ATHABASCA WORKING GROUP 2016-2017 Environmental Monitoring Program in: CIty Changes to the AWG Program TThhe Athabasca Working Group (AWG) environmental moniitoriing program began in 20000 andd cono tiinuuedd for 18 years in 7 northern commmunitiees: Wollaaston Lake/HaH tcheet Lake, Blacck Laake, FoFond du Lac, , , and Camsell Porttage. Northern commm unity membere s weeree invn ololved with choosing the sampling locations, the typees of plants and ana imala s sas mpplel d,, and wiith the sas mpm lele collections themselves each year.

In consultation with the Athabasca Joio ntt Engagement and Enviroonmental Subbcommmittteeee, ththe AWA G program ended in 2017 and has beeen replaced by the Communin tyy Basedd Envnvironnmem nttalal Mono ittoorining Program (CBEMP) moving forward.

ThThe CBEMEMP wiwilll cono sisist of a coc mmmunu iti y- specific traadiditiononall fooodsd stuudy compplete ede in one or twtwo coommmunnities pep r yyeara , annd raather thah n a regig onn wide saammppliinng proogrg aamm, samples willll be coc lllecctet d in areaas knknown toto be uusedd by traddititioonanal users of eaca h coommmununiti y.y. GGooiinng foforwwara d,d a trraddittioi naal fooodods sttududy wiwillll be cocondn uctetedd, sttarartingng in BlBlaca k Lake and Sttono y RaR pidss in 200181 .

Photo credit: Doug Chisholm Purpose ThT e purposo e of this brochure is to inform the public of the 2016 and 2017 AWG program results in the UUrraniui m CiCity area, and additionally, to concluude the findings of the AWG Program as a whole.

Thhe mamap shshowows the Uranium CCityy study areea.a Watere , ses diment, and fish were sampled from a reference site anand a pooteenttiaal exxposusurer site. Freedette Lake was choseen as the reference site because it is not influenced byby uraraniniumm opeperatitiono s. is referred to as a potential exposure site because it is located downw sts reeamm of urraniuium mining andd milling opep rationns. Two locations were also monitored for air quality neeara Uraanniiumum Citity anand plp ant annd wiildlife sampless werre collected when available. Key Parameters The focus of the AWG program was to monitor certain parameters relatedd to uranniuum opperrata ioionsn that were of concern to human and environmmental health. These includded: coc ppere , leadd, nin ckckel, molybdenum, zinc, radium-226, uranium, selenniuum, and arsenic. All ofo these parameterers occcucur naturally in the environment and in parts of northern Saskattchewann they can someetit mees bebe found in high amounts.

In order to help establish whether the key parameter levels founnd inn sammplp ese were nan turally occurring, whether they may have been from uranium operationo s, and whethherer theey poseed a risksk to the environment, the amounts measa ured were compareed: 1) bettweenn reefererenencee andnd potene tit ala exposure sites, 2) to past results, and 3)3 to available guiddele innes. Water Watter sampples wew re collected in the sppringn andn falll in FrFredete te Lakke aannd LaL kek Athabascac in 2016 and 200171 . The key paarar mem tet r levev lss werre sis milar to prerevviiouous yeeara s ana d offteen beb low tht e levels the laaboratoory couo ldd meae sure. Inn addd ition, the levels of the key pap raameters weere well bele ow the guidelines for thhe protecctiion of aqa uatic life and for drinking water quq ala itty.y

ThThe grg aph did spplaaysy the levels of uranium found in thhe LaL ke Athabbasa caa water saamplese since the year 2020000 . The uru aniuum ddrinnkking watere guiu deelinee is 20 mim crc oggraamss perr littrer , whw ich iss muuch hih gher than any leevevel evvere fouo ndd in tht e 18-year histoory of AWG mom nin tot ringn . Sediment Sediment is the mud on the lake bottom. Parameterss from uranium operata ioons may be cac rrried by flowing water to lakes where they may be leeft in the sediment on the lakek bottom.m In 2020166 and 2017, sediment samples were collected from the same locations used foro waterr sammplinng in the Uranium City area.

Arrsenic, chrommiuum,m andn vannaddiuum wew rere higher than soomme of the avvaia laablle guuidi elelinnese in 2017 in thee pottenntiiala expxpossurre sis tete of Lake Athhabasa ccaa. GeG neerraallly, thhe levvelels ofo key pararameteersrs in botht wata eerrbodieses havave remaainedd low andnd staablb e ththror ugughooutu the coouru sese of AWWG mmoninitoorir ngng. ThThe grg apph did sps laaysy theh low levells ofo uraaniniumm in tht e ses did mementn from Lake Athhabasscca sinincee 2000000. Fish Lake whitefish and noro thhern pip ke were targeted in the refeerence waw terbody of Frer dette Lake and the potene tial expposure watet rbody ofo Lake AtA haabascca in 2016 and 202 17; however, lakke whitefish wewere noto captureed inn Freedette LaL ke in 2017. SSince the beginning of thee AWGW programm, thhe levelss of key parameters in fish were ofteen loowewer thhana the levele s the laboraatot ry could measure and wew rer simmillara froom year to yearr in the Uranium City area.

