AREVA > Home > News Releases > November 8, 2002 

NEWS RELEASE

For Immediate Release: November 8, 2002

Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada

COGEMA Resources granted stay

COGEMA Resources will continue to operate its McClean Lake mine as usual under a stay granted by the Federal Court of Appeal on November 7.

The court ruled in favour of applications by the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC) and COGEMA for a stay of a Sept. 23 Federal Court ruling quashing an operating licence for the McClean Lake mine and mill issued by the Atomic Energy Control Board (now the CNSC) in 1999.

The stay allows the company to continue operating the mine until appeals filed by both COGEMA and the CNSC have been resolved. No date has been set for a hearing.

"We are happy with this stay decision, which removes the threat of closure of our operation. First in our concerns were the consequences on the 200 people working at McClean, who have demonstrated an outstanding operational performance and are a model in environmental stewardship," said COGEMA Resources President and CEO Tim Gitzel. "We are confident that the original decision will be overturned on appeal."

The original court decision was not critical of the actual performance of the McClean Lake facility, but was based on a technical question about the administration of the licensing process.

The Sept. 23 ruling found that, although the  project had already undergone an extensive environmental assessment, an additional assessment was required under the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act which became law in 1995 when the original assessment had been under way for four years.

"The issue here is not about the environmental performance of McClean Lake, it's about the wording of legislation in the federal government's regulatory process," Gitzel said. "Our McClean Lake operation has an exemplary environmental record."

COGEMA Resources is the operator and majority owner of the McClean Lake mine and mill operation located 700 kilometres north of Saskatoon. The company also owns mining and milling facilities at Cluff Lake, operates the Midwest uranium project, and holds an interest in the Cigar Lake, McArthur River and Key Lake uranium mines.

COGEMA Resources is based in Saskatoon and employs about 300 people at the McClean Lake and Cluff Lake mines. About half of those employees are residents of northern Saskatchewan.

Download PDF Version (41KB)

Download PDF Version of the written decision of Federal Court of Appeal Judge J. A. Noël on November 7, 2002 (168 KB)

For further information, please contact:

Tim Gitzel
President and CEO
(306) 343 - 4501

Alun Richards
Public Relations Specialist
Phone: (306) 343-4637