Uranium mining could endanger Moncton water, meeting told

New Brunswick environmentalists are worried Moncton's water source will become contaminated if uranium exploration continues in the area.

A public information session on uranium held Sunday night at the Capitol Theatre in Moncton saw more than 100 people voice their concerns .

Uranium mining with high-pressure drilling shouldn't be conducted near the Turtle Creek watershed in southeastern New Brunswick, said Yvonne Devine, president of the New Brunswick Conservation Council's southeast chapter.

"They push a lot of air into the ground and if there's any contaminants, any salt or arsenic or anything in the ground where they're pushing, that will push it into surrounding water tables and wells," Devine said. "And once it's contaminated, that's it. There's no remediation on this."

The watershed provides the drinking water for Moncton, Dieppe and Riverview.

The long-term impacts of uranium mining would outweigh any short-term economic gain, Devine said. And many people aren't even aware of how close to their properties uranium prospecting is being conducted.

Earlier in March, one prospecting company announced it found enough uranium north of Moncton to warrant moving to the next stage of exploration research.

Chris Theriault owns land in Albert Country near Hillsborough. He said there are currently about 610 different claims around his property.

"I would like to see people ask more questions to strangers that come to their door with a paper for drilling, of our government, of our various laws," Theriault said. "I'd like to see people start thinking."

Theriault said he would like to see the province's laws relating to mining changed to more readily address uranium.

"The laws are old and outdated," he said. "There is no reserve in the mining act for the mining of toxic minerals so this is a large and loud problem. Our laws do not function concerning uranium."