Uranium Mine Waste Management, Rehabilitation and Decommissioning A Canadian Perspective Nand K. Davé Senior Environmental research scientist CANMET

Nand K. Davé

Uranium Mine Waste Management, Rehabilitation and Decommissioning - A Canadian Perspective
Canada is the world's largest producer of uranium, producing about one third of the world's total uranium supply. Economic realities of uranium market conditions and low prices led to the closure of all low-grade uranium mines in the 1980's to mid 1990's. Excepting some past historic and abandoned mine sites and areas impacted by uranium/radium processing, transportation and storage, all other inactive and recently closed out mines and waste management sites have been rehabilitated and decommissioned.

A progressive rehabilitation and decommissioning strategy has been developed for the new, operating high-grade uranium mines in northern Saskatchewan, where the mine tailings and problematic waste rock are deposited in mined-out open pits lined with a porous envelope around the pit walls and at the bottom. In general, the uranium mine rehabilitation and decommission program in Canada has been very successful with maximum efforts given to the protection of the environment and human health.