Uranium Mines and Mills Regulations (SOR/2000-206)

Interpretation and Application

Interpretation

1 The definitions in this section apply in these Regulations.

Act

Act means the Nuclear Safety and Control Act. (Loi)

concentrate

concentrate means an extracted product that contains uranium and that results from the physical or chemical separation of uranium from ore. (concentré)

effective dose

effective dose[Repealed, SOR/2007-208, s. 13]

equivalent dose

equivalent dose has the meaning assigned to that term by subsection 1(1) of the Radiation Protection Regulations. (dose équivalente)

excavation site

excavation site means a place at which uranium is moved by means of underground activities for the purpose of evaluating a potential orebody. (site d’excavation)

federal authority

federal authority means

• (a) a Minister of the Crown in right of Canada;

• (b) an agency of the Government of Canada or a parent Crown corporation, as defined in subsection 83(1) of the Financial Administration Act, or any other body established under an Act of Parliament that is ultimately accountable through a Minister of the Crown in right of Canada to Parliament for the conduct of its affairs;

• (c) any department or departmental corporation that is set out in Schedule I or II to the Financial Administration Act;

• (d) any other body that is set out in Schedule 1 to the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act, 2012; and

• (e) the Executive Council of — or a minister, department, agency or body of the government of — Yukon, the Northwest Territories or Nunavut.

  It does not include a council of the band as defined in subsection 2(1) of the Indian Act, Export Development Canada or the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board. It also does not include a Crown corporation that is a wholly-owned subsidiary, as defined in subsection 83(1) of the Financial Administration Act, or a not-for-profit corporation that enters into an agreement under subsection 80(5) of the Canada Marine Act, that is not set out in Schedule 1 to the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act, 2012. (autorité fédérale)

hazardous substance

hazardous substance means a substance, other than a nuclear substance, that is used or produced in the course of carrying on a licensed activity and that may pose a risk to the environment or the health and safety of persons. (substance dangereuse)

jurisdiction

jurisdiction means

• (a) a federal authority;

• (b) any agency or body that is established under an Act of Parliament and that has powers, duties or functions in relation to an assessment of the environmental effects of the preparation of a site for a uranium mine or mill or its construction, operation, decommissioning or abandonment;

• (c) the government of a province;

• (d) any agency or body that is established under an Act of the legislature of a province, and that has powers, duties or functions in relation to an assessment of the environmental effects of the preparation of a site for a uranium mine or mill or its construction, operation, decommissioning or abandonment;

• (e) any body that is established under a land claims agreement referred to in section 35 of the Constitution Act, 1982, and that has powers, duties or functions in relation to an assessment of the environmental effects of the preparation of a site for a uranium mine or mill or its construction, operation, decommissioning or abandonment;

• (f) a governing body that is established under legislation that relates to the self-government of Indians and that has powers, duties or functions in relation to an assessment of the environmental effects of the preparation of a site for a uranium mine or mill or its construction, operation, decommissioning or abandonment;

• (g) a government of a foreign state or of a subdivision of a foreign state, or any institution of such a government; and

• (h) an international organization of states or any institution of such an organization. (instance)

licensed activity

licensed activity means an activity described in paragraph 26(e) of the Act that a licence authorizes the licensee to carry on in relation to a uranium mine or mill. (activité autorisée)

licensee

licensee means a person who is licensed to carry on an activity described in paragraph 26(e) of the Act in relation to a uranium mine or mill. (titulaire de permis)

mill

mill means a facility at which ore is processed and treated for the recovery of uranium concentrate, including any tailings-handling and water treatment system associated with the facility. (usine de concentration)

mine

mine includes an excavation site and a removal site. (mine)

ore

ore means a mineral or chemical aggregate containing uranium in a quantity and of a quality that makes mining and extracting the uranium economically viable. (minerai)

removal site

removal site means a place at which uranium is removed from its place of natural deposit by means of surface activities for the purpose of evaluating a potential orebody. (site d’extraction)

waste management system

waste management system means a system for collecting, transporting, receiving, treating, processing, storing or disposing of the wastes that are produced as a result of the licensed activity at a uranium mine or mill. (système de gestion des déchets)

worker

worker means a person who performs work that is referred to in a licence. (travailleur)

workers’ representative

workers’ representative means

• (a) a person who is a member of the workers’ safety and health committee;

• (b) the workers’ safety and health representative;

• (c) where there is no person referred to in paragraph (a) or (b), the workers’ collective bargaining agent; or

• (d) where there is no person referred to in paragraph (a), (b) or (c), a worker. (représentant des travailleurs)

work place

work place means any area within a uranium mine or mill where a worker could reasonably be expected to be in the course of performing work. (lieu de travail)

Application

• 2 (1) These Regulations apply in respect of uranium mines and mills.

• (2) These Regulations do not apply in respect of uranium prospecting or surface exploration activities.

Licence Applications

General Requirements

3 An application for a licence in respect of a uranium mine or mill, other than a licence to abandon, shall contain the following information in addition to the information required by section 3 of the General Nuclear Safety and Control Regulations:

• (a) in relation to the plan and description of the mine or mill,

  • (i) a description of the site evaluation process and of the investigations and preparatory work to be done at the site and in the surrounding area,

  • (ii) a surface plan indicating the boundaries of the mine or mill and the area where the activity to be licensed is proposed to be carried on,

  • (iii) a plan showing the existing and planned structures, excavations and underground development,

  • (iv) a description of the mine or mill, including the installations, their purpose and capacity, and any excavations and underground development,

  • (v) a description of the site geology and mineralogy,

  • (vi) a description of any activity that may have an impact on the development of the mine or mill, including any mining-related activity that was carried on at the site before the date of submission of the application to the Commission,

  • (vii) a description of the design of and the maintenance program for every eating area,

  • (viii) the proposed plan for the decommissioning of the mine or mill, and

  • (ix) a description of the proposed emergency power systems and their capacities;

• (b) in relation to the activity to be licensed,

  • (i) a description of and the schedule for the planned activity,

  • (ii) a description of the proposed methods for carrying on the activity,

  • (iii) a list of the categories of material proposed to be mined and a description of the criteria used to determine those categories,

  • (iv) the anticipated duration of the activity, and

  • (v) the proposed management system for the activity, including measures to promote and support safety culture;

• (c) in relation to the environment and waste management,

  • (i) the program to inform persons living in the vicinity of the mine or mill of the general nature and characteristics of the anticipated effects of the activity to be licensed on the environment and the health and safety of persons,

  • (ii) the program to determine the environmental baseline characteristics of the site and the surrounding area,

  • (iii) the effects on the environment that may result from the activity to be licensed, and the measures that will be taken to prevent or mitigate those effects,

  • (iv) the proposed positions for and qualifications and responsibilities of environmental protection workers,

  • (v) the proposed environmental protection policies and programs,

  • (vi) the proposed effluent and environmental monitoring programs,

  • (vii) the proposed location, the proposed maximum quantities and concentrations, and the anticipated volume and flow rate of releases of nuclear substances and hazardous substances into the environment, including their physical, chemical and radiological characteristics,

  • (viii) the proposed measures to control releases of nuclear substances and hazardous substances into the environment,

  • (ix) a description of the anticipated liquid and solid waste streams within the mine or mill, including the ingress of fresh water and any diversion or control of the flow of uncontaminated surface and ground water,

  • (x) the proposed measures to prevent or mitigate the effects of accidental releases of nuclear substances and hazardous substances on the environment, the health and safety of persons and the maintenance of security, including measures to

    • (A) assist off-site authorities in planning and preparing to limit the adverse effects of an accidental release,

    • (B) notify off-site authorities of an accidental release or the imminence of an accidental release,

    • (C) report information to off-site authorities during and after an accidental release,

    • (D) assist off-site authorities in dealing with the adverse effects of an accidental release, and

    • (E) test the implementation of the measures to control the adverse effects of an accidental release,

  • (xi) the anticipated quantities, composition and characteristics of backfill, and

  • (xii) a description of the proposed waste management system;

• (d) in relation to health and safety,

  • (i) the effects on the health and safety of persons that may result from the activity to be licensed, and the measures that will be taken to prevent or mitigate those effects,

  • (ii) the proposed program for selecting, using and maintaining personal protective equipment,

  • (iii) the proposed worker health and safety policies and programs,

  • (iv) the proposed positions for and qualifications and responsibilities of radiation protection workers,

  • (v) the proposed training program for workers,

  • (vi) the proposed measures to control the spread of any radioactive contamination,

  • (vii) the proposed ventilation and dust control methods and equipment for controlling air quality, and

  • (viii) the proposed level of effectiveness of and inspection schedule for the ventilation and dust control systems; and

• (e) in relation to security, the proposed measures to alert the licensee to acts of sabotage or attempted sabotage at the mine or mill.

Requirement for Code of Practice

• 4 (1) In this section, action level means a specific dose of radiation or other parameter that, if reached, may indicate a loss of control of part of a licensee’s radiation protection program or environmental protection program, and triggers a requirement for specific action to be taken.

• (2) An application for a licence in respect of a uranium mine or mill, other than a licence to abandon, shall contain a proposed code of practice that includes

  • (a) any action level that the applicant considers appropriate for the purpose of this subsection;

  • (b) a description of any action that the applicant will take if an action level is reached; and

  • (c) the reporting procedures that will be followed if an action level is reached.

Licence to Prepare Site and Construct

• 5 (1) An application for a licence to prepare a site for and construct a uranium mine shall contain the following information in addition to the information required by section 3 and subsection 4(2):

  • (a) a description of the proposed design of the mine;

  • (b) the proposed construction program, including its schedule;

  • (c) a description of the components, systems and equipment proposed to be installed at the mine, including their design operating conditions;

  • (d) the proposed quality assurance program for the design of the mine;

  • (e) the results of a process-hazard analysis and a description of how those results have been taken into account;

  • (f) a description of the proposed design, construction and operation of the waste management system, including the measures to monitor its construction and operation, the construction schedule, the contingency plans for construction and the measures to control the movement of water in existing waterways;

  • (g) a description of the proposed disposition of the ore;

  • (h) the anticipated quantities and grade of ore and waste rock that will be removed, their proposed storage location, and the proposed method, program and schedule, for their removal and disposal;

  • (i) the proposed mining methods and programs; and

  • (j) the proposed commissioning plan for the components, systems and equipment to be installed at the mine.

• (2) An application for a licence to prepare a site for and construct a uranium mill shall contain the following information in addition to the information required by section 3 and subsection 4(2):

  • (a) a description of the proposed design of the mill;

  • (b) the proposed construction program, including its schedule;

  • (c) a description of the components, systems and equipment proposed to be installed at the mill, including their design operating conditions;

  • (d) the proposed quality assurance program for the design of the mill;

  • (e) the results of a process-hazard analysis and a description of how those results have been taken into account;

  • (f) a description of the proposed design, construction and operation of the waste management system, including the measures to monitor its construction and operation, the construction schedule, the contingency plans for construction and the measures to control the movement of water in existing waterways;

  • (g) the proposed milling methods and programs;

  • (h) a description of all proposed laboratory facilities and programs; and

  • (i) the proposed commissioning plan for the components, systems and equipment to be installed at the mill.