Cameco Officials Tour Northern Communities
Wednesday, November 18, 2009 at 12:20
Cameco’s first stop on its annual tour of northern Saskatchewan generated some heated discussion last night in La Ronge — and that’s exactly what the uranium producer’s northern affairs manager was hoping for.
Walter Smith and other Cameco staff will be touring the region for the next three weeks, to update the public about current and future projects, including steps the company is taking to involve northerners in the industry — both by hiring locally and purchasing goods and services from northern companies, and by getting input from area residents.
While the question-and-answer period was low-key at last night’s forum — with only half a dozen or so questions asked at the microphone — there were some concerns raised, notably about the company’s spill reporting policies and the difficulties non-specialized heavy equipment operators face in the current job market, even in finding work with Cameco.
Smith says he wants people to come away with an informed viewpoint about Cameco — whether they support it or not — and that’s the goal of these forums.
“We expect to have people from various opinions to come to our table, and we welcome it. That’s the reason why we come here. We want people to know what we’re up to; we want to show that we are very environmentally responsible, socially responsible, and we’re also here to sustain a business. Everyone is welcome to come and voice their concerns at these forums,” he says.
Meanwhile, a member of the Northern Saskatchewan Environmental Quality Committee says northerners have a responsibility to stay informed about what’s going on in the uranium industry.
Warren Kelly says that’s why he’s so keen to see people come out to public forums organized by uranium companies.
As La Ronge’s community-appointed rep on the EQC, Kelly has the ear of company officials, and as such gets both in-depth updates on their activities and an opportunity to share local concerns with the companies.
In order to be effective in that role, he says he needs to hear community concerns — as do Cameco staff — while community members need to be informed about what’s actually happening at the minesites.
“I think it’s important for people to realize what goes on with the uranium mining — to realize that they’re well regulated by the province and by the federal government, and that both Cameco and (fellow uranium producer) AREVA are very responsible corporate citizens, and that things aren’t going wild up north at the uranium sites. They’re well run, they’re well looked after,” Kelly says.
He says that far too often, people will hear about a project, an issue or a problem long after the company first reported about it, and then complain that they weren’t informed, instead of asking questions and getting involved right from the beginning.
The tour moves to Pinehouse tonight and Patuanak on Thursday, and then further west next week, with a wrap-up in the Athabasca Basin in early December.