Abstract
The Gunnar Mill, located on the north shore of Lake Athabasca in the Uranium City area, generated nearly five million tonnes of tailings which were initially discharged into a nearby small lake. Significant quantities of these tailings subsequently moved into another small water body in the area and then into Langley Bay, a shallow bay opening onto Lake Athabasca. Analyses of several sediment cores for both radioactive and non-radioactive constituents reveal that the contamination, covering the entire bottom of the bay, has reached Lake Athabasca. It is estimated that about 11% of the total 226Ra activity discharged from the mill resides in the Langley Bay sediments with about 76% still remaining at the original disposal areas. The 137Cs measurements suggest that natural cover on the submerged tailings will develop at a very slow rate. A very small fraction of 222Rn generated in the Langley Bay delta deposit escapes to the atmosphere.
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