Taxation of uranium mining ventures in Saskatchewan: A policy assessment

The basic objective of this paper is to present a policy assessment of the Saskatchewan Uranium Royalty (SUR). This scheme, as enacted on 1 August 1976, was designed to be an integral part of the province's rent appropriation and economic development strategy. Before the tax regime is addressed directly an overview is given of the resource policy environment within which the impost was developed.     

Critical analysis of the waste management performance of two uranium production units in Brazil--part II: Caetite production center

This paper discusses the environmental waste management of the Heap-Leach Uranium Production Facility of Caetité located in a semi-arid region in Brazil. A comparison is made with the first uranium production site of the country located in Poços de Caldas. It is demonstrated that differences in the operational process along with different environmental conditions can lead to different impacts. In the present case groundwater is the potential most sensitive environmental medium despite the well-established consensus in the literature that radon and aerosol emissions may turn-out to be the most relevant environmental aspects of an installation located at this type of region. Most of the ²²⁶Ra content in the ore remains in the leached ore that is deposited with the waste rock. A lack in appropriate prediction of the hydrological balance has been causing unanticipated emissions of liquid effluents into the environment. Chemical treatment of this effluent may be needed. Contamination of groundwater in the short term by the waste ponds is not to be expected but it can be a relevant issue in the long term. As a consequence, careful closure schemes will need to be put in place. Finally, the overall costs with remediation in the Caetité production center are lower than those observed at the Poços de Caldas mining site.     

The uranium and nuclear industries in China

This article reviews the available information on the uranium industry and the beginning of nuclear power in China. Few details of China's uranium industry have hitherto been published in the West. The broad conclusions reached are that China is faced with severe energy shortages for the foreseeable future; nuclear power will help to solve this problem but the timing and extent of its contribution are uncertain. The central question of civil nuclear policy is whether or not to use imported technology, although satisfactory development of the uranium industry probably will require foreign assistance. The principle conestraint in this regard is foreign exchange. To help overcome this problem the Chinese are now, for the first time, offering uranium on the international market.     

Tax neutrality and the Saskatchewan Uranium Royalty

In their analysis of the Saskatchewan Uranium Royalty (SUR) scheme Anderson and Barnett (1983) conclude that the scheme is effective in that, together with the other levies on the uranium industry, it succeeds in appropriating 75–80% of available economic rent under reasonable assumptions about uranium price and production costs. While collecting a substantial proportion of economic rent was a major provincial government objective in designing the tax structure, provincial tax planners may also have been concerned to ensure that marginal production decisions be affected as little as possible by the tax. Because their model of the Key Lake mine considers only the extraction plan adopted by the firm, Anderson and Barnett are unable to conclude whether a different plan would have been adopted in the absence of the tax. In other words, the nature of their model confines their investigation to the question of effectiveness, as defined above. The purpose of the present article is to examine the question of whether the SUR is likely to be neutral with respect to the extraction plan and to assess the effects of any tax-induced distortion.     

The economics of uranium demand

The major characteristics of the demand for uranium are identified, and a number of factors which determine the actual level of uranium requirements of the nuclear power industry are discussed. Since the role of inventories is central to the process of short-term price formation, by comparing projections of uranium production and apparent consumption, the relative level of total inventories is calculated and an assessment is made of its likely impact on the uranium market during the 1980s.     

Hybrid economy research in remote Indigenous Australia: seeing and supporting the customary in community food economies

Hybrid economy research in remote Indigenous Australia is what Gibson-Graham [2008. Diverse economies: performative practices for “other worlds”. Progress in Human Geography, 32 (5), 613–632] describe as a performative ontological project. This research seeks to address the marginalisation of customary economic activities that contribute to the well-being of Indigenous Australians. It aims to make the customary sector more real, more credible and more viable as an object of policy and activism, challenging the dual dominance of the state and the market as the focus of development (cf. Gibson-Graham 2008 Gibson-Graham, J. K. 2008. Diverse economies: performative practices for “other worlds”. Progress in Human Geography, 32(5), 613–632. doi: 10.1177/0309132508090821[Crossref], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar]). This paper outlines how hybrid economy research has sought to broaden views of the economic landscape in remote Indigenous Australia amid the withdrawal of key policy and programmatic support by the Australian Government. This research draws on Canadian national surveys of Indigenous peoples, harvest studies and programmatic support for customary harvest – hunting, fishing and gathering of bush foods – to identify ways in which the Australian Government might better see and support Indigenous community food economies.     

