AREVA > Home > News Releases > September 7, 2004 

NEWS RELEASE

For Immediate Release: September 7, 2004

Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada

Clearwater / La Loche Roadblock Removed

AREVA subsidiary COGEMA Resources is pleased to announce that the roadblock set up on Highway #955 near the Clearwater River Dene Nation was removed late Friday, September 3.

The community highway blockade began on Friday, August 27 to raise concerns about local economic benefits from the Cluff Lake uranium mine decommissioning program, which is now beginning. Concerns were also raised with the Province of Saskatchewan about various land use issues not related to the mine.

"We all worked very hard to resolve concerns about how the northern benefits are shared among communities," said COGEMA Resources Acting President Vincent Martin. "COGEMA Resources has always focussed on maximizing benefits from its mining operations to local communities, including Clearwater / La Loche through direct employment and contracting," he said. "We worked with the communities to ensure this would happen."

Discussions during the week covered issues related to the La Loche area residents receiving an equitable share of the local economic benefits that were available to the communities of the region from the mine's decommissioning contracting and employment. The main components of the decommissioning are the backfilling of an open pit mine, dismantling the mill and covering the tailings management area. These tasks will be completed over the next two years. Contractors are required by COGEMA to have at least 60% of their workforce from local community residents.

These issues were resolved through working closely with representatives of the Clearwater River Dene Nation and the Village of La Loche to collect and review resumes and names of available candidates, identify employment and training opportunities, and expedite local hiring.

The community and COGEMA Resources believe there is now a satisfactory balance in employment from the decommissioning among the West Side communities in northern Saskatchewan. In addition to the decommissioning work, dozens of Clearwater / La Loche residents are employed throughout the northern Saskatchewan uranium mining industry, in which COGEMA Resources is a major participant.

More about
With manufacturing facilities in over 40 countries and a sales network in over 100, AREVA offers customers technological solutions for nuclear power generation and electricity transmission and distribution. The group also provides interconnect systems to the telecommunications, computer and automotive markets. These businesses engage AREVA's 70,000 employees in the 21st century's greatest challenges: making energy and communication resources available to all, protecting the planet, and acting responsibly towards future generations.

AREVA subsidiary COGEMA Resources owns and operates the Cluff Lake mine located about 700 kilometres northeast of Saskatoon. The company is the operator and majority owner of the McClean Lake uranium operation, operates the Midwest uranium project, and owns shares of the Cigar Lake, McArthur River and Key Lake uranium mines. About half of COGEMA Resources' mine workers are residents of northern Saskatchewan. For more information, please go to www.cogema.ca.