Merccurury iss an imi poorttana t pparaameteer for humam n heeala thth. Thoughh mere curyy is not relal ted to ururana iuum mim nin ngg andd milillingg, iitt is rer commendeed that the “MeM rccuury ini Sasa katcheh wan Fish: GuG idelinines forr Consuumpm titionn” doocucumementn be connsulteed prrioior too fissh coonsumptp ion in all areas ofof Saaskak tct hhewaan. Lara geg r ana d ololded r prp ededattorry fishs genere ala lyy containn more mercury than smmala lel r fif shsh of thhe saameme spepeciciess frorom tht e saamem wataterboodyy. To view thhe documennt, go to wwww.w publliccata ioonsn .govo .s.sk.k caca and searcrch “m“mercuryy in fiish”.”

CaC naadad ’ss Fooo d GuG idide reecoc mmmene dsd eattini g at leaastt twow serrviv nggs ofof fish per week and the benefits of eae ttiingng fisish fafar ouo ttwweiighgh anyn risks from coonssumuming fiish thaat cocontain low leevveelss of contamaminants (such as memercrcurryy)). Thhesse benefiitst inccluudede:

1)1) fisish arare ana excx ellent souurcce off higgh-h-quala itty prp oto eein and vav lul abblee viti ama ins and mineerals, includiing viv tatamim n D,D whih chch hele pss the boddy usse ccalcciuum toto buiu ldd stronng bob nes annd teeeth;h and

2)2) fisi h ara e lolow inn saturu atated fatt andd choh lests erol and aree a very gooodd sourcr e ofo omega-33 fats, which help reredud cece thehe risk ofo caarrdid ovo ascuular did sease ana d prp ommoto e heala thy brbraia n develoopmp ennt in infn ants. Wildlife Accordr ini g too the Popo ulu ata ioon Health Unin t of theh Atthhaba asscaca Healltht Authoority (200055), wild gag me arer an importr ant soourccee of vittaminns,s minineerals, andd prootet inn and aree low in saatuturaateted fatss. The AWG prroggrar m cocolllecectet d sas mpm les ofo meaeat froomm momoosse, barrer n-groundnd cara ibbou, and lylynxn foror teesstit ngn froom the AWG coommm unitiees whhen avav illabblee.

A bab rren-grounu d caarir boou sas mmplee wasa obtbtaia need frf omm theh Uraniuium Ciity area inn 2016, andn a mooosee saammplple waw s obo taininede in 20117.7 Alll resuults incluudingng thoosee mama mamal saampmplees (barren- ground cara ibou, mooose,e andd lynynx)x froom the oto heh r AWAWG cocommmuniti ies in 2016 ana d 2020177 shoowewed lol w lel vels of key paaramem ters that wwere simi illar to ppreve ioousus rese ultss thrrouo ghg out tht e AWA G progo rar m’s paast.

FoF r hunters:s it is rece ommem ndedd to ala wawayys use leaad-free ama muniition when huntn ing wiw lddlilife to prprevevene t pop teentn iaally harmmfuf l exposure to lead. Leada bulu lets mayay fraragmg ennt ini too tinny pip ecese upon impapactct, which mam y thhen be eae teen unnknk owinnglgly.y Plants Plants such as blueberries, cranberries, and Labrador tea are good sources of Vitamin C, fibre, and carbohydrates (MacKinnon et al. 2009).

Wild plants are important because they have traditionally been used for both food and medicine. Samples of blueberry, bog cranberry, and Labrador tea were collected in 2016 and 2017 from the Uranium City area.

Since AWG monitoring began, the key parameter levels in all three plant types have remained low in Uranium City and all other AWG communities. Air Air quality was monitored at two locations near Uranium City in 2016 and 2017 by measuring radon levels. Radon is an odourless and tasteless gas produced by the natural breakdown of uranium and radium-226 in the soil and water. As a result, radon levels are naturally higher in areas where uranium is found in the ground. Seasonal differences may occur because the ground thaws and releases radon gas into the air during the summer months.

The graph displays the Uranium City results since 2006. Uranium City radon levels have been low over the entire duration of the AWG program including highest levels measured in 2006 and 2011. Conclusion Over the 18 years of sampling that made up the AWG Environmental Monitoring Program, there were no concerns regarding the amounts of key parameters in the water, sediment, fish, mammals, and air in the Uranium City area. Thank You for 18 Years The AWG program was made possible thanks to the involvement of northern residents. Special thanks to Wayne and Sandy Powder and their families who did a great job collecting AWG samples from the Uranium City area for many years.

Thank you to the AWG members, including representatives from the seven northern communities and industrial partners, Pictured: Wayne Powder (top); Sandy Cameco Corporation and Orano Canada Inc. Powder (bottom left); Ryan Froess, (formerly AREVA Resources Canada Inc.). Program Manager (bottom right). This project was managed by CanNorth, a First Nation environmental services company 211 Wheeler Street, , Saskatchewan, Canada S4P 0A4 Telephone: 1-844-700-4432 or 306-652-4432 www.cannorth.com [email protected]