By Nigel Maxwell

Proposed road raises some red flags

Feb 16, 2011 | 11:00 AM

One group is checking the paperwork before a plan goes in place to build a road to connect two Northern Saskatchewan mine sites.

The Saskatchewan Environmental Society has filed an application to the Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency to take a closer look at the environmental implications, such as the impact on water quality, wetlands and wildlife, of the proposed all weather road would connect the McArthur River Mine Site to the Cigar Lake Mine Site.

“Once you have an all-weather road, you have a lot more access by people, and you will change predator, prey relationships,” said Allyson Brady, executive director of the society.

“Once you start opening roads, not only do have access for hunters but you have wildlife travelling in different ways.”

One example Brady uses is caribou.

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“Caribou are not a particularly good defensive animal. They rely on large undisturbed areas to live. Because more and more of their habitat has been disturbed over the years, you start to see a decline in their population.”

At the same time, the society is not saying they want to stop construction.

“I don't think at this point we have the capacity to know whether the road should be stopped and I don't think that's necessarily our aim. What we want to make sure is that if a road is going in, then it is done as environmentally responsible as possible,” Brady said.

The Saskatchewan Environment Society hopes to begin their study in the next several months.
There has been no approval given for road construction.

nmaxwell@panow.com