Firm raises eyebrows with suggestion for nuclear powered mines

A mining exploration company figures small nuclear reactors for electric-power generating stations would be ideal for remote operations such as its project in the James Bay region of Quebec.
Western Troy Capital Resources Inc. says a team of advisors is now considering an array of reactor designs suitable for such use and it has initiated contact with the regulatory community.
The venture took root about a year ago when the company was looking at power options for its molybdenum and copper project at MacLeod Lake, CEO Rex Loesby said.
The property is located in boreal wilderness more than 500 kilometres north of Quebec City.
"When we looked at this (option), we said, 'Gee, why aren't people doing this in Canada?' It seems like an obvious thing to do," Loesby recalled.
Remote sites now rely heavily on fossil fuels and generators, he said. Western Troy would replace those power sources with reactors that could generate about five to 20 megawatts of power, Loesby said from his Toronto office.
"These little ones, even if you don't get the economies of scale (gained from building a 1,000 MW nuclear power plant), if something goes wrong, it doesn't wipe out half a city," said Loesby, adding that remote mining sites are not located near cities.
Environmental groups are not so enamoured with the idea.
The idea of nuclear reactors at mine sites "is mad," Jamie Kneen, MiningWatch Canada's communications and outreach co-ordinator, said. "I can't see how it is going to get through the regulatory process."
The notion is "suspect for a number of reasons" including issues surrounding disposal of radioactive waste, said Dale Marshall, climate policy analyst for the David Suzuki Foundation.
"A significant number of mining proponents are saying that climate change is already affecting their operations, specially infrastructure on mines," said Marshall.
"Probably the last thing we want to do is have a whole lot more nuclear reactors being impacted by those climatic events and potentially leading to accidents in those power facilities."
The idea of using nuclear reactors to power the extraction industry is not new, said Paul Stothart, the Mining Association of Canada's vice-president of economic affairs, said in an email.
"For example, there has been considerable discussion in the (Alberta) oilsands where reactors could be used to provide power and heat and hence significantly reduce the amount of fossil fuel used in the . . . production process," he wrote.
While it is "conceivable" that small nuclear reactors in remote regions would offer environmental advantages by reducing fossil fuel use and greenhouse gas emissions, "this technology would presumably raise questions regarding community acceptance, site location and permitting, management of waste . . . etc.," Stothart said.
Glenn Harvel, an associate professor of nuclear science at the University of Ontario Institute of Technology, is among the advisors working with Western Troy. While still in its preliminary stage, the project presents "an exciting opportunity for Canada," he said.
There are hurdles to overcome "but it is feasible," he added. A key challenge is "finding the right vendor and then getting everyone in the licensing process to agree that this is a worthwhile thing to do," Harvel said.
While potential vendors — all foreign — have said they could provide a suitable reactor for between $25 million to $75 million, no firm quotes have yet been sought.