Cigar Lake Operation Focus of CNSC Hearing

Cigar Lake Operation Focus of CNSC Hearing

Thursday, June 10, 2004 at 13:53

A total of 18 groups or individuals have been given standing to speak before a Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission hearing in La Ronge today.

This is Day 2 of the commission’s historic visit to northern Saskatchewan.

The CNSC is dealing with the matter of an environmental assessment for Cameco’s proposed Cigar Lake uranium mine.

The company is hoping to be issued a construction licence for the long-awaited project later this year.

Staff at the CNSC made one of the first presentations this morning. They raised concerns that there are no regulatory guidelines on some potentially dangerous elements that might be released into the environment if the mine goes ahead.

Some of the others making oral presentations today include Buffalo Narrows mayor Bobby Woods, who’s speaking on behalf of the West Side Environmental Quality Committee, and northern medical health officer Dr. James Irvine.

The panel will also hear from Athabasca Health Authority CEO Georgina McDonald, Inter Church Uranium Committee activist Maisie Shiell and several northern contractors — including Northern Resource Trucking, Thyssen Mining, Kitsaki Management and Points Athabasca Contracting.