CNSC letter to NexGen Energy Ltd. regarding Rook 1 project

February 23, 2024

Mr. Luke Moger
Vice President, Environment, Permitting, and Licensing
NexGen Energy Ltd.
Saskatoon Office
200 – 475 2nd Ave S
Saskatoon, SK S7K 1P4

Subject: Rook I Project – Pausing of 24-Month Time Period for Commission Decision on Application to Prepare Site and Construct a Uranium Mine and Mill

Mr. Moger,

This is to inform you that as per Section 8.3(2)(d) of the Uranium Mines and Mills Regulations (Uranium Mines and Mills Regulations (justice.gc.ca), UMMR), the current federal environmental assessment review is considered to be an activity which is excluded from the 24‑month timeframe. Section 8.3(2)(d) stipulates the following:

• (2) The following are excluded from the 24-month time period:

(d) any period that is required to conduct, and render a decision on, an environmental assessment of the proposed preparation of the site for, and construction of, the uranium mine or mill, or its operation, decommissioning or abandonment, by any jurisdiction that is obligated by law to conduct that assessment and render a decision.

In addition, the CNSC letter dated February 12, 2024 ^{Footnote 1} confirms that the federal environmental assessment is not complete. Therefore, the 24-month time period from the present time is now paused until the federal environmental assessment review under the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act, 2012, has been completed and meets all regulatory requirements. Bearing in mind NexGen’s preference to have a concurrent Commission hearing for decisions on both environmental assessment and licensing, CNSC staff continue to work on both environmental assessment and licensing aspects of NexGen’s file as a matter of priority.

Sincerely,

Patrick Burton
Director
Uranium Mines and Mills Division
Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission

Reference:

cc: L. Curyer, K. Small, K. Oakes, A. Engdahl, J. Cooper, R. Paine, W. Anderson, N. Espenberg, B. Martel, A. Lieu, P. Barnes, J. Henderson, Regulatory (NexGen)
P. Burton, D. Pandolfi, B. Duhaime, K. Gorzkowski, N. Kwamena, N. Frigault (CNSC)