Open letter: Uranium, social acceptability and sustainable development

MONTREAL, June 10, 2014 – The seventy Quebec scientists and professionals from industry and academia who have signed this open letter are committed to using their know-how in an ethical, socially-responsible and environmentally-responsible manner. Exploration for and development of any mineral, including uranium, cannot go against the public interest.

It is possible for the uranium industry to gain broad public support. In Saskatchewan, about 80% of the population supports uranium mining, including 76% of people in the communities and reserves of northern Saskatchewan, where the uranium mines are found (Fast Consulting, Intelligence Community, November 2013). Saskatchewan has been mining the highest-grade uranium deposits in the world for 60 years.

Several places in the world, including Labrador, Greenland and Queensland in Australia, recently lifted moratoria that they now perceive as unjustified. The role that nuclear energy could play in combatting global warming was underscored in the latest report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), an organization established by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and free from suspicion of complicity with industry.

In this context, the signatories question the relevance of the process established by the Bureau d’audiences publiques sur l’environnement (BAPE) on “Quebec uranium industry issues”. We are heading into a process that was borne of uranium fear mongering fueled by an archaic and biased view of the mining industry.

The question, in this period of fiscal restraint, is whether this “generic BAPE”, which will cost over $2 million of public funds, should even be held. The choice of Louis-Gilles Francoeur to chair the commission is also perplexing. Throughout his career, Mr. Francoeur has tended to echo uranium industry critics. The BAPE is an institution founded on the principle of absolute neutrality. What would become of the BAPE’s credibility if a former mining executive were appointed chairman of the commission?

We must not forget that all stages of the uranium industry, including its aspects of public health and environmental protection, are strictly regulated by federal and provincial legislation. It is impossible for any uranium deposit to be developed, and then mined, without the project meeting the most stringent standards and being subject to public hearings. The Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC), a globally-recognized agency with no ties to industry, sets the standards and has permanent monitoring and, if needed, enforcement powers over all nuclear industry activities.

Signatories:

David H. Albert, geologist, Montréal Gail Amyot, engineer, Montréal Paul Archer, engineer, Québec Charles Beaudry, geologist, Toronto Alain-Jean Beauregard, geologist, Val d’Or Pierre Bérubé, engineer, Val d’Or François Bissonnette, geologist, Longueuil François Bouchard, geologist, Malartic Christian Bourcier, engineer, Val d’Or Guy Bourque, engineer, Longueuil Simon Britt, CPA, CA, Saint-Lambert Serge Bureau, engineer, Candiac Eddy Canova, geologist, Montréal Alain Carrier, geologist, Val d’Or Gilles Carrier, engineer, La Sarre Peter Cashin, geologist, Toronto John D. Charlton, geologist, Montréal Normand Champigny, engineer, Montréal Rémi Charbonneau, geologist, Montréal Philippe Cloutier, geologist, Val d’Or Olivier Côté-Mantha, geologist, Val d’Or Isabelle D’Amours, engineer, Brossard Julien Davy, geologist, Montréal Brigitte Dejou, engineer, Montréal Jean Demers, geologist, Verchères Eric Desaulniers, geologist, L’Ange-Gardien Harold Desbiens, geologist, Saint-Lambert Caroll Desormeaux, jr engineer, Montréal Dominique Doucet, engineer, Montréal Joël Dubé, engineer, Ottawa Marc Ducharme, geologist, Val d’Or Yan Ducharme, geologist, Val d’Or Claude Dufresne, engineer, Montréal Francine Fallara, geologist, Val d’Or Ghislain Fournier, engineer, Val d’Or Damien Gaboury, geologist, Saguenay

André Gaumond, engineer, Québec Marie-José Girard, geologist, Montréal Patrick Godin, engineer, Longueuil Normand Goulet, geologist, Montréal Danièle Héon, geologist, Whitehorse Jean Hubert, engineer, Québec Catherine Jalbert, geologist, Vald’Or Vincent Jourdain, engineer, Val d’Or Gaétan Lavallière, geologist, Val d’Or Jean-Sébastien Lavallée, geologist, Val d’Or Richard Lavallée, engineer, La Sarre Gilles Laverdière, geologist, Montréal Jérôme Lavoie, engineer, Québec Marc Legault, geologist, Rouyn-Noranda Eric Lemieux, geologist, Drummondville Jean-Marc Lulin, geologist, Montréal Mario Masson, geologist, Rouyn-Noranda Patrick Mercier, engineer, Longueuil Robert Oswald, geologist, Rouyn-Noranda Jean-François Ouellette, geologist, Rouyn-Noranda Vital Pearson, engineer, Québec Pierre-Alexandre Pelletier, jr geologist, Boucherville Ghislain Poirier, engineer, Longueuil Michel Proulx, geologist, Val d’Or Michel Rheault, geologist, Montréal Isabelle Robillard, geologist, Montréal Gino Roger, engineer, Rosemère Mathieu Savard, geologist, Québec Camille St-Hilaire, geologist, Rouyn-Noranda Marjorie Simard, geologist, Val d’Or Donald Trudel, geologist, St-Laurent Simon Tshimbalanga, engineer, Québec Denis Vaillancourt, geologist, Val d’Or Robert Wares, geologist, Montréal

SOURCE Professional geoscientists from Quebec and uranium

 For further information: Jean-Marc Lulin: 450 646-3015; Philippe Cloutier: 819 874-1331; Robert Wares: 514 951-4235