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Toxic Uranium Mine Tailings
If there was a uranium mine in Nova Scotia, do you wonder where they might store their tailings/wastewater?
Right now, Nova Scotia has a moratorium on uranium mining (since the 1980s), but if that were lifted and a uranium mine was approved, here’s what would likely happen:
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On-site Tailings Management:
Most uranium mines manage radioactive waste (especially tailings, the crushed rock left after uranium is extracted) in large tailings management facilities right at or very close to the mine site. These are engineered containment areas, often big pits or man-made ponds, designed to prevent radioactive seepage into groundwater. -
Engineered Repositories:
If the geology allows, they might use an engineered repository — like building a specially lined, covered waste dump (sometimes underground) near the mine. In places with a lot of bedrock (like Nova Scotia's South Shore), this could make sense. -
Deep Geological Storage (unlikely short term):
Canada is already planning a deep geological repository for nuclear fuel waste (way more radioactive than uranium mine tailings) in Ontario, but uranium mine waste is less radioactive, so it probably wouldn’t be shipped across provinces — too expensive and risky. -
Possible locations?
If the mine was, say, in a place like the South Shore (which has known uranium deposits), they’d almost certainly store the waste locally on-site. Nova Scotia wouldn’t want the liability of trucking radioactive material across the province.
Same if it were in the Cobequid Highlands or parts of Cape Breton — store it close to the source.
Nova Scotia's geology (lots of granite and old rock) actually makes it decent for containment if engineered right.
But coastal areas, high rainfall, and fragile ecosystems make poor candidates — that's a huge reason mining uranium has been so heavily resisted there.
This map, provided by the Nova Scotia Department of Natural Resources, highlights areas where uranium has been detected in bedrock and well water across the province. Notably, higher concentrations are found in regions such as:
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South Mountain Batholith: Located in the southwestern part of Nova Scotia, this granitic region has been associated with elevated uranium levels in groundwater.
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Pictou Group: Situated in the northern part of the province, this sedimentary formation has also shown significant uranium occurrences.
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Three Mile Plains near Windsor: This area has documented uranium enrichment in specific geological formations, including the Horton Group .
If Nova Scotia were to permit uranium mining, waste storage would likely be managed on-site or nearby, utilizing engineered tailings facilities designed to contain radioactive materials safely. The choice of location would depend on geological suitability, environmental considerations, and proximity to the mining operation.
What would be the chances of the uranium mining tailings leeching into ground water and poisoning drinking water?
The chances are real — and it’s actually one of the biggest risks with uranium mining tailings.
Here’s the detailed picture:
Tailings are dangerous because even after uranium is extracted, the leftover crushed rock still contains:
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Radium (which decays into radon gas),
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Arsenic,
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Lead,
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Other heavy metals and low-level radioactive materials.
If tailings aren’t perfectly contained, rainwater can seep through them ("acid mine drainage" can also occur), picking up radioactive particles and metals, and carry them into:
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Groundwater (wells, aquifers),
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Surface water (lakes, rivers).
In Nova Scotia, the risk is higher than in some other places because:
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The province has lots of rain → higher chance of water moving through tailings.
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Thin soils over fractured bedrock → easier pathways for contaminated water to move underground.
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Many communities rely on private wells, tapping directly into groundwater without municipal treatment.
Even very slow leaks could eventually build up dangerous levels in drinking water over time — uranium, radium, arsenic can all cause serious health effects like:
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Kidney damage (uranium),
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Cancer (radon, radium, arsenic),
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Bone weakening (radium).
Let's look at some real-world examples of uranium mine tailings leaks
🇨🇦 1. Elliot Lake, Ontario (1950s–1990s)
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Elliot Lake had a huge uranium boom after WWII — dozens of mines opened.
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They dumped millions of tonnes of radioactive tailings around the town.
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Leaks and spills from the tailings ponds contaminated local lakes and groundwater with radium, uranium, and heavy metals.
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In the 1970s, radium levels in some lakes were 1000x higher than natural background levels.
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Massive cleanups have been going on for decades.
➔ Even now, Ontario has to actively monitor and maintain those sites forever.
🇺🇸 2. Church Rock Spill, New Mexico (1979)
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A dam at a uranium mill’s tailings pond collapsed after heavy rain.
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94 million gallons of radioactive liquid + 1100 tons of solid radioactive waste spilled into the Puerco River.
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It’s considered the largest release of radioactive material in U.S. history — even bigger than Three Mile Island (if you count volume).
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The river water was used by Navajo communities for drinking and livestock — causing huge health problems.
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The area is still contaminated today.
🇨🇦 3. Key Lake, Saskatchewan (1984)
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A uranium mill had a pipe failure that dumped millions of liters of radioactive tailings water onto the tundra.
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Even though the cleanup happened fast, some groundwater and surface water contamination still occurred.
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After this, Canada's uranium industry tightened tailings storage rules — but again, not 100% foolproof.
🇦🇺 4. Ranger Uranium Mine, Northern Territory, Australia
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Between 1981–2013, Ranger had over 150 environmental incidents — including tailings spills and contaminated water leaks.
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The mine is located inside Kakadu National Park, a World Heritage Site.
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In one famous spill, radioactive water leaked into wetlands that are sacred to Indigenous Australians.
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Full closure and cleanup are still underway as of 2025, and the site must be monitored for 10,000 years.
Patterns you can see:
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Heavy rain or floods often cause failures.
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Poor construction or poor maintenance makes it worse.
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Even "small" leaks can have huge long-term consequences for drinking water and ecosystems.
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Remediation takes generations and billions of dollars.
If Nova Scotia ever lifted the ban and started uranium mining, these kinds of accidents would be major fears — especially with all the coastal rivers, wetlands, and groundwater reliance.