The Athabasca Working Group (AWG) is helping the Athabascan
communities in northern Saskatchewan participate in their
own environmental monitoring of uranium developments. Three
uranium companies and seven Athabascan communities jointly
designed and implemented a community-based environmental monitoring
program. Water, air, plants, fish and animal tissues such
as caribou and moose are sampled in and around the communities
with the help of local hunters and other residents.
The program began in 2000. The samples are sent to independent
laboratories in Saskatchewan and the United States. To date,
the testing has shown no environmental effects from the present
uranium mining operations.
Northerners involved in the program gain experience and an
understanding of environmental monitoring. The training and
experience helps them to continue with the monitoring in the
future.
Where does the sampling take place?
Extensive sampling is already conducted in and around the
northern Saskatchewan uranium mines. The Athabasca Working
Group members wanted to know if the water or plants or animals
that Athabaskans use are affected by uranium mining operations.
The AWG, therefore, helped to design a sampling program that
is done in and near the communities where people live, hunt,
fish and collect plants for food.
Samples were taken from two types of "stations:"
- Effects Stations (streams within the potential water flow
from a uranium mine).
- Reference Stations (streams outside potential influence
from uranium mining).
Who analyses the samples?
Samples are chemically analysed at the Saskatchewan Research
Council laboratory in Saskatoon and the results returned to
the consultant for final analysis. The radon gas monitoring
samples are sent to a lab in the US for analysis.
What is sampled?
The chemical analysis of hundreds of samples collected since
2000 indicated no effects from uranium mining. These results
also showed no significant difference between "effects" and
"reference" stations. They also showed that the elements in
the water, plants, fish and animals that were analysed were
well below government guidelines for consumption by people.
Results
of 2003 AWG Environmental Monitoring Program
The Athabasca Working Group
Formed in 1993, the AWG is made up of:
- Representatives of the Athabasca Basin communities of
Black Lake, Fond du Lac and Hatchet Lake Denesuline Nations
along with the Northern Settlements of Camsell Portage,
Wollaston Lake, Uranium City and Stony Rapids.
- Representatives of the uranium mining companies including
Cameco Corporation and AREVA subsidiary AREVA Resources Inc.
AWG members negotiated an Impact Management Agreement dealing
with three major issues: environmental protection and compensation;
employment, training and business development opportunities;
and benefits sharing. Many of the terms of the agreement have
been completed while others are being planned or implemented.
One of the major projects is the community-based environmental
monitoring program, which is in addition to ongoing minesite
and other monitoring taking place in the region.
AWG members also visit uranium mine sites, discuss mine plans
and projects, and ensure the mining companies are aware of
community issues.
AWG
Annual Report PDF Version (1.03 MB)
