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Regulatory Oversight Report for Uranium Mines and Mills in Canada: 2016: Executive Summary

This report, titled Regulatory Oversight Report for Uranium Mines and Mills in Canada: 2016, presents Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC) staff’s assessment of the performance of operating uranium mines and mills regulated by the CNSC. It also provides an update on public information programs, community engagement and relevant aspects of the CNSC’s Independent Environmental Monitoring Program.

As a result of the static nature of historic and decommissioned uranium mine and mill sites, this 2016 report only includes significant events and major developments at these sites that occurred during the 2016 calendar year, as well as a status update on the Rio Algom Elliot Lake site. CNSC staff will present a complete review on the performance of all decommissioned and historic uranium mines and mills in Canada every two years, with the next full update scheduled for the 2017 report.

CNSC staff use the safety and control area (SCA) framework to evaluate the performance of each licensee. This report provides performance ratings for all 14 SCAs for operating uranium mines and mills. As per past practice, the report focuses on the three SCAs that contain the majority of the key performance indicators for these facilities: radiation protection, environmental protection, and conventional health and safety. The information provided covers the 2016 calendar year, and where possible, shows trends and compares information to previous years.

The SCA ratings provided in this report were derived from results of compliance activities conducted by CNSC staff. These activities included onsite inspections, technical assessments, review of reports submitted by licensees, event and incident reviews, and ongoing exchanges of information with licensees. For 2016, CNSC staff rated all SCAs as "satisfactory" for all uranium mines and mills, and confirmed that all operating uranium mine and mill sites in Canada operated safely.

CNSC staff concluded that each of the regulated sites covered in this report have made adequate provision for the health and safety of the workers, the protection of the public and the environment, and Canada’s international obligations. Documents referenced in this report are available to the public upon request.

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