Canada: expanding nuclear fuel exports

Journal Article · Sun Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1978 · Environment; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1080/00139157.1978.9929706· OSTI ID:7060620

Paehlke, R

Uranium is soon to be a very big business in Canada and most of the expansion is bound for export markets. The expansions that are planned are both in uranium mining and in fuel processing. Almost all environmental problems associated with the nuclear fuel cycle thus far in Canada have been associated with these two phases of the cycle: mining and processing. The water in Elliot Lake has been found to have high concentrations of radium and the drinking water of Serpent River, Ontario--downwater from Elliot Lake--has been found to be contaminated by excess radioactivity. Buildings in both Port Hope, Ontario, and Uranium City, Saskatchewan (near Eldorado's Saskatchewan minesite), have excess radiation counts attributable to radon and radon daughter gases. Several aspects of the expansion are currently undergoing environmental impact assessment. Far and away the most careful and balanced inquiry is the Saskatchewan government-appointed inquiry under Mr. Justice E. D. Bayda of the Saskatchewan Appeals Court. This inquiry is, in the first instance, examining a proposal by Amok Ltee., a consortium of a French multinational and the French government, to develop a $135 million uranium mine and mill at Cluff Lake in the northern portion of Saskatchewan. But the inquiry is considering all aspects and implications of the full nuclear fuel cycle. The second stage of the uranium boom in Canada centers on processing. Here two major new plants are proposed by Eldorado Nuclear: one at Port Granby, Ontario; the second at Varman, Saskatchewan. Several massive nuclear power stations are planned east of Toronto, but nuclear opposition is growing in Canada. (MCW)

• Research Organization: Trent Univ., Peterborough, Ont.
• OSTI ID: 7060620
• Journal Information: Environment; (United States), Journal Name: Environment; (United States) Vol. 20:1; ISSN ENVTA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

051000 -- Nuclear Fuels-- Economic
Industrial
& Business Aspects
11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS
29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY
290600* -- Energy Planning & Policy-- Nuclear Energy
CANADA
ECONOMICS
ENERGY SOURCES
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS
EXPORTS
FUELS
INDUSTRY
LEGAL ASPECTS
MANAGEMENT
MINING
NORTH AMERICA
NUCLEAR FACILITIES
NUCLEAR FUELS
NUCLEAR INDUSTRY
NUCLEAR POWER PLANTS
ORES
POLLUTION
POWER PLANTS
PROCESSING
PROLIFERATION
RADIOACTIVITY
REACTOR MATERIALS
REFINING
TECHNOLOGY ASSESSMENT
THERMAL POWER PLANTS
URANIUM ORES
WASTE MANAGEMENT