Uranium Mining & Exploration in Nova Scotia

Due to public concerns about health and safety risks associated with uranium exploration, Nova Scotia imposed a moratorium on uranium exploration and mining beginning in 1981, followed by a full ban enacted in 2009.

In 1981, public concerns regarding about uranium exploration and the contamination it caused in the village of Harrietsfield in Halifax prompted the provincial government to take action. Conservative Premier John Buchanan responded by imposing a moratorium on uranium exploration and mining that same year.

Before the moratorium, uranium exploration in Nova Scotia was extensive, conducted by prospectors and mining companies, often on private land. This activity sparked strong opposition from Nova Scotians, particularly in rural areas. The movement to ban uranium exploration and mining was driven by grassroots activists, including women’s groups, doctors, and newly formed organizations, with backing from the Ecology Action Centre. Responding to their communities, multiple municipalities urged the Province to impose a provincial ban. Following the 1981 moratorium, the issue was revisited on several occasions:

• In 1982, the Province established an inquiry on the subject, known as the “McCleave Inquiry,” chaired by Judge McCleave. This process involved 44 public meetings held throughout the province, culminating in a report authored by the Judge (Province of Nova Scotia, 1985).  The report emphasized that, “The release of radioactive matter into the environment presents a special class of environmental protection problem because radiation cannot, in any known practical way, be neutralized or altered from its natural decay sequence, and it can cause permanent cumulative or delayed but irreversible harmful effects in all living organisms. Therefore, radioactive materials would require containment during their hazardous lifetime to allay health and environmental concerns.”  Additionally, the report noted, “In Nova Scotia, the wet climate, generally high water table and generally acidic waters may pose special problems for radioactive waste management.”
• In 1994, Premier John Buchanan convened an interdepartmental committee to reexamine uranium exploration in Nova Scotia. The committee’s recommendation to remove the ban was not accepted or acted upon.
• In 2018, the staff of Nova Scotia’s Energy and Mines Department conducted another comprehensive review (Nova Scotia Energy and Mines, 2018).

At every review, Nova Scotians made it unmistakably clear—they do not support uranium exploration or mining in Nova Scotia.

In 2009, Premier Darrell Dexter entrenched the ban into law to make it more permanent (Province of Nova Scotia, 2009). John MacDonnell, then Minister of Natural Resources, stated, “This measure responds to the concerns that Nova Scotians have expressed over the mining of uranium in our province. We will legislate this moratorium because it is what Nova Scotians want.”

Premier Tim Houston lifted the ban on March 25, 2025, with the passage of Bill 6. The Nova Scotia Provincial government plans to begin uranium exploration in the summer of 2025. On May 14, 2025, the Province issued a Request for Proposals (RFP) inviting individuals or companies to apply for exploration licences in three designated areas of the province:

• Millet Brook/Falls Lake (Hants County)
• East Dalhousie (Annapolis County)
• Louisville/River John (Pictou County)

The RFP application period ran from May 14 to June 11, 2025. On June 12, 2025, the day after the deadline, the province announced that no bids had been received in response to its Request for Proposal for uranium exploration. Despite this outcome, the Houston government remains dedicated to moving forward with its uranium exploration plans in the province.

Nova Scotia is the second most densely populated province in Canada. Despite its relatively small size, it boasts over 13,300 km of coastline, meaning you are never more than 67 km from the water, according to NovaScotia.com. Premier Houston’s goal of doubling the province’s population will increase density and further limit areas where responsible mining can be considered at safe distances from expanding communities.

Uranium Mining & Exploration in Canada

Canada classifies uranium as a critical mineral because uranium mined in Saskatchewan supports the nuclear fuel needs of electric utilities both domestically and internationally. It is important to note that a critical mineral is not the same as a scarce mineral.  The World Nuclear Association (WNA) wrote on May 16, 2025, “There is therefore no reason to anticipate any shortage of uranium that would prevent conventional nuclear power from playing an expanding role in providing the world’s energy needs for decades or even centuries to come.”

Saskatchewan ranks among the world’s leading uranium producers, where the high-grade deposits make mining operations economically viable despite significant financial costs.  According to Natural Resources Canada, “Most of Canada’s reserves are located in the Athabasca Basin of northern Saskatchewan, which hosts the world’s largest high-grade deposits, with grades that are 10 to 100 times greater than the average grade of deposits mined elsewhere in the world.”

The Athabasca uranium basin is situated in a remote area just south of Lake Athabasca, near the border with the Northwest Territories. According to the Government of Canada, it spans approximately 100,000 square kilometers across Saskatchewan and a small part of Alberta. To put this in perspective, Nova Scotia covers about 55,284 square kilometers.

Currently, the only uranium mining in Canada takes place in the Athabasca Basin in Northern Saskatchewan.

Uranium Mining & Exploration Globally

According to the World Nuclear Association, the leading uranium producers worldwide in 2022 were:

• Kazakhstan (43% of world supply)
• Canada (15% of world supply)
• Namibia (11% of world supply)

Over 55% of the world’s uranium is now produced through in situ leaching, reflecting a significant increase in this method’s use.