Key Lake Tailings Pit Subject Of CNSC Hearing

Key Lake Tailings Pit Subject Of CNSC Hearing

Wednesday, September 17, 2008 at 14:45

An environmental group is raising concerns it has about the tailings pit at the Key Lake uranium mine today at a Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission public hearing in Saskatoon.

Ann Coxworth of the Saskatchewan Environmental Society says the sides of the pit are collapsing into the pit.

Her concern is that if the sides are collapsing now, the pit won’t be able to properly contain waste for the long period of time that the material is hazardous.

Coxworth says the issue came up at a CNSC hearing over a year ago, and that the CNSC had a concern that the operation be safe before it re-issued a licence.

Licence renewal is being discussed today, and Coxworth says the SES is requesting the renewal period be every two years — rather than every five years, as it is now — until the pit is deemed safe.

Cameco officials were not available for comment prior to today’s proceedings.