Uranium Industry Issues in Québec - Public hearings schedule of the question and information phase

QUÉBEC CITY, Aug. 27, 2014 /CNW Telbec/ - The inquiry commission of uranium industry issues in Québec, created by the Bureau d'audiences publiques sur l'environnement (BAPE), unveils its schedule for the question and information phase, which will start on September 3. This phase will allow the commission and the participants to deepen their knowledge of the issues concerning the uranium industry in Québec, with the help of specialists and resource persons.

The commission is chaired by Louis-Gilles Francoeur, supported by commissioners Michèle Goyer and Joseph Zayed.

At the responsible minister's request, the BAPE commission, from the beginning of its inquiry and hearing mandate, joined to its work the James Bay Advisory Committee on the Environment (JBACE) and the Kativik Environmental Advisory Committee (KEAC). The JBACE commission is chaired by Paul John Murdoch, supported by Mélissa Brousseau Saganash, Manon Cyr and Anne-Marie Gaudet. The KEAC commission is chaired by Michael Barrett, supported by Claude Abel, Sylvie Létourneau and Betsy Palliser.

To begin its question and information phase, the commission will hold sessions in Mistissini on September 3, 4 and 5. Chibougamau' and Chisasibi's citizens can participate to those sessions by live video conference. Then, the commission will hold most of its public sessions in Québec City, and then in Wendake and in Kangiqsualujjuaq. Members from the JBACE and the KEAC commissions will participate to the interview of resource persons and specialists during the public sessions in Québec City, from September 8.

The commission wants to orientate its work on certain themes. Each session will start with one or many presentations and will be followed by a questions period, depending on the theme of the session. Besides northern Québec, the commission will be in session in Québec City. The schedule is attached to this press release.

WEBCASTING AND ONLINE QUESTIONS

The sessions will be broadcasted live in audio and video modes on the BAPE Website (www.bape.gouv.qc.ca). It will also be possible to send questions to the commission by a Web form, also available on the Website, from September 3, 2014, at 7 p.m. to October 3,  2014.

WHERE CAN THE DOCUMENTATION BE CONSULTED?

The documentation can be accessed by members of the general public at the following regional consultation centres:

• Bibliothèque de Mont-Laurier, 385, rue du Pont, Mont-Laurier ;
• Bibliothèque municipale de Havre-Saint-Pierre, 1045, rue Dulcinée, Havre-Saint-Pierre ;
• Bibliothèque Louis-Ange-Santerre, 500, avenue Jolliet, Sept-Îles ;
• Bibliothèque La Bouquine, 50, rue Notre-Dame-de-Lourdes, Ville-Marie ;
• Bibliothèque municipale de Chibougamau, 601, 3e rue, Chibougamau ;
• Bibliothèque de Chelsea, 100, chemin Old Chelsea, Chelsea ;
• Bibliothèque municipale et scolaire de La Petite-Rochelle, 44A, rue Lasalle, Pointe-à-la-Croix ;
• Offices of the Kativik Environmental Advisory Committee (KEAC), Kuujjuaq 
• Cree Nation of Mistissini, 187 Main Street, Mistissini.

Printed versions of these documents, plus all documents filed with the commission during the process, will also be available at the BAPE offices in Québec City, at 575, Saint-Amable, Suite 2.10, and in Montreal, at the Legal Science Library, Université du Québec à Montréal, Pavillon Hubert-Aquin, 400, Sainte-Catherine Est. They will also be placed on the BAPE website (www.bape.gouv.qc.ca), under the heading "Mandats en cours".

If you would like further information, please contact Rita Leblanc, the Commission Secretariat Coordinator, at 418 643-7447 or toll-free at 1 800 463-4732, ext. 422. You may also contact the commission by e-mail at the following address: [email protected].

