Cameco has been given the green light to begin production at its long-awaited Cigar Lake uranium mine.
The Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission has issued a mining licence to the company authorizing the construction and operation of its Cigar Lake Project.
In its application, Cameco had been seeking approval to complete the final stages of commissioning at the facility, to begin production and to start shipping uranium ore slurry.
Cameco spokesman Gord Struthers says intervenors in the application made it clear they want to be kept informed as the mine is developed.
Struthers says the CNSC has made sure the public will be regularly updated about the mine’s progress:
“They’ve made it clear that there will be annual reports on what’s happening at Cigar Lake presented to the commission at a public meeting. And they’ve also asked for a formal update after the first full year of operations. So, I think that the communities’ concerns have been addressed.”
Production at Cigar Lake is expected to get underway before the end of the year.
The licence takes effect on July 1st and will remain valid until June 2021.