Independent Environmental Monitoring Program: Key Lake Mill

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Background

Under the Nuclear Safety and Control Act (NSCA), licensees of nuclear facilities are required to implement an environmental monitoring program to demonstrate that the public and the environment are protected from emissions related to the facility’s nuclear activities. The results of these monitoring programs are submitted to the CNSC to ensure compliance with applicable guidelines and limits, as set out in regulations that oversee Canada’s nuclear industry.

The CNSC has implemented its IEMP to verify that the public and the environment around licensed nuclear facilities are safe. It is separate from, but complementary to, the CNSC’s ongoing compliance verification program. The IEMP involves taking samples from public areas around the facilities, and measuring and analyzing the amount of radiological (nuclear)and hazardous substances in those samples. CNSC staff collect the samples and send them to the CNSC’s state-of-the-art laboratory for testing and analysis. The Key Lake mill site was sampled in 2014.

Results

The 2014 IEMP sampling plan for the Key Lake mill focused on both radiological (nuclear) and non-radiological (hazardous) contaminants. A site-specific sampling plan was developed based on Cameco’s approved environmental monitoring program, CSA Group standards and the CNSC’s regulatory experience with the site. In 2014, water samples were collected at three sites downstream of the effluent discharge point, and at a one background location upstream for comparison. All samples were taken outside the Key Lake mill site perimeter.View detailed sampling data.

The measured radioactivity in the samples were below drinking water quality guidelines. No health impacts are expected at these levels.

With respect to the non-radiological analysis, the concentrations of analyzed substances in water were mostly below or close to the Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment’s (CCME) guidelines and within the natural background levels.

The pH levels in three of the samples were slightly below the CCME guidelines, however they were within known regional background levels. The pH in this area is naturally low which is attributed to naturally acid generating conditions. There is no concern to the environment or to human health at these levels.

Selenium and molybdenum are two contaminants released as part of the regular milling process and are analyzed as part of the IEMP. In 2014, two water samples had molybdenum concentrations that exceeded the CCME guideline, and one water sample exceeded the CCME guideline for selenium. The results of the samples taken close to the effluent discharge point were consistent with Cameco’s environmental monitoring program results. No health impacts are expected at the current levels.

Selenium and molybdenum have received CNSC regulatory focus since the NSCA came into force in 2000. Over recent years, the CNSC has identified the need for improved water treatment systems for a few hazardous substances at some of the operating mines, including the Key Lake mill. Cameco’s environmental monitoring program has demonstrated that selenium and molybdenum water concentrations have decreased significantly since the installation of effluent treatment system upgrades in 2009. The CNSC expects that the surface water quality will continue to improve in the future at the Key Lake mill.

To obtain the full technical IEMP report, contact us at cnsc.info.ccsn@cnsc-ccsn.gc.ca or call 613-995-5894 or 1-800-668-5284 (in Canada). Please provide the name of the facility and the report year.

Conclusions

The 2014 IEMP results confirm that the public and the environment around the Key Lake mill are safe and that there are no health impacts. These results are consistent with the results submitted by Cameco, confirming that the licensee’s environmental protection program protects the health and safety of people and the environment.