Proposed nuclear facility – Wheeler River Project
Denison Mines Corporation (Denison) is proposing to develop an in situ recovery uranium mining and processing operation – the Wheeler River project – located in the Athabasca Basin in Saskatchewan, approximately 600 kilometres north of the City of Saskatoon.
Specifically, Denison is proposing to develop an operation that would produce up to 5,400 tonnes of uranium oxide annually for 20 years.
Authorization from the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC) is required in the form of a licence issued under subsection 24(2) of the Nuclear Safety and Control Act (NSCA), in order for the proposed project to proceed. However, before the Commission can make an NSCA licensing decision on this proposal, CNSC staff must complete an environmental assessment (EA) under the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act, 2012 (CEAA 2012).
| Location: | Athabasca Basin, Saskatchewan |
|---|---|
| Licensee: | Denison Mines Corporation |
| Status: | Application under review |
| Facility website: | Denison Mines Corporation |
Latest news
- December 2023:Update on the Wheeler River project
- September 2023: Technical review by the Federal and Indigenous Review Team kicks off
- April 2023: Denison Mines Corp. Wheeler River project Bulletin (PDF, 0.3 MB)
Commission proceedings
The Commission is an independent administrative tribunal set up at arm’s length from government, without ties to the nuclear industry. Use the links below to find documents related to Commission meetings or hearings.
Regulatory actions
The CNSC posts regulatory enforcement actions taken to protect the health, safety and security of Canadians and the environment. Use the links below to find out more about any orders or penalties that have been placed on this licensee, if any.
- No recent regulatory actions
Disclosure
Licensees must report events and incidents involving licensed activities that could impact the health, safety and security of Canadians and the environment to the CNSC. Use the links below to find any information provided by this licensee, if any, as well as other public disclosures made by licensees.
- No recent disclosures
Protecting Canadians and the environment
Environment
The CNSC uses information provided by licensees to create our own reports assessing the environmental effects of nuclear facilities or licensed activities.
- Environmental monitoring: Independent environmental monitoring results collected by the CNSC
- Environmental risk assessment: Email cnsc.info.ccsn@cnsc-ccsn.gc.ca to request a copy
- Canadian Impact Assessment Registry on the Wheeler River project: Assessment by the Impact Assessment Agency of Canada looking at both positive and negative, environmental, economic, social and health impacts of potential projects
- Federal, provincial and municipal monitoring programs: List of monitoring programs managed by other levels of government
- Radionuclide releases: Uranium Mines and Mills dataset in the Open Government catalogue for information on releases from this facility
- November 21, 2022: Invitation of public comments on Denison’s draft Environmental Impact Statement for the proposed Wheeler River Project
- October 21, 2022: Start of conformity review for the Wheeler River Project EIS submission
- January 10, 2022: Notice of participant funding offering for draft EIS review
- January 25, 2021: Resumption of the EA for the Wheeler River Project
Health and safety
The CNSC oversees licensee emergency planning and works with other levels of government to ensure the health and safety of Canadians. We also conduct and review health studies on various areas associated with the production, possession or use of nuclear substances.
- CNSC health studies on Canadian nuclear facilities: Relevant health studies of nuclear reactors regulated by the CNSC
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