McNAMARA: Caribou in Toxic Uranium Pond

[Oscar]

McNAMARA: Caribou in Toxic Uranium Pond

From: entwork@hotmail.com
To: bwall@mla.legassembly.sk.ca; ceaainfo@cnsc-ccsn.gc.ca; andy_thorne@cameco.com
CC: muninfo@gov.sk.ca; jreiter@mla.legassembly.sk.ca; tmcmillan@mla.legassembly.sk.ca; rob.clarke@parl.gc.ca; bbelanger@mla.legassembly.sk.ca; gwyant@mla.legassembly.sk.ca; citydesk@leaderpost.com; citydesk@thestarphoenix.com; news@thesheaf.com; city@thestar.ca; city.desk@freepress.mb.ca; sandra.m.cuffe@gmail.com; news@ffdailyreminder.com; newsroom@globeandmail.com; editor@indigenoustimes.ca; northerner@sasktel.net; richard.mcguire@sunmedia.ca; greg.wiseman@sunmedia.ca; regina@metronews.ca; bpitzel@archregina.sk.ca; dan.beveridge@uregina.ca; oslermc@sasktel.net; info@miningwatch.ca; info@pembina.org; scic@earthbeat.sk.ca; info@econet.sk.ca; info@environmentalsociety.ca; allysonb@environmentalsociety.ca; pierre.guerin@radio-canada.ca; maud.beaulieu@radio-canada.ca; prairies@canadians.org; jb@sierraclub.ca; karen-rooney@hotmail.com; ihanington@davidsuzuki.org; essa.club@usask.ca; michaelpoellet@sasktel.net; darlah@cwf-fcf.org; g_goodwin@ducks.ca; saskspca@sasktel.net; sask.wildlife@sasktel.net; ca-panda@wwfcanada.org
Subject: Caribou in Toxic Uranium Pond???
Date: Wed, 26 Sep 2012 18:05:48 -0400

September 26th, 2012

To Cameco, Premier Wall and the CNSC,

We’ve received reports that a caribou ended up in one of Cameco’s highly toxic ponds at their Key Lake uranium mine and that it was in great distress. We ask that Cameco, the Sakatchewan government and the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC) answer the following questions to set the record straight on this event.

1) Did a caribou enter one of Cameco’s liquid containment structures (pond) at or near the Key Lake Mine? At any other mine or tailings facility in Saskatchewan

2) If so, did this event occur on Earth Day (April 22nd) 2012? If not, on what day?

3) Was this liquid waste from the milling process which uses sulphuric acid? If not, what was the composition of the liquid and any material that was suspended in it or settled out?

4) How many hours/days was the caribou actually in the pond?

5) What efforts did Cameco make to get the caribou out of the pond?

6) What method of retrieval was eventually successful?

7) Did the caribou lose any of its hair from its immersion in the toxic pond?

8) Did Cameco allow the animal to leave the site after it was retrieved from the pond?

9) Was the animal monitored to ensure it would survive?

10) Did the animal enter the site through a hole in the perimeter fence? If so, when was the hole in the fence fixed? If not, why not?

11) When was the Saskatchewan government notified of this event? If not, why not?

12) If the government was notified, what actions did it take to remove or monitor the caribou?

13) When was the CNSC notified of this event? If not, why not?

14) What steps have Cameco, the CNSC and Saskatchewan government taken to ensure this doesn’t happen again?

15) If the caribou lost most of its hair, what are its chances of surviving?

16) If the pond contents contained any radioactive material, would predators eating the caribou after its release be at any risk?

I look forward to seeing whether the answers you give match up to the accounts I was given. Many of Cameco's employees were disturbed by this event. Sadly, none of them could forward with this information as they're certain they would lose their jobs as a result.

Though it has nothing to do with the caribou incident, a number of miners have asked me the same question, which I’ve been unable to answer. Miners from the McArthur mine claim to experience a sensation much like heartburn in their lower chest after a few consecutive days underground. It gets worse as they progress through their days in and then clears up during their days off at home. They named a specific level of the mine where the problem is most acute. They all noticed a brown stain or deposit on the rock on this level. Would any of you have an explanation for this so I can answer their questions?

I was surprised that none of the miners were aware of the dangers of internal emitters (radioactive material inside the body). They claim Cameco never said anything about them. I can believe that as Cameco professed ignorance of the term internal emitters at a recent public meeting which was recorded. More on this in a future paper.

I’ve copied this e-mail to media outlets and animal rights groups as we have a great deal of trouble getting information from the responsible authorities and involved parties. Perhaps they will get better results asking questions than I do.


