Technical Session: Frozen-Ground THM & Legacy Mine Site Remediation
Abstract
The Gunnar Uranium Mine and Mill Site operated from 1955 to 1963 in northern Saskatchewan, Canada, where about 800 people once lived in the onsite town. After closure in 1964, the open pit was flooded and little decommissioning occurred; an order was issued by the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission to demolish remaining infrastructure to address safety risks and was completed in 2010. Today, site remediation is managed by the Saskatchewan Research Council (SRC) under Project CLEANS (Clean-up of Abandoned Northern Sites), with SRK Consulting providing design support and quality assurance.
The remediation aims to mitigate long-term risks to people and the environment by reducing surface gamma radiation, lowering uranium and radium from waste rock seepage, and creating stable, erosion-resistant landforms that support vegetation and future traditional land use. Key measures include re-establishing a historic drainage channel through waste rock to reduce contaminant loading to the lake, constructing a landfill for contaminated soils and low-level radioactive waste, and building a non-hazardous landfill. Communication and engagement with local communities and stakeholders were critical to success.
Authors
- Bryce Marcotte | Senior Geotechnical Engineer
- Colin Boese | Senior Geotechnical Engineer
- Vince Zimmer | Saskatchewan Research Council
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