existing Fox Lake winter road would be decommissioned.

In spite of the strictest precautions, road accidents do occur and for many reasons. The possibility of ore spills during transport, in particular at stream crossings, is of great concern to the public. Mitigation procedures and compensation arrangements in the event of environmental damage should be identified before the road opens.

We talk lots about roads, lots about trucks, talk about truck safety and if one of those trucks was to tumble.. .it is going to cause a lot of damage.

Martin Smith, Transcript of McArthur River Public Hearings, Pinehouse, Saskatchewan, October 7, 1996, p. 15.

7.1 Ore Transport Vessels

The design of the vessels to be used for ore transportation under northern conditions is of paramount importance. It is essential that the vessels not release radioactive material in the event of an accident during ore transport. The design of the vessels must also consider difficulties which might arise during the unloading of the ore slurry. Unforeseen situations, such as blockages due to freezing, or segregation of ore while it is stored in vessels, are likely to arise. The vessels should be designed to ensure that such occurrences would not require manual mitigation, which could expose workers to high levels of radiation.

During its licensing process, the AECB will address the safe packaging and transport of the McArthur River ore. The regulations administered by the AECB require that the packaging standards for radioactive material match the hazards posed by the material being transported. The panel understands that existing standards for packaging high grade uranium ore are to be upgraded. These new standards would be incorporated into the licensing conditions for the packaging of McArthur River ore. As uncertainty might be created by this change in standards, the panel emphasizes the importance of public consultation by AECB during its licensing process.

7.2 Transportation Routes

7.2.1 McArthur River - Key Lake Road

The source of material to be used for road construction purposes is not identified in the EIS. Use of local till is one possibility, but only if sufficient deposits exist in proximity to the proposed road. If till collection from multiple sites remote from the road is necessary, considerable environmental disturbance to the surrounding area might result. Alternatively, the use of clean waste rock from the mine site would not require any new excavation and would have the added benefit of reducing the size of the non-mineralized waste rock stockpile. This option, which would be regulated through the licensing process, is recommended.

A major issue voiced by local northerners is whether the proposed haul road would be a public or private road. The road would originate and terminate within the surface leases of the McAr-thur River and Key Lake sites, respectively, and a gate house situated at the Key Lake site could control and monitor road traffic. Although government policy requires that all access roads be public roads, restriction of access could be permitted for various reasons, including safety and conservation.

Some local residents indicated that they would wish to use the road to access adjacent areas for resource harvesting purposes. However, if access by the general public is permitted, pressure could be put on existing wildlife resources. The local communities expressed the wish to be consulted on the issue of public access to the proposed road; a willingness to further discuss this concern was indicated by both the proponent and government. These issues should be resolved before permission to build the road is granted.

Concerns were also expressed with respect to the need for early community consultation whenever new roads are planned. Local contractors also indicated a wish to participate in the construction of the road. It is recommended that businesses located in the local area, and using local labour, be given preference when contracts to construct the road are issued.

The McArthur River to Key lake road construction should be awarded to northern communities... to provide employment and on-the-job training experience in construction.

Greg Ross, Mayor of Pinehouse, Transcript of McArthur River Public Hearings, La Ronge, Saskatchewan, October 1, 1996, p. 70.

7.2.2 Fox Lake Road

The current government permit requires the Fox Lake winter road to be decommissioned if the haul road between McArthur River and Key Lake is constructed. However, the Fox Lake road is used for resource harvesting purposes by members of local communities who wish to continue using at least parts of it as a means of access. The possible decommissioning of bridges along the road is of particular concern. Suggestions to resolve this issue included the possibility of local access to portions of the Fox Lake road from the proposed haul road. It is recommended that the bridges on the Fox Lake road be left in place for the time being and that an assessment of the need to decommission be made in consultation with the local communities only after the new road has been open for at least two years.

7.2.3 Highway 914

The panel heard that, although Highway 914 is used by both the general public and multi-axle vehicles carrying dangerous goods, it is not maintained at grid road standards. Rocks on the shoulder of the road were of particular concern. In addition, since many of the trucks using the road must travel at speeds lower than officially posted limits because of the nature of their loads, passing lanes are desired for traffic moving at regular speed. Northerners expressed the conviction that the Department of Highways should be required to maintain northern grid roads to the same standard as those in the southern part of the province. The contracting of local businesses for road maintenance is widely viewed as an effective way to ensure that such standards are upheld. There is also concern in northern communities about the ability of municipal emergency services to respond appropriately to road accidents involving hazardous materials.

When you find a rock 30 inches across right on the shoulder of the road, the dust conditions in the summer on our roads and now an increase of traffic, ...is the Department of High ways, or the mines, going to see to the safety of our roads and at least bring them up to a grid road standard that would be acceptable in the part of Saskatchewan south of P.A.?

Mervyn Abrahamson, Transcript of McArthur River Public Hearings, Pinehouse, Saskatchewan, October 7, 1996, p. 35.

7.3 Conclusions and Recommendations

The panel recommends that Cameco be given permission to construct the proposed haul road from McArthur River to Key Lake. Clean waste rock from the McArthur River site should be used for road construction purposes as extensively as is practicable.

Local contractors, using local labour, should be given preference when contracts to construct and/or maintain northern roads are issued.

It is recommended that the public be consulted by federal and provincial authorities on several transportation-related decisions: on the development of accident contingency plans; on the licensing of transportation vessels and vehicles; on decisions regarding the proposed road between Key Lake and McArthur River, particularly public access; and on the decommissioning of the Fox Lake road. These consultations should take the form of public meetings and be held in the northern communities impacted significantly by transportation-related activities.