Saskatchewan

Saskatchewan Research Council Former Lorado Uranium Mill Site Rehabilitation Project

Environmental assessment Start date:  April 16, 2009
Type:  Screening
CEAR reference number: 09-01-47430
Proponent: Saskatchewan Research Council (SRC)
Location:  Nero Lake, Saskatchewan

Latest Update

• May 5, 2010 - Record of Decision - Approval of the Project-Specific Guidelines and Scoping Document for the Former Lorado Uranium Mill Site Rehabilitation Project (PDF)
• December 2, 2009 - Request for Public Comment - Draft Project-Specific Guidelines and Scoping Document

Project Description

The Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC) has received a project description from the Saskatchewan Research Council (SRC) for the rehabilitation of the former Lorado Uranium Mill Site located in Northern Saskatchewan. 

The Lorado mill buildings were dismantled in 1990 and buried with waste rock and do not pose environmental or public safety concerns.  There are currently no facilities, nuclear or otherwise, at the Lorado mill site that require decommissioning.  The Project includes the following components:

• Appropriate disposal of refuse from the site;
• Relocation of the road access to bypass the former Lorado mill site;
• Containment and stabilization of all or a portion of the exposed mill tailings;
• Rehabilitation of affected aquatic environments as warranted;
• Rehabilitation of additional risks as warranted;
• General site clean-up; and
• Appropriate monitoring during and after rehabilitation.

CNSC authorization of the project requires the issuance of a Waste Nuclear Substance Licence for the possession and management of nuclear substances, pursuant to subsection 24(2) of the Nuclear Safety and Control Act (NSCA).

Before the Commission may consider a decision on licensing under the NSCA regarding SRC’s proposal, a screening level environmental assessment (EA) must be completed in compliance with the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act.  The purpose of an EA is to identify the possible environmental effects of a proposed project, and determine whether these effects can be mitigated before the project is allowed to proceed. 

Further Information

CNSC maintains a public registry of documents related to its Environmental Assessments. Lists and copies of documents may be obtained upon request. For questions or information directly related to this environmental assessment, please contact:

Lee Casterton
Environmental Assessment Officer
Environmental Assessment Division
Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission
P. O. Box 1046, Station B
Ottawa, ON
K1P 5S9
Telephone: 1-800-668-5284
Fax: 613-995-5086
Email: EA@cnsc-ccsn.gc.ca

CNSC regulates the use of nuclear energy and materials to protect health, safety, security and the environment and to respect Canada's international commitments on the peaceful use of nuclear energy.