Day
1 - Saturday August 16th – Rock’n Orientation and Workshop – Delta Bessborough
Saskatoon
Our first 1/2 day together was a chance for
everyone to meet the people they are going to be traveling over 5000 km in the
next 6 days with by plane, bus, foot and underground Toyota "person"
carrier. It is also where the participants received all sorts of neat,
colourful and free resources to decorate their classroom with as well as the
highly coveted Canadian hard hats donated by MSA Canada. The afternoon was a combination of hands on
activities and presentations, including an overview of the Saskatchewan mining
sector, experiment with the SMA potash kits experiments, and test the
properties of various rocks and minerals.  | ||
| Figure 1 GeoVenture Orientation and Workshop |
We also had the
pleasure of being joined by Mr. Rick Morrison, Manager, Safety, Health, Radiation,
Environment, Quality, Compliance & Licensing, McArthur River Operations,
Cameco Corporation
who warmed us up with a primer on the McArthur River mining operations that we
were going to experience the next day. It was a great and full first day, topped
off with members of the Saskatchewan mining sector coming out for a meet'n “Drill’n
Grill BBQ”. There are 23 of us on this years’ trip – many that Kate already
knows from the many workshops she has been doing in the province or that are
involved in developing/piloting the new Earth Science 30 class. The group gelled fantastically, as
illustrated by the unanimous adoption of our Safety Officer Scott. We could tell that there was a fantastic week
ahead of us. - Pam Schwann, Executive Director, SMA
Day Two – August 17th
Uranium McArthur River/Key Lake
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| Figure 2 Early morning flight north to Cameco's Key Lake Mill and McArthur River Mine |
The trip to Northern Saskatchewan started very early in the
morning. We boarded a charter flight to the Key Lake mill and the McArthur
River mine, about a one and a half hour flight from Saskatoon. We enjoyed a box lunch on the flight. With an
overcast sky during the flight, we were unable to observe the topology and
other surface features along the route.
The pilot circled over the Key Lake mill as we approached,
allowing us to have an excellent view of the above ground facilities. We
touched down and split up into two separate groups.
For our group, McArthur River marked the start of out northern
adventure. The approach by plane was a little anticlimactic because the mine
site covers a very small 2km2and there just didn’t seem to be that
much there.
McArthur River Uranium Mine Tour
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Figure 3 McArthur
River Uranium Mine Site
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A short drive brought us from the small airport, past the
worker apartment buildings and to the main building. Facilities include
gymnasium, workout room, fitness centre, curling rink and music room where
employees would often get together to jam. There is a big focus on wellness at
the mine, and summer also includes access to a lot of outdoor activities
including cycling, boating and fishing.
Our
introduction to the mine itself began with snacks (there is always food around) and a brief
overview of the operation as well as a talk on safety. Then we were all
outfitted with coveralls, helmets (with lights) boots, gloves, goggles and
earplugs. The key piece of equipment was the belt with our emergency oxygen
supply (15 minutes if you panic, 30 if you don’t, so RELAX). Finally, we start
to look like miners, even though this clean, new building doesn’t feel like
what I picture a mine to be.
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Figure 4: Heading
underground in cage at McArthur River
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The doors
opened to a scene that resembled a hurricane…….wild winds, water falling and
darkness. It was awesome! As we walked towards our ride, the chamber became
much more civilized…….concrete walls and floor, excellent lighting, high
ceilings, nice and cool. If it wasn’t for the water it would be more
comfortable than my basement.
Our first
destination on the troop transport was the ice wall. Calcium brine at -20oC
is send through tubes bored approx. 100m forming a barrier around the ore body.
Over a period of 6 months the water around the ore is frozen solid, preventing
flow through the body as well as giving some stability to the surrounding rock.
The second
stop was to see a drilling operation. At this point we were under the cathedral
of frozen rock. The initial hole had been drilled and the operator was bringing
the reamer back up, leaving a 10 foot wide hole behind. Of course, we couldn’t
see much happening here, so after a brief stop we loaded up again and headed
down.