Pat McNamara
entwork@hotmail.com

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NOTE: The only e-mail address I had for anyone at Cameco was Andy Thorne. I'm sure he'll pass this along to head office

[Oscar]

McNAMARA: Caribou in Uranium Tailings Pond - Letter 2

From: entwork@hotmail.com
To: premier@gov.sk.ca; tim_gitzel@cameco.ca; info@cnsc-ccsn.gc.ca
CC: muninfo@gov.sk.ca; jreiter@mla.legassembly.sk.ca; tmcmillan@mla.legassembly.sk.ca; rob.clarke@parl.gc.ca; bbelanger@mla.legassembly.sk.ca; gwyant@mla.legassembly.sk.ca; citydesk@leaderpost.com; citydesk@thestarphoenix.com; news@thesheaf.com; city@thestar.ca; city.desk@freepress.mb.ca; sandra.m.cuffe@gmail.com; news@ffdailyreminder.com; newsroom@globeandmail.com; editor@indigenoustimes.ca; northerner@sasktel.net; richard.mcguire@sunmedia.ca; greg.wiseman@sunmedia.ca; regina@metronews.ca; bpitzel@archregina.sk.ca; dan.beveridge@uregina.ca; oslermc@sasktel.net; info@miningwatch.ca; info@pembina.org; scic@earthbeat.sk.ca; info@econet.sk.ca; info@environmentalsociety.ca; allysonb@environmentalsociety.ca; pierre.guerin@radio-canada.ca; maud.beaulieu@radio-canada.ca; prairies@canadians.org; jb@sierraclub.ca; karen-rooney@hotmail.com; ihanington@davidsuzuki.org; essa.club@usask.ca; michaelpoellet@sasktel.net; darlah@cwf-fcf.org; g_goodwin@ducks.ca; saskspca@sasktel.net; sask.wildlife@sasktel.net;
ca-panda@wwfcanada.org

Subject: Caribou in Uranium Tailings Pond - Letter 2

Date: Mon, 1 Oct 2012 11:01:42 -0400

October 1st, 2012

Second letter to the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC), Cameco and Premier Wall concerning the caribou that was stuck in a radioactive tailings pond at Cameco’s Key Lake mine for more than 24 hours on Earth Day 2012.

To Aurele Gervais,

I copied your Sept. 27th, response to me and my original letter (Sept. 26) at the bottom of this e-mail for the benefit of people this has been sent to.

The version of events you related to me differs from the accounts of the eye-witnesses on a couple of major points. Every one of them was adamant that the caribou was caught in a tailings pond, not in a water collection pond. Each of the seven people I’ve spoken to about this event since you contacted me on September 27th, 2012 scoffed at your statement that it was a water collection pond with a neutral pH. Either the CNSC or Cameco is not telling the truth in this matter.

1) Please provide the location and technical nomenclature for the pond in question.

2) On what date did Cameco report the caribou incident to the CNSC?

3) What “signs” (your word) did the caribou show that it had been attacked by predators?

4) What specific concentrations and type of radionuclides and heavy metals are present in the pond?

5) Did the caribou lose any of its hair from its immersion in the toxic pond? You did not answer this question in your first response.

6) When was the section of fence removed and when was it replaced? My sources tell me that by mid-September, it was still not repaired. (5 months)

7) Please provide contact information for the conservation officers from the Saskatchewan Ministry of Environment that were contacted. What steps did the conservation officers suggest be taken to remove the caribou?

8) Please provide the name of the third party who verified that the caribou would be safe to consume. Please provide the report.

9) Was the animal monitored to ensure it would survive?

I hope your response to this ‘caribou’ letter is as prompt as your first one.

However, you did not respond to the second part of the letter I sent regarding health concerns the miners from McArthur River expressed to me:

Miners from the McArthur mine claim to experience a sensation much like heartburn in their lower chest after a few consecutive days underground. It gets worse as they progress through their days in and then clears up during their days off at home. They named a specific level of the mine where the problem is most acute. They all noticed a brown stain or deposit on the rock on this level.

A) Would you or Cameco have an explanation for this so I can answer their questions?

I was surprised that none of the miners were aware of the dangers of internal emitters (radioactive material inside the body). They claim Cameco never said anything about them. I can believe that as Cameco professed ignorance of the term internal emitters at a recent public meeting which was recorded. More on this in a future paper.

B) Why doesn’t Cameco advise the miners of the dangers of internal emitters?

C) What is the CNSC’s position on the dangers of internal emitters?

I look forward to your prompt response on both these issues.

Pat McNamara

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September 27th, 2012

From Aurele Gervais at the CNSC

Mr. McNamara:

This is in response to your email of September 27, 2012. The Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC) was notified of the event you are referring to. Cameco reported that on April 22, 2012, a caribou showing signs that it may have been attacked by predators took refuge in a water collection pond of its Key Lake Operation. The water contained in the water collection pond (not a tailings pond) contains low concentrations of heavy metals and radionuclides and its pH is neutral (meaning it is not acidic and does not contain sulphuric acid).

Workers had removed a small part of the fence in order to move equipment into the area to conduct regular maintenance work. The fence has since been restored.

Cameco reported that the conservation officers from the Saskatchewan Ministry of Environment had been contacted and that several steps were taken to try to help the caribou out of the area. The caribou eventually left on its own.

Cameco hired a third party to conduct an assessment of the possible impacts on the animal and the risk from human consumption if the animal was hunted. The third party confirmed that the caribou would not have absorbed any dangerous amount of contaminants and that its meat would be safe for people to consume.

CNSC staff were satisfied with the actions taken by Cameco to respond to this incident to protect the animal and people.

All uranium mine and mill operators have programs to prevent wildlife from entering their site.

Trusting this is satisfactory,

Aurèle Gervais
Chief Advisor
Media & Community Relations
Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission
Aurele.Gervais@cnsc-ccsn.gc.ca
Telephone 613-996-6860