Plaintiffs ponder next move after suit dismissed

SASKATOON — The plaintiffs in a lawsuit against a pair of uranium companies and the northern village of Pinehouse are contemplating their next move after the suit was dismissed.

“We’re currently reviewing the court’s ruling and we’ll soon gather everyone involved to come to a consensus, because we haven’t even been able to reach everyone yet on how we wish to proceed,” said Candyce Paul, a spokesperson for the 40 individuals and groups involved in the suit. “We have a little under 30 days left to file an appeal and if that is what is decided, we may do that.”

The suit was an attempt to nullify a collaboration agreement Pinehouse and the Kineepik Metis Local signed with Cameco Corp. and Areva Resources Canada Inc., in 2012.

The plaintiffs have said the deal is bad for the environment and bad for the community.

In the claim, the plaintiffs alleged the agreement would harm “present and future citizens’ rights to the use of the water for drinking, washing, fishing, agriculture and recreation.”

Justice Alison Rothery dismissed the suit, saying “the collaboration agreement is a far different document than characterized in their claim.”

Paul said the ruling shows citizens have few avenues to voice their opposition to the uranium industry.

“This ruling has made it obvious that there is no recourse in this country for people who have legitimate concerns about the impacts that uranium mining has on the health of northern people today and on into the future because what they leave behind is going to affect us as long as it is there,” Paul said.

“The ballooning cancer rates and other diseases can never be termed ‘a frivolous concern.’ That is why we went to court in the first place.”

Paul said she thinks there are “blatant errors” in the ruling.

“We need to take a really good look at this,” she said. “We have learned a lot from this process and we are going to make use of it moving forward.”