Stony Rapids
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ATHABASCA WORKING GROUP 2016-2017 Environmental Monitoring Program in: Stony Rapids 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 Saskatchewan commmunitiees: Wollaaston Lake/HaH tcheet Lake, Blacck Laake, FoFond du Lac, Stony Rapids, Uranium City, 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. Thhe CBEMMP wwiilll cononsisistst of a coommm unnitityy- sppecific tradiitit onala foodss stuudyy complp ettede inn onne or twtwo cocommunu itities pep r yeara , and rar thhere than a reegig onon widi e ssampm lil ng proogrgraam, samples willl be coollecteed inn ara eas knowwn too be ussed by trradadittioonaal usserrs of each cocommmunu itty.y. Gooinng foorwrwarrd,d, a trt ada iti ioonanal fof odo s ststududy wiw llll be coc ndducctteed,d sts artitingg in BlBlack Lake annd Stonny RaRapip ds in 20018. 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 StStono y RaR pip ds area, and additionally, to conclude the findings of the AWG Program as a whole. Thhe map shhowo s the Stony Rapids study area.a Water, sediment, and fish were sampled from a rerefef reencce sis tee andd a pottennttial exposure site. RiR ou Laka e was chosen as the reference site because it is not innflf ueuencncede by ururanium opoperations. Stony Lake 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 Stoonyny Rappidds annd plp ant annd wiildlife samples 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 RiR ou and Stonnyy lakess in 20161 andd 20117.7 The key parammeeter leevelsl were e simim laar too previv ouus years ana d oftet n beloow tthe levev lss theh laboratory could measasuru e. In ada dition, the levels of the key pap rarametet rss were e well below the guidelines for the prp oto ecction of aqquau ttic life annd for drinking water quala itty.y ThThe grg aph dispplays the levele s of uraniumm founnd inn theh Stot ny Laka e wawateer sammplees sis nce 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 Stony Rapids area. All of thee keyey para aammettere levveels frroom thee pooteentn ial exxpoosuure siti e (Stonyy Lake)) were below thhe aavaia lalablble gug iddelelinees in 202 161 and 201717. InI adddittioon,n thehe leve elels ofo thee keyey parar memetersr in RiR ouou Laka e anand StS onny LaL keke haveve remaia ned siimilal r beb twtweee n laakek s ana d ovverr allll thee yearsr of AWG sasamppllingg. Thhe grg apph ddisps laays the low leveels ofof uraraniumum in the sedidimem ntt from Stonny LaLakee sinncee 2000 00. Fish Lake whih teefiishh and northere n pip kek were targete ed in the refeerence waterbody ofo Riou LaL ke and the potenntial expposure watet rbody ofo Stoonyy Lakke inn 2010 6 and 20177; however, neithere species were caaptturu ed in Sttony Lake in 20161 . Siince the begiinnning of the AWG prp ogram, the levvele s of key parameters in fish were often loowew r thhana theh levele s thhe laborar tory could measure and were siimilaar frromo year too year ini the Stoony Rapids 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 mom ose sample wass obttaia need frf omm thhee Stotonyn Rappidi s arreae in 2017. No other samplp es of mmaammmmall flel shh were e obobtat ined froom Stony Rapidsd in eithher 20116 or 20117.7. Thee 201017 mom oso e resusultl s as well ass the mammmaal sasampmplees (bbarrrren--grououndnd carribbouo , momoosse, andn lynx)x from the oto heh r AAWG cocommm unitiees in 2016 annd 202 17 shhowed low levelss of kek y pap raammeteers thah t wew re sis miilaar to prrevious reesus ltts tht roougughhoouut theh AWGWG program’s past. FoF r hunterss: it is recomo meended to alalwawaysys usese leaad-d frreeee ama mum nitiion when huntinng wiw lddliife to prp evevene t pop tentn iaallly hah rmr fuul expop sus rer to leead. LeL ad buulletss mayay fraragmg eent inntoo tinny piiece ese upoon immpaactt, whw icch mam y thenn be eae tet n unnkknowowinnglg y.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 Stony Rapids area. Since AWG monitoring began, the key parameter levels in all three plant types have remained low in Stony Rapids and all other AWG communities. Air Air quality was monitored at two locations near Stony Rapids 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 Stony Rapids results since 2006. Stony Rapids radon levels have been low over the entire duration of the AWG program. Even the highest level measured in 2010 is a low amount. 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 Stony Rapids area. Thank You for 18 Years The AWG program was made possible thanks to the involvement of northern residents. Special thanks to Billy Joe Mercredi who did a great job collecting AWG samples from the Stony Rapids area for many years.