Environmental Assessment, Continual Improvement and Adaptive Management within the Areva Sustainable Development Framework

Abstract

COGEMA Resources Inc. (which is part of the AREVA Group) is a Canadian company with its head office in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. It owns and operates mining and milling facilities in northern Saskatchewan, which produce uranium concentrate. The McClean Lake Operation commenced production in 1999 and its environmental management system represents an integrated approach to environmental assessment, continual improvement and adaptive management based on operational results. In Canada, sustainable development is promoted through the application of the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act (CEAA). Environmental Assessment (EA) is a planning tool, which incorporates environmental considerations before irrevocable decisions are taken. The basic tenet of the Act is the determination of whether the potential environmental effects of a project are adverse, significant and likely, taking into consideration mitigation measures. Thus, project planning and design entails an iterative process that incorporates mitigation measures to minimize potentially significant adverse effects. As part of the EA process conservative approaches are taken to predict potential effects. Several important elements are generated through the EA process including: a set of environmental effects predictions, a compliance and environmental effects monitoring program, a follow-up program to address uncertainties in the prediction of environmental effects, and the identification of contingency measures that could be implemented should non-conservative assumptions be identified in the original assessment framework. The challenge is to integrate each of these elements into the environmental management framework of the operating facility and develop an iterative mechanism to evaluate operational performance relative to what was originally predicted. In Saskatchewan, a requirement of operational licenses is the periodic evaluation of the 'Status of the Environment' surrounding operational facilities. These periodic evaluations, conducted every three to five years, provide a useful mechanism to evaluate the operational performance of a facility, facilitate continual improvement and outline adaptive management objectives, when necessary. This provides an iterative basis for effective continual improvement and adaptive management throughout the life of the project. The framework is commensurate with AREVA sustainable development principles to limit the environmental effects of waste and emissions from our activities. The concepts of continual improvement and adaptive management are discussed and examples drawn from the AREVA McClean Lake Operation to illustrate how the EA elements can be integrated into an operational environmental management framework.