Denison Mines has submitted the final environmental impact statement (EIS) for the Wheeler River uranium project with the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC).
The submission follows the completion of the technical review phase of the federal environmental assessment (EA) approval process.
Denison president and CEO David Cates noted that this development brings the company one step closer to building Canada’s next new uranium mine, which would also be the country’s first in-situ recovery (ISR) uranium mining project.
“Owing, in large part, to the use of the ISR mining method, the EIS evidences that the project can be constructed, operated, and decommissioned while achieving a superior standard of environmental sustainability when compared to conventional uranium mining operations,” says Cates.
With the final EIS now filed, the CNSC staff will review the submission for acceptance and prepare recommendations for the commission members who will sit on the panel for the project‘s public hearing. The hearing will provide Denison with an opportunity to demonstrate the project‘s alignment with both regulatory requirements and community expectations. While the exact date for the hearing has not yet been set by the CNSC, it is expected to be determined once the final EIS submission has been accepted.
In parallel with the federal EIS submission, Denison has also made progress in obtaining the necessary licences for the project. The company was recently informed that it had successfully met the requirements for a CNSC licence to prepare and construct a uranium mine and mill. This allows the CNSC to potentially make a licensing decision at the same time as the EA approval.
Last month, Denison also submitted a final EIS to the Saskatchewan Ministry of Environment (MoE), largely mirroring the document submitted to the CNSC. Although the technical review comment period was completed by the MoE in late 2023, Denison chose to delay finalising the provincial EA approval in order to incorporate the majority of modifications recommended during the federal technical review process.
This approach aims to streamline the provincial EA process, with the company expecting a single Ministerial decision following a public review period. This provincial review began in November 2024 and is expected to conclude in December.