The regulatory approval process for Cameco’s proposed Millenium Project is expected to continue this year.
In early December the Saskatchewan government approved the company’s Environmental Impact Statement for the uranium mine which would be located about 36-kilometres north of the Key Lake Mine.
Brady Pollock is the Manager of Applications with the Environmental Assessment Branch in the Ministry of the Environment.
Pollock says approval of the E-I-S is the beginning of a long process involving many agencies.
“Now that they have their Environmental Assessment approval in place they can go to the various permitting agencies, licensing agencies both within the Ministry of the Environment itself and throughout the Government of Saskatchewan, so also Water Security Agency and different ministries within the government.”
He adds “In addition, the project is also subject to federal environmental assessment.”
Cameco spokesperson Gord Struthers says one of the federal agencies which will be involved is the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission.
“As part of that, they will hold a public hearing which is expected before the fall of 2014 and if the E-I-S is approved, then we would also need licensing both to construct and operate a mine.”
Struthers says in order for the Millenium Project to go ahead, the market conditions also have to be strong enough, but that is not the case right now.