Notice of Commencement of an Environmental Assessment

Key Lake Extension Project
Key Lake (SK)

May 20, 2010 (Updated August 16, 2010) -- The Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission and Fisheries and Oceans Canada are required to ensure that a screening is conducted pursuant to the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act commencing on May 14, 2010 in relation to the project: Key Lake Extension Project.

The Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC) has received a project description from Cameco Corporation (Cameco) to extend the lifespan of the Key Lake milling operation in northern Saskatchewan by undertaking a variety of extension activities all within the area of the surface lease.

Cameco is proposing the following extension activities:

• an increase to the approved storage capacity of the existing Deilmann Tailings Management Facility (DTMF);
• an increase in the average annual production capacity of the Key Lake mill from 7.2 million kilograms of uranium (18.7 million pounds U3O8) up to an average annual production capacity of 9.6 million kilograms (25 million pounds U3O8) including any physical changes required to allow uranium processing and waste-handling and treatment systems at this higher production rate;
• installation/modification of infrastructure and mill process equipment to permit receipt and treatment of a wider range of ore and waste rock types from other deposits; and
• modification and conversion of the mill processes to use a strong acid strip solvent extraction, and to use hydrogen peroxide for uranium precipitation.

An environmental assessment is required in relation to the project because the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission may take action in relation to subsection 24(2) of the Nuclear Safety and Control Act and Fisheries and Oceans Canada may take action in relation to section 32 of the Fisheries Act and to subsection 35(2) of the Fisheries Act.

This project is also subject to the environmental assessment requirements of the Government of Saskatchewan.

The Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission will act as the Federal Environmental Assessment Coordinator for this environmental assessment.

For further information on this environmental assessment, please contact:
Nicole Frigault
Environmental Assessment Officer
Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission
P.O. Box 1046, Station B
280 Slater Street
Ottawa ON K1P 5S9
Telephone: 613-995-7413 or 1-800-668-5284
Fax: 613-995-5086
Email: EA@cnsc-ccsn.gc.ca

and refer to Registry reference number 10-01-55518