Cameco says uranium spill near Swift Current is a small risk

Officials from Cameco say the radiation risk fom the uranium concentrate spilled near Swift Current, Sask., is very small.

At about 12:30 p.m. CST on Monday, a vehicle rolled over on Highway 4 about 10 kilometres north of the city. A tractor-trailer carrying 63 drums of uranium concentrate spilled a small part of its load. The stretch of highway was cordoned off.

As of 4 p.m. CSTon Tuesday, RCMP said they were no longer on the scene. However, the area is expected to remain closed as hazmatteams continue to work.

Motorists in the area can expect delays. Find updates from theHighway Hotline here.

• Highway 4 near Swift Current closed after possible powder uranium spill
• Highway remains closed following uranium spill near Swift Current, Sask.

Officials from Cameco, the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission, and provincial environment were on the scene.

"It's important that people not inhale or ingest the material," saidGord Struthers, who speaks for Cameco. "You would have to ingest a significant amount in order to see any kind of a health effect, but those are the precautions that are followed and the first responders are aware of them."

With simple precautions it can be safely handled without any difficulty.- Gord Struthers, Cameco

Struthers saiduranium concentrate is routinely driven across the country in trucks. Those trucks are marked as having "hazardous material"and first responders are told how to treat itin case of an incident.

"With simple precautions, it can be safely handled without any difficulty," he said.

The truck was heading across the country to a refinery in Ontario. The contents will now be sealed and trucked to northern Saskatchewan for repackaging before continuing east.