Participant Funding Program decision – Orano Canada Inc.'s application for the revocation of its licence for the Cluff Lake Project

The Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC) announced on August 9, 2022, that it was offering up to $100,000 under its Participant Funding Program (PFP). This funding was to assist Indigenous Nations and communities, members of the public, and stakeholders in reviewing the licence application from Orano Canada Inc. (Orano) for the revocation of its uranium mine and mill operating licence for the Cluff Lake Project, and in participating in the Commission public hearing process for this application.

Background

The CNSC made participant funding available:

• for the provision of new, distinctive and valuable information to the Commission through informed and topic-specific interventions
• to assist interested parties to review Orano’s application and associated documents and in participating in the Commission hearing process by providing topic-specific interventions to the Commission

A funding review committee (FRC), independent of the CNSC, was established to review the funding applications received by the CNSC’s PFP administrator and to make recommendations on allocating up to $100,000 to eligible applicants. The FRC was given the flexibility to recommend funding beyond $100,000 based on the value-added nature of the funding applications received.

The FRC members were:

• Steve Burgess, retired director, Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency
• Yves Leboeuf, retired vice-president of operations, Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency
• James Taylor, retired senior advisor, Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada

On October 28, 2022, the FRC met to review the 7 PFP applications received, requesting a total of $338,099.50.

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 recommendations on the allocation of participant funding and approved the reimbursement of up to $201,699 to the following recipients:

Applicant	Maximum amount of funding available
Saskatchewan Environmental Society	$6,435
Birch Narrows Dene Nation	$32,466.50
Clearwater River Dene Nation	$47,200
Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation – Dene Lands and Resource Management	$54,500
Métis Nation –Saskatchewan	$33,350
Ya’thi Nene Land and Resource Office	$27,747.50
TOTAL	$201,699

Additional information

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