Radioactivity - The Changing Arctic Environment: The Arctic Messenger - page 73

From the use and/or disposal of these wastes. For example, solid mine waste may
be used to provide fill around homes or as a constituent of soils. This can lead to a
buildup of radon gas in homes, direct exposure to individuals located nearby, con-
tamination of soil and the crops growing in that soil and groundwater contamina-
tion.

· NORM-contaminated materials may be used in construction materials, such as in

concrete aggregate.

TENORM has not historically received a great deal of attention in a circumpolar Arctic
context. However, the AMAP 2009 radioactivity assessment showed that for at least the
last 40 years, TENORM has been an issue of considerable concern for the public in a num-
ber of discrete geographical areas and generally relates to the first of the listed categories.
These were mainly areas where uranium mining had taken place, followed by the abandon-
ment of the mine. In Canada, the focus of attention has been on three locations - all in the
western part of the Northwest Territories. They are:

· Port Radium located on the east shore of Great Bear Lake.

· The transportation route from Port Radium across Great Bear Lake and up the

Mackenzie River to Fort McMurray.

· The Rayrock Mine, located 145 kilometres north-west of Yellowknife.

The mine at Port Radium operated from 1932 to 1940 to produce radium salts and again
from 1942 to 1960 to produce uranium for military use. Between 1964 and 1982, mining
for silver took place at the site. AMAP reported that 6,200 tonnes of uranium were extrac-
ted over the life of the mine and about 910,000 tonnes of radioactive tailings waste were
left at the site. Approximately 20% of this waste was deposited in depressions around the
mine and the remainder dumped into Great Bear Lake. At the time when the mine was in
operation, knowledge of radiation health effects, particularly with respect to low-level ex-
posure and long-term effects, was in its infancy. Consequently, radiation protection stand-
ards were much lower than they are today.