URANIUM RULES CHANGING
Mining Government moving today to quell public protest by announcing new regulations for exploration and claim-staking
FREDERICTON - After being battered for months over the contentious issue of uranium mining, the Liberal government is set to announce this morning amendments to regulations for exploration and claim-staking.
Officials were tight-lipped Thursday about what those amendments might be, but they said the changes will address public concerns, including potential effects of mining on drinking water.
Both Natural Resources Minister Donald Arseneault and Environment Minister Roland Haché will be participating in the announcement in downtown Fredericton.
"We held public consultations and people voiced concerns, and we listened," said Sharon Jones, spokeswoman for the department of natural resources.
Within the past year, the uranium issue has rapidly shifted from being essentially off the official radar to being recognized as a key area that could make or break the Liberal government.
In an effort to mute calls for a moratorium on uranium exploration, the government announced in May much tighter regulations that included returning all radioactive materials to drill holes sealed with a clay-like substance called bentonite; testing water wells within 500 metres of a drill site before and after work is done; and keeping liquid waste from drilling operations a safe distance from wetlands.
But that failed to quell the public uproar. Recent information sessions with concerned landowners in Fredericton and Moncton turned into boisterous protests, with citizens railing passionately against uranium exploration.
In mid-June, Premier Shawn Graham said "significant policy changes" were on the way.
University of New Brunswick professor David Lentz, who has expertise working in the uranium industry in northern Saskatchewan and has researched uranium systems since 1982, pointed out that the industry is already quite well-regulated.
But regulations can always be improved upon and the key goal is to ensure citizens are properly protected, Lentz said Thursday.
"No doubt, stricter controls on invasive exploration activities in watershed areas will be put in place, but beyond these I would be guessing," Lentz said of today's announcement.
Mac Campbell, an environmental activist from Lake George, southwest of Fredericton, was adamant that tighter regulations are needed. Campbell lives just across the water from Harvey, an area where excessive levels of uranium were recently found in a number of wells.
The health department set up free water testing for the village after the unearthing of a forgotten 1981 study that showed elevated levels of uranium and radon in some homes and wells. For reasons unknown, nothing was done about the study at the time.
According to Campbell, the processes of prospecting and claim-staking need to become much more transparent. Many citizens in the region have been surprised by the appearance of blue ribbons on their property, marking areas where prospectors have staked mining claims.
"It's all taking place back in the shadows somewhere," Campbell said. "There needs to be a bigger table and more space at it for people to sit so the issue can be talked about fully."
Campbell also advocated the creation of a mining ombudsman, who would have technical expertise and be primarily responsible to landowners. Such a system would provide citizens with recourse when concerns over mining development arise, he said.
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We lost our water in Penobsquis, and the provincial gov't has been lax about doing anything about the natural gas and Potash mining going on here. This gov't is all about the buck.
The Minister of the Environment told me that we New Brunswickers have to complain and be watchdogs...its not their job to watch what these companies/explorers do. And then a high level DOE official said at a meeting, when asked who was looking after the citizens, that it was not Dept of Enivornments job.
We need to hold this gov't and the bureaucrats accountable. What are we paying them for if they aren't looking after us?
So are these finally regulations? Are there now penalties outlined for breaking these regulations? No.
This is all a smokescreen to sidetrack us from the real issue... Their intent to allow mining companies to open a uranium mine in our neighbourhood (perhaps even under the guise of a copper mine like many mining companies have been doing elsewhere) which will pollute our environment for hundreds of generations to come.
The new rules state that they intend to drop the requirement for the physical staking (tags on trees and blue ribbons) in favour of an on-line staking system.
Now we'll be even less aware of what they're doing behind our backs!
They just want us to all go back to sleep... Ignore the elephant in the room.
Now... If a company wants to test drill for copper, that's totally okay... Finding uranium is only a side bonus eh?
Do they really think we're gullible enough to swallow this tripe?!
Not I!
Do some research my friend.....uranium mining is and I repeat,IS extremely dangerous to mine and if our gov't continues to rape and pillage our land then we will have to find another planet to live on. Send your name to Graham and tell him he is welcome to drill on your land...I am sure he would be thrilled that he has at least one person in NB who agrees with him that money is more important than clean water, non-contaminated food and fresh air and good health!