Feb 20, 2026 – On February 19, 2026, the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC) announced the Commission's decision to issue a licence to Denison Mines Corp. (Denison) to prepare a site for and construct its Wheeler River Project. 

The licence is valid until February 28, 2031, and authorizes site preparation and construction activities under the Nuclear Safety and Control Act. The licence does not authorize the operation of the facility to be constructed. Authorization to operate the facility would be subject to a future Commission licensing hearing and decision, should Denison come forward with a licence application to do so.  

Prior to making its licensing decision, the Commission concluded that, under the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act, 2012, the Project is not likely to cause significant adverse environmental effects, provided that Denison implements all proposed mitigation and follow-up monitoring measures, including continued engagement with Indigenous Nations and communities and environmental monitoring to verify the predictions of the environmental assessment.

A summary record of decision is available upon request to the Commission Registry at interventions@cnsc-ccsn.gc.ca. Once available in both official languages, the summary record of decision will be published on the CNSC website.