**Public sessions schedule attached

First week               September 3 to 5, 2014
Wednesday, September 3, 2014			7 p.m.			Context
Thursday, September 4, 2014			9 a.m.			Exploration and exploitation
			1 p.m.			Ecology
			7 p.m.			Health
Friday, September 5, 2014			9 a.m.			Governance
Second week              September 8 to 12, 2014
Date	Hour	Theme			Sub theme
Monday, September 8, 2014	7 p.m.	Context			History of uranium and perspectives on uranium needs Uranium resources in Canada Uranium industry in Canada and in Québec State of the resource in Québec
Tuesday, September 9, 2014	1 p.m.	Exploration			How the uranium mining exploration in Québec works Present obligations of uranium mining exploration companies
	7 p.m.				Cleaning of abandoned exploration sites Environmental issues and challenges of uranium exploration
Wednesday, September 10, 2014	1 p.m.	Exploitation			Mine, installations and operations Mill
	7 p.m.				Residues storing and stabilization Long-term issues and challenges
Thursday, September 11, 2014	9 a.m.	Transportation			Portrait and regulation of uranium in Canada
	1 p.m.				Accidents, emergencies and interventions Uranium handling
	7 p.m.	Governance			Governance in the uranium industry
Friday, September 12, 2014	9 a.m.	Governance			Federal regulation of the uranium industry Québec regulation of the uranium industry
	1 p.m.				Regional, municipal and territorial jurisdictions Long-term warranties models (financial and others)
Third week          September 15 to 19, 2014
Monday, September 15, 2014	1 p.m.	Ecology	Radionucleids toxicity in the aquatic and terrestrial environments and Québec regulation Uranium exploitation impacts on environment and federal regulation Uranium mines effluents control and effects on surface water
	7 p.m.		Uranium exploration and exploitation impacts on  wildlife and Québec regulation Effects of the territory opening on wildlife after major projects
Tuesday, September 16, 2014	1 p.m.	Health	Mines risks and impacts distribution on health Basic principles of radioactivity and chemistry Population, chemical and radiological exposition
	7 p.m.		Uranium mills rejects in the environment Exposition and risk reduction measures
Wednesday, September 17, 2014	1 p.m.	Health	Uranium mines exploitation effects on workers Observed effects on health of populations living nearby uranium mines Measured exposition of uranium mines of populations living nearby uranium mines
	7 p.m.		Observed psychological and social effects of populations living nearby uranium mines Risk and management analysis
Thursday, September 18, 2014	1 p.m.	Economics	Uranium market : world trendings Other (to be determined)
	7 p.m.		Long-term regulation Economic impacts of uranium exploration and exploitation
Friday, September 19, 2014	9 a.m.	Economics	Mineral resources exploitation in the communities : socioeconomic portrait (to be confirmed) Mining development structural economic effects
	1 p.m.		Loyalties, taxes and management costs of mining Mining taxes system cost for the state
Fourth week                 September 22 to 25, 2014
Monday, September 22, 2014	10 a.m.	Ecology		(to be determined)
	1 p.m.	Societal choices		Saskatchewan Nova Scotia Others (to be determined)
	7 p.m.
Tuesday, September 23, 2014	1 p.m.	Ethics		Ethical issues of uranium
	7 p.m.	Social acceptability		Social acceptability concept Acceptability and consent : mining development on Aboriginal territories
Wednesday, September 24, 2014   Wendake	8 a.m.	Exploration and exploitation		Uranium industry in Québec portrait, mines, installations and operations Residues storing and stabilization
		Ecology		Radionucleids toxicity in the aquatic and terrestrial environments and Québec regulation Impacts on wildlife and Québec regulation
	1 p.m.	Health		Observed effects on health of populations living nearby uranium mines
		Governance		First nations governance and issues
Thursday, September 25, 2014   Kangisqsualujjuaq	1 p.m.	Exploration Exploitation Ecology Health Governance		Workshops and exchanges
	7 p.m.

**Schedule may change

SOURCE: Bureau d'audiences publiques sur l'environnement

Source: Louise Bourdages, Communications Advisor, 418 643-7447 or 1 800 463-4732, ext. 532