Down.
Down we
went. Here the tunnels are rough and dark, the only light coming from our cart
and a few feeble headlamps. We went all the way down to 640m (and there were
side tunnels, dark and silent, that went deeper still). Here we watch a mucker
playing with the biggest R/C car you’ve ever seen. He quickly loads up the scoop with ore (Don`t
touch....it`s about 15% uranium), scans it and hauls it off. Good news to all
you gamers out there.....those skills you picked up on your PS2 may have real
world applications.
Our final stop was one of the many refuge stations located
around the mine. These are commonly used as lunch rooms and are equipped with
food, water and air in the case of an emergency. We were also told that
everyone underground evacuates to the stations in the case of a power outage,
but what are the chances of that happening?
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Figure 5 Hanging out
in one of the McArthur River Mine Refuge Stations waiting for power to come
back on
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From there it’s another elevator ride to the top and shed
our safety gear. The drive back to the plane took us to the top of a hill
overlooking the mine. From there we could again see the whole site. It’s really
quite impressive to consider that such a large operation has such a small
footprint.
Have you ever wondered what a mine site like McArthur River
has to offer for jobs? Well the answer is lots and some you might not expect.
There are jobs that would appeal to a wide variety of interests and education
levels.
- All jobs have a mandatory minimum of a grade 12 education. Equipment operators, warehouse workers, and clerical positions don’t require any additional education (BUT there are certificate/introductory post-secondary programs that will give you an advantage when it comes to being hired).
- Trades are also needed on the mine site. The most commonly employed trades include heavy duty mechanics, auto mechanics, electrical, welding, carpentry, machinists and plumbing.
- Jobs like: engineering, radiation, safety, environmental chemical technology programs; power engineering; instrumentation; and human resources represent the options in the technical fields.
- Next we have the jobs that require a university degree. The most obvious one being engineers, McArthur river requires the expertise of mechanical, chemical, process, metallurgy, electrical, environmental and geological engineers. Accounting and commerce are the other areas that have jobs that require a university degree.
- Last we have some you might not expect. This includes registered nurses and nurse practitioners, kinesiology majors, engineering physicists and even educators.
Many of these jobs have the opportunity to advance to
supervisor, training or planning roles.
What a great start to our week.
Key Lake Mill Tour
The second group
started at the Key Lake mill. Operated by Cameco, it is the world’s largest
uranium processing facility in the world. At one time Key Lake operated both a
mine and a mill. Once the mine was no longer productive, the mill still
continued to operate. An 80 km road links the mill with the McArthur River
mine. The high grade ore produced at McArthur River is sent as slurry by trucks
to the mill for further processing.
The Key Lake mill was not designed to process high grade
ore. The ore from McArthur River is combined with low grade ore at Key Lake for
processing. It goes through a number of physical and chemical changes, ending
up as yellowcake.
Science and chemistry teachers will be able to address the
processing of the uranium in their curricula. The ore undergoes chemical
leaching using sulfuric acid. It is then treated with thickeners and
flocculating agents to begin the process of separation and extraction of the
uranium. Large settling basins are used to separate particulate material, and
to extract other unwanted impurities.
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Figure 6 Bench
simulation of processing uranium ore during Key Lake mill tour
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Organic amines are used to further separate the uranium.
This process is done using large amounts of kerosene to add volume to the
solution, making the area in which the process is conducted potentially very
flammable. It was the only area at the uranium facilities that we were unable
to photograph.
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| Figure 7 On viewing platform looking out onto Key Lake Tailings Management Facility |
The
final product, which appears almost as black as charcoal, as the yellowcake is
heated “calcined”, is placed into containers and sent out for further
processing.
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Figure 8: Drums of
calcined "Yellowcake" product at Key Lake mill
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Throughout the tour we were able to see that a wide variety
of technical skills are required to work in such a facility. A grade 12
education is the minimum entry level required for application at Cameco.
Teachers who participated in the tour will be able to give students some
valuable information about the types of careers available in the mining
industry. Incidentally, we were informed that over half of the workforce
employed is of aboriginal descent.
We were made aware of the emphasis that the entire mining
industry places on safety. Before touring the mill, we were given overalls,
hard hats, safety glasses, gloves and eye protection. Due to potential
radiation hazards, none of the safety equipment ever leaves the site. Workers are monitored for exposure to
radiation. A variety of measures are
used to keep exposure levels very low.
The nuclear industry is heavily regulated by different
levels of government. Environmental protection is a major emphasis of the
monitoring that takes place. We were provided with information about how air,
soil and water quality are being monitored, and how tailings from the mill are
disposed. We also saw some of the research being conducted into land
reclamation, to determine the optimum ways of allowing surface vegetation to
become re-established once decommissioning will need to take place.
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| Figure 9 Test revegetation plots on Key Lake waste rock piles are being used to determine the best soil substrates to support a sustainable forest succession cycle that will be used when undertaking reclamation activities. |
The
facility offers a unique and interesting lifestyle for employees. Employees are flown in to northern
Saskatchewan and they work on site for a week or longer, then fly back home to
spend a similar amount of time away from the site. At the facility there are
recreation opportunities for the employees. Some go fishing on nearby lakes.
The company provides many such amenities to make the stay at the workplace as
enjoyable as possible for the employees.
Day 3 August 18, 2014
PotashCorp Patience
Lake – Potash Solution Mine
Our day began with an early hearty breakfast buffet at the
Bessborough Hotel in Saskatoon. We
enjoyed a presentation by a research engineer from Patience Lake. We would all love to have this presenter come
visit our classrooms, as he really made the overview of his industry fun and
interesting. The presentation included
the specific mining processes at Patience Lake.
What makes Patience Lake unique is that it used to be a conventional
mine. A water in-flow underground
flooded this mine site in the late 1980s.
The solution to this unexpected flood, was to turn this conventional
mine into a solution mine. Brine is
pumped through the underground mine workings, to dissolve the KCl (potash),
which is then brought to the surface, and cooled in ponds. The potash then crystallizes and is removed
from the ponds. The brine is
re-circulated, and the entire process continues.
After our preparatory presentation, we loaded the bus for
the mine site. We were greeted by the
very knowledgeable Mine Superintendant, who, after giving us a book bag of
information and gifts, took us on a tour of the grounds. Stops included: the warehouse (full of potash
ready to load and sell), a trip to the cooling ponds; and the tailings
pile. We saw pumps, how the potash is
dredged, and many other interesting features of this very unique mine
site. We were then brought back to the
office complex where we talked about our morning over a great lunch that was
provided for us. An overlying theme to
the GeoVenture Tour has been, “Safety, Safety, Safety!”.
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Figure 10
PotashCorp Patience Lake Potash Product Bin
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Figure 11
Barge on Patience Lake Crystallization ponds - waiting for cool weather
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We thanked our hosts and boarded the bus for our next stop,
Tim Horton’s in Swift Current, on our way to the Grasslands National Park.
Day 3 Grasslands
(Joanne)
I’ve Changed My Mind
I’ve never thought about bringing my students to Grassland
National Park. It was just too far
away. It was just another hill. It
would be too hot.
After actually going to 70 Mile Butte trail – boy was I
wrong. It was an amazing hike full of geology, biology, earth and environmental
science, and even math.
I was born and raised on a farm and spent a lot of time
picking rocks. A new crop of rocks seemed
to sprout every spring. Rocks were divided into two types – those that you had
to pick and those you could leave because they were too big or two small.
70 Mile Butte showed me the error of my ways. I still may
not see the same beauty in rocks that a geologist would but they are very
interesting. Grasslands Park was once part of a huge inland sea and there is
evidence in the rocks that remain. Sandstone really looks and feels like
sandpaper. It was amazing to see the rock weathering in place, soft spots
eroding, and new life springing up between the pieces. There were clear
glasslike gypsum crystals on the slopes and the barite rosettes resembled frost
designs on a window. The geology of the area will meet many outcomes that deal
with rock types, weathering, solubility or cycles.
The Visitor Center in Val Marie is an invaluable stop for
anyone looking for biology connections. There are pamphlets on different
animals found in the park including the reintroduced black-footed ferrets.
There is a great Flowers in Bloom
Checklist. That would be a good basis for a scavenger hunt using digital
cameras. The plants could be examined
for how they have adapted to the arid climate at the park. There is a guide on
lichens that includes identification pictures and suggestions for microscope
work.
Some of the students will have either digital cameras or
cell phones. After they are done taking
selfies, have the students take some pictures with forced perspective. They could literally (almost) have their
friend in the palm of their hand. Students could use scale to determine the
height of 70 Mile Butte. A picture which includes something of a know height
(such as a student) as well as the butte could be used. The students could
research the actual height and calculate the percent error. A discussion could
follow involving reasonableness of answers as well as reasons for the error.
I think it would be
spectacular to tour the Park in April or May when the many of the flowers are
in bloom and the animals are more likely to be active.
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Figure 12
On top of 70 Mile Butte - Grasslands National Park
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Grasslands National Park (Jennifer Peach)
Just what our tired rear ends needed! A moderately
challenging hike on the 70 Mile Butte Trail in picturesque Val Marie,
Saskatchewan. I had to admit I was a little intimidated by the snake like
paths, tall grass, exposed rock, and of course, the rattle snake warning as we
were setting out on the hike. I was promptly told not to worry and that “they
are more scared of us than we are of them”. If I don’t believe that old wives
tale when it comes to spiders I’m certainly not going to believe it when it
comes to 6 foot long rattle snake!
This hike proved to be very pleasant. Prior to departure we
discussed gypsum crystals and barite rosettes and their features. Now I’m no
geologist and to be quite honest, the only time I look down while hiking is to
ensure I won’t fall flat on my face! However once I found some of my own I
suddenly became a scavenger and couldn’t get enough!
The gypsum caught my eye because it was reflecting the rays
of the gorgeous sunset we were about to witness. I bent down, pick it up,
dusted it off, showed Pam, and she confirmed for me that I had some gypsum. I’m
sure I resembled a proud kindergarten that just learned to spell her name, as I
carefully placed it in my sample bag.
The next were the barite rosettes. Well these looked like
little pearly white, floral snowflakes, especially since they were often
nestled among the soil and other rocks. Again, the same process as above with
the discovery, confirmation and smug pride!
I was in complete awe of the landscape, the smooth beach
like rocks that didn’t seem to belong there but made complete sense when you
learn that the park was part of an inland sea millions of years ago! The Kodak
moments kept getting better and better the higher we climbed, and with that
came the increase in the number of selfies amongst the participants. That could
almost be a math problem in its own, maybe for the statistics and probability
unit for grade 5:
What is the probability that an increase in elevation on the 70 Mile
Butte Hike will increase the number of selfies taken? Based solely on experience, I’d say 100%
The views at the summit of our hike were spectacular and I
was so happy to share the moment with my fellow educators. It was during that
moment I envisioned using the breathtaking scenery as inspiration for poetry or
art for my middle years ELA students, or perhaps using some of the many
varieties and species of flowers along the way to assist my grade 4 science
students in learning and labeling plant features! The possibilities are
endless!
Did I happen to mention the amazing meal we had together at
the end of the day? I think I may have talked about it a few times! There’s
nothing quite like filling your empty stomach with locally grown and produced
grain, produce and beef and let me tell you, Harvest Eatery and Fresh Market
knows how to do it right. Right down to the local raspberry sorbet with
chocolate mousse, they provided a fun and satisfying end to a day filled with
learning, laughter, and excitement!