Evolutionary or fragmented environmental policy making? coal,power, and agriculture in the Hunter Valley,Australia

Intensified surface mining, power generation, and smelting operations in the Hunter River lowlands, NSW, Australia have posed numerous new environmental management problems. Legislative controls over water, soils, and land use management have been clearly insufficient and remain so. The complex range of environmental changes is challenging government agencies as well as coal developers. While water demands are increasing in the region the proportionally greatest competitors are power generation and irrigation. Comprehensive regional water quality assessment is inadequate and divided between a number of agencies with fragmentary interests. Coal development inquiries signal further controversy over appropriate management solutions and are an ongoing phenomenon in the region. The early 1980s resource boom has been followed by lower rates of economic growth, which have resulted in disparate agency responses to major ongoing environmental questions. While issue attention cycles are often remarkably short in environmental management, matters of water, land, and air quality require intensive and ongoing monitoring and policy development.     

Building future nuclear power fleets: The available uranium resources constraint

According to almost all forward-looking studies, the world′s energy consumption will increase in the future decades, mostly because of the growing world population and the long-term development of emerging countries. The effort to contain global warming makes it hard to exclude nuclear energy from the global energy mix.     

Regulation of discharge of organochlorines from pulp mills in Canada

Organochlorines are a group of chemicals including dioxins and furans, at least some of which are highly toxic to humans. Organochlorines are formed as a byproduct of the chlorine bleaching process in pulp mills, as well as in other ways. Current federal and provincial environmental protection legislation in Canada is too general to adequately deal with the problem of organochlorine discharge. In Sweden and Germany strict new guidelines have been set for the discharge of organochlorines; strict guidelines are also planned for Alberta. The author recommends that new regulations, dealing specifically with organochlorine discharge, be promulgated under the new Canadian Environmental Protection Act. The new regulations should apply equally to all pulp mills. Strict enforcement, through cooperation of federal and provincial authorities, is also advised.     

Long-term leaching of uranium from different waste matrices

A semi-dynamic leaching test was carried out for metallurgical wastes and ore samples from the uranium and copper mining industry over a 142 day period using distilled water and 0.1N NaNO(3) as solvents. Laser fluorimetry was used as the analytical technique to determine the total uranium content in the leachates. The cumulative leach fraction (CLF) of uranium release from the samples was calculated to be 0.22, 0.22, 0.07 and 0.39% for rock, uranium tailings, copper kinker ash samples and copper tailings respectively using distilled water as solvent and 0.31, 0.27, 0.05 and 0.59% for the same matrices using 0.1N NaNO(3). The release of mobile uranium fraction was very slow, being faster in the initial stage and then attained a near steady state condition. The diffusion coefficient and bulk release of uranium from the samples have been calculated. The processes governing the release of uranium from these matrices have been identified to be surface wash-off and diffusion. Hence the use of weak solvents (leach out the mobile/exchangeable fraction of uranium) under semi-dynamic conditions aids the determination of leaching parameters and identification of the leaching mechanism for mobile uranium fraction from different matrices by slow leaching processes.     

Innovation for sustainable development in artisanal mining: Advances in a cluster of opal mining in Brazil

The objective of this article is to understand how the promotion of clusters of small economic agents in the gem sector has brought some improvements in the economic, social and environmental conditions in the mining sector and activities related to it. The research provides policy and theoretical contributions to the field of gem production, as well as enhances understanding of the under researched opal production in Brazil. It argues that government funding and technical support dedicated to the development of mining clusters, i.e. working with small economic agents as a whole and not individually, could promote not only more economic development, but also effectively incorporate social and environmental issues, such as workers safety, water management and tailings recycling. The argument is based on an evaluation of environmental, economic, social and institutional aspects of the opal mining cluster in Pedro II municipality, Piauí state. The results suggest that some formalisation of existing practices and adequate policies have triggered innovation with some positive effects on the performance of artisanal mining. Nevertheless, there are indications that if decision-makers plan to make this cluster more sustainable, they will have to include other issues in the debate including developing substituting economic activities.     

加拿大油气系统温室气体逃逸排放清单简述

油气系统温室气体逃逸排放是温室气体排放清单的重要组成部分。加拿大在清单中统一考虑了油气系统可能存在的温室气体排放源,因此清单中不仅包括了温室气体的逃逸排放(泄漏、排空),还考虑了能源燃烧中的气体排放,所考虑的温室气体种类既包括甲烷,也包括二氧化碳。采用的是政府间气候变化专门委员会(IPCC)第三层次方法(Tier3),即设备清单法、操作时间法和活动水平法三种计算方法,详细地将排放源分类进行估算。该国对数据的管理、质量控制和质量评估、不确定性分析以及在如何保证数据的持续性方面的作法都值得我们学习和借鉴。     

Assessing catchment-wide mining-related impacts on sediment movement in the Swift Creek catchment, Northern Territory, Australia, using GIS and landform-evolution modelling techniques

The Swift Creek catchment, the first catchment to be affected should any impact occur as a result of mining of the Jabiluka uranium ore deposit, is located partly within the World Heritage Kakadu National Park (KNP), and partly within the Jabiluka Mineral Lease (JML) that has been excised from KNP. Preliminary linking of a landform evolution model with a Geographic Information System (GIS) has been completed and tested on a catchment-wide basis for long-term total catchment management. This project represents the first attempt to apply the model on a catchment-wide basis in the region. Linking the model with a GIS enhances the modelling process, as the GIS assists in the derivation, storage, manipulation, processing and visualisation of geo-referenced data on a catchment-wide scale. This preliminary assessment of landform evolution in the Swift Creek catchment demonstrates the complex process associated with the parameterisation of the SIBERIA model, and illustrates the benefits of integrating GIS with landform evolution modelling techniques. Additional research is required to develop a more integrated GIS and landform evolution modelling approach to assessing the possible impacts of mining on catchment sedimentary and hydrological processes.     

Impacts of recreation and tourism on plant biodiversity and vegetation in protected areas in Australia

This paper reviews recent research into the impact of recreation and tourism in protected areas on plant biodiversity and vegetation communities in Australia. Despite the international significance of the Australian flora and increasing visitation to protected areas there has been limited research on recreational and tourism impacts in Australia. As overseas, there are obvious direct impacts of recreation and tourism such as clearing of vegetation for infrastructure or damage from trampling, horse riding, mountain biking and off road vehicles. As well, there are less obvious but potentially more severe indirect impacts. This includes self-propagating impacts associated with the spread of some weeds from trails and roads. It also includes the severe impact on native vegetation, including many rare and threatened plants, from spread of the root rot fungus Phytopthora cinnamomi. This review highlights the need for more recreational ecology research in Australia.     

Youth environmental attitudes in Australia and Brunei: implications for education

This paper explores similarities and differences in the knowledge, beliefs and actions that comprise the environmental attitudes of senior secondary school students in Australia and Brunei. Utilising data from a wider international study in Asia and the Pacific (Yencken et al. , 2000), the paper uses findings from these two countries to illustrate the pervasiveness of global environmental concerns over local cultural influences in the construction of youth environmental attitudes in Australia and Brunei. Thus, young people in these countries, as they do in all parts of the Asia-Pacific region, have very similar levels of environmental awareness and knowledge, sources of environmental, beliefs, systems or world views about the environment, and levels of perceived control over environmental trends. They also have a shared desire for schools to do more in the area of environmental education. The paper concludes that much more effort needs to be made in certain areas. The first is to encourage teachers and others who have influence over young people to develop their own knowledge and skills to be able to teach environmental education effectively. The second is in the area of curriculum and pedagogical reform so that young people explore the many possible ways in which current systems can change to support sustainability, in which current lifestyles reflect these systems, and in which their own actions can contribute to a sustainable future.     

The Relative Importance of Landscape Amenity and Health Impacts in the Wind Farm Debate in Australia

In recent years, Australia has experienced public debate around the growth in wind farms as part of government and community strategies to move from fossil fuels to renewable energy. Many of the arguments put forward by opponents and supporters are similar to those that have been evident in North America and Western Europe, including possible environmental impacts on wildlife, noise levels and, perhaps most prominently adverse changes in ‘landscape amenity’. A concern of increasing prominence is that of adverse human health impacts from proximity to operating turbines. Using analysis of submissions to public inquiries and a small number of detailed interviews, we consider the increased focus in Australia on the health impacts of wind farms. We note that health impacts, as elsewhere in the world, are often part of a suite of objections to wind farm developments but conclude that for some people near such developments, these are the main concern and not a cover or proxy for other concerns, such as changes in landscape amenity and aesthetics.     

Review of studies on environmental impacts of recreation and tourism in Australia

The paper provides a review of available information on the impact of recreation and tourism on environments, particularly on vegetation and soil, in Australia, with an emphasis on forests. Efforts have been made to compare the current research and development situation in Australia with some overseas countries such as the United States and the United Kingdom. While many documents reveal that Australia has been experiencing an increasingly high level of recreation and tourism use in its environments, only limited studies of environmental impacts of recreation and tourism have been published. Compared with other developed countries, particularly the United Kingdom and the United States, Australia lags behind in undertaking research in this area. The results of these limited studies and some observations indicate that the most common recreational and tourist activities (such as bush walking, camping, horse-riding) can, if not well managed, adversely affect the values of Australian natural and semi-natural resources. Overall, they can affect the vegetation and other recreational sites physically and biologically. Physical effects include track formation, soil loss and/or compaction and an increase in fire frequency. Littering and water pollution are also seen as impacts associated with bush walking and camping. Biological effects include causing damage to vegetation, increasing risk of myrtle wilt disease and the spread of the soil pathogen,Phytophthora cinnamomi, as well as assisting weed dispersal. Based on the information reviewed, the authors suggest the following areas as priorities for future research into the environmental impact of recreation and tourism in Australia: determine the type of natural features that attract recreation use; determine the quantitative relationship between the impact and the level of recreation and tourism use for different activities within major vegetation habitats; ascertain site carrying capacity or environment thresholds for major vegetation habitats and recreation activities; and determine the impacts of recreation and tourism for major regions and major vegetation habitats where there have been considerable nature-based recreation and tourism activities.1998 Academic Press     

Legitimizing industry and multi-sectoral regulation of cumulative impacts: A comparison of mining and energy development in Athabasca,Canada and the Hunter Valley,Australia

The Alberta oil sands industry and the New South Wales coal industry both faced controversies related to their cumulative impacts. In an attempt to generate hypotheses, we compared their attempts to maintain legitimacy, in its various aspects, for both their industries and the regulatory regimes that evolved as the controversies persisted. Both the existing literature and the two cases suggest that greater use of multi-sectoral stakeholder forums for the governance of cumulative impacts can bolster the legitimacy of both the industry and its regulatory regime, including those aspects handled through self-regulation. The cases suggested the additional hypotheses that (a) the importance of the decisions allocated to the multi-stakeholder regulatory forum affects legitimacy perceptions generally, and (b) the multi-stakeholder approach to regulation does little to bolster legitimacy when stakeholders include activists who are more interested in transnational issues than local cumulative impacts.     

Household use of and satisfaction with alternative water sources in Victoria Australia

Climate change is increasing the variability of rainfall, and thus the availability of water supplies in many areas of the world. These impacts are already being felt in the state of Victoria, Australia where a 12 year drought period was recently experienced. Restrictions to water use have been implemented, as one component of a broad policy approach to manage the drought. While anecdotal evidence suggests that the substitution of centralised water supplies is occurring, this has not been proven empirically. This paper reports results from a survey of households in Victoria regarding their use of alternative water sources. The study found that substitution is occurring. Garden watering is the purpose which has the highest rate of alternative water source use. In total 41.6% of respondents always, and 33.2% sometimes use an alternative water source for garden watering. The most commonly used alternative source of water for garden watering is water previously used in the laundry (30.7%). The alternative source of water used was found to vary depending on the purpose of the water use. High levels of satisfaction were found for all alternative water sources used. Several barriers were found to the use of alternative water sources, the main of which were: inflexibility of existing infrastructure, cost, policy, and housing status. The results have implications for water retailers, policy makers and governments in locations facing water shortage.     

Acid-forming emissions in Alberta,Canada

The sulphur dioxide and nitrogen oxides emissions from all sources in Alberta, Canada, during 1982 amounted to 488,297 and 353,511 tonnes, respectively. During this year deposition of wet sulphate from all stations in the province, 8 kg ha^–1 yr^–1, compares well with the five-year average (1978–1982) value of 10 kg ha^–1 yr^–1. These measurements are about one-half of the wet sulphate deposition criteria of 20 kg ha^–1 yr^–1 established for protecting the moderately sensitive aquatic ecosystem in eastern Canada. Due to dry, cold, continental climate conditions of Alberta, dry sulphate or sulphur deposition is equally or more important than wet deposition. No effects of the long-range transport of atmospheric pollutants (LRTAP) on the ecosystems in Alberta have been observed to date. Atmospheric deposition target loadings of SO₄ ^–2, NO₃ ^–, and H⁺ for Alberta and western Canadian environmental conditions should be developed to protect the highly sensitive ecosystems. Some future research and monitoring priorities for Alberta and western Canada are outlined.