Participant Funding Program decision – Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation Indigenous knowledge study relating to NexGen's Rook I Project and other potential uranium and nuclear projects

The Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC) has offered funding through its Participant Funding Program (PFP) to Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation (ACFN) to conduct an Indigenous Knowledge study relating to NexGen’s Rook I Project and other potential uranium and nuclear projects.

The information gathered from meetings and activities with ACFN will be included in relevant Commission member documents so that any valuable information can be brought directly to the Commission.

Background

The CNSC made participant funding available to:

• enhance Indigenous and stakeholder participation in the CNSC’s environmental assessment and licensing processes
• help Indigenous Nations and communities, members of the public and stakeholders bring valuable information to the Commission

A funding review committee (FRC), independent of the CNSC, was established to review the funding application received by the CNSC’s PFP administrator and to make recommendations on the allocation of funding to the applicant.

The FRC members were:

• Yves Leboeuf, retired vice-president of operations with the Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency
• Kurt Saunders, retired director with the Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency

On January 17, 2023, the FRC reviewed the PFP application received, requesting a total of $145,150.

Eligibility and funding criteria

For more information on participant funding and how it works, including details on eligibility and funding criteria, please read the PFP guide.

CNSC participant funding decision

The CNSC carefully considered the FRC’s recommendation on the allocation of participant funding to assist ACFN and approved the reimbursement of up to $145,150.

Applicant	Maximum amount of available funding
Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation	$145,150
Total	$145,150

Additional information

Participant Funding Program Administrator, CNSC
Tel.: 613-415-2814
Email: pfp@cnsc-ccsn.gc.ca