Participant funding for Orano’s application to renew its licence for the McClean Lake Operation

Status

This participant funding opportunity is now closed, and funding has been approved.

Participant funding notice

The Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC) will conduct a hearing based on written submissions in September 2026 to consider an application from Orano Canada Inc. (Orano) to renew its uranium mine and mill licence for the McClean Lake Operation for a period of 2 years.

The McClean Lake Operation is located within the eastern part of the Athabasca Basin region in northern Saskatchewan, approximately 750 kilometres north of Saskatoon, on Treaty 10 territory (1906) and within the Homeland of the Métis, as well as within the traditional territories of the Denesųłiné, Cree and Métis.

