Saturday, May 17, 2014

Quebec Environmental Public Hearing on Uranium Mining - Chelsea - 22 May 2014

To all those concerned about uranium mining:
 
The Quebec Environmental Public Hearings Office (le Bureau d'audiences publiques sur l'environnement) has announced that it will be holding a preliminary series of pre-consultations on the question of uranium mining from May 20 to June 23 (see the official announcement [in French] at l’annonce du BAPE).

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MONTRÉAL
Delta Hotel, Montréal, Salon Ravel
475 Président Kennedy Avenue
 
20 May 2014 at 7:00 pm 
21 May 2014 at 1:30 and 7:00 pm

CHELSEA
Meredith Centre, Banquet Hall
23, chemin Cecil, Chelsea


22 May 2014 at 7:00 pm

MONT-LAURIER 
Salle des Chevaliers de Colomb
467, rue Crémazie, Mont-Laurier
 
26 May 2014 at 7:00 pm 
27 May 2014 at 9:30 am
VILLE-MARIE 
Basement of the Notre-Dame-du-Rosaire Church
18, rue Notre-Dame N, Ville-Marie
 
29 May 2014 at 7:00 pm 
30 May 2014 at 9:30 am

Other sessions will be held at Sept-Isles, Havre-Saint-Pierre, Chibougamau, Pointe-à-la-Croix and Quebec City. The BAPE will communicate the time and location of these sessions on their web site. 
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We urge individuals and organizations to take part in these pre-consultations, especially those in Montreal May 20-21 and at Chelsea in the Ottawa region on May 22.

These pre-consultations hearings will serve to indicate to the BAPE what are the main aspects that we want them to analyse during their one-year mandate, from May 2014 to May 2015.  These pre-consultations will be followed by in-depth hearings that will take place in the Autumn of 2014.

Here are some examples of aspects of uranium mining that we think ought to be emphasized.

  • Risks to health and the environment from the entire uranium fuel chain, from the mine to the reactors and nuclear fuel waste, including the management of radioactive uranium residues (tailings) in perpetuity; 
  • Risk of contamination of ground waters and surface waters;
  • Risk of emissions of radioactive materials into the environment -- air, water, soil -- especially thorium, radium, radon and polonium; 
  • Risk of contamination of plants and animals in the vicinity of uranium mines, especially the contamination of fish and animals that are staples of diet for First Nations people; 
  • Risk of technological accidents and of major spills, with a careful analysis of recent cases;
  • Analysis of the regulatory framework in Quebec and enforcement, with gaps and deficiencies identified; 
  • Cost-benefit analysis of the economics of uranium use in comparison with other energy sources; 
  • The use of uranium for military purposes, including nuclear weapons, and the risk of such misuse;
  • The need to respect the constitutional and international rights of First Nations people.
You can also suggest to the BAPE the names of experts, studies that have been done, uranium sites that can be visited by the Panel, as well as any other information that you think the Panel should have.

Other communities will be visited for these pre-consultations in May (Mont-Laurier, Ville-Marie) and in June (Chibougamau, Sept-Îles, Havre-St-Pierre, Québec, Pointe-à-la-Croix, etc.), but the dates are not yet known. 

If you have any questions, please contact the BAPE: 
418-643-7447 ou 1-800-463-4732 (extension 532),