Andrea Markey
Northern News Services

Fort Franklin (Sep 12/05) - The final report from the Canada-Deline Uranium Table was released and presented to the community last week.

"We debated whether or not to call it the Afinal' report because there is still a lot to be done," said Danny Gaudet, Deline's chief negotiator on the Table.

Danny Gaudet: Clean-up has been a major concern. Key Findings Water and fish in Great Bear Lake are not being affected by mine site. Remaining contamination is localized at the site. Contamination is not affecting the health of people in Deline. Fear and anxiety over impacts of mine have severely affected the community. Remediation recommendations include: Port Radium site should be cleaned up as soon as possible. Clean-up should involve Deline people. Traditional foods from Great Bear Lake should be monitored periodically. All structures will be demolished. Tailings in Great Bear Lake will be left undisturbed. Long-term monitoring of the site should continue.

The 100-page report details key findings and recommendations including those related to human health, environment and the role of traditional knowledge.

The five-year project totalled just under $6.8 million.

Members of the Table, consisting of Deline community members and Indian and Northern Affairs representatives, learned no employment records were kept of Deline Dene involved in ore transport.

It was determined no Deline people were ever directly employed by the mine or worked underground.

Through thousands of interviews and oral histories the essential details were gathered for such things as radiation dose reconstruction.

The community knows 15 of the 35 ore carriers died of cancer, said Gaudet.

The report states, "it is not possible to know for certain if the illness or death of any individual Deline ore carrier was directly caused by radiation exposure."

A study based on the radiation dose reconstruction indicated, theoretically, that "one or two cancer deaths would be expected among the 35 ore transport workers, in addition to the nine or 10 cancer deaths "normally" expected in a similar, non-exposed group of 35 people."

A goal of the project was to find all known information about the mine and its operations as people in Deline had few answers to their questions previously.

"Some uncertainty still exists, but far less than before," said Chris Cuddy, an Indian and Northern Affairs representative on the Table.

A number of clarifications are made in the report. Memories of a yellow powder originally thought to be uranium concentrate is now believed to be sulphur powder used in the acid leach plant.

"I am very satisfied with the outcome of the report," said Chief Walter Bayha. "What community members believed to be an issue is finally put on paper. It is now time to put the recommendations in place."

Comments from the community indicate they are satisfied so far, Gaudet said. "The major concern was clean-up and Canada has committed to a clean-up. Now the community can sit down and figure out the next step." Exact clean-up plans are still being worked out between the government and community of Deline, but the report recommends it begin "as soon as possible."

The estimated 740,000 tons of uranium tailings discharged into Great Bear Lake were found not to be having an effect on humans or wildlife. The tailings will be left where they are, with long-term monitoring recommended.

Capacity building in the community was also a goal of the five-year project. Thirty-two community members worked with the Table at various times, in various roles.

"It was a community process to provide answers that have been unanswered for too long," he said.

The Port Radium mine operated as a radium and uranium mine from 1931 to 1960. From 1964 to 1982, the site was used as a silver mine.

The report summary, along with the "77 questions" from community members at the beginning of the process, will be translated into North Slavey, as will a video detailing the report process.

A renewed respect in traditional knowledge and elders was a personal outcome from working through the report, said Gaudet.

"As well, development needs to go cautiously and understand the area before it goes in," he said. "In the end, the development will probably go through and will be done in a way that the impacted community knows what's going on."

The federal government is in the process of preparing bid and contract documents for site remediation.

Public Works and Government Services Canada intends to post the Request for Proposal under the Procurement Strategy for Aboriginal Businesses.

Initial estimates put the contracts at between $5 million and $7 million, said David Wasiuta, a regional manager with the Northern Contaminated Sites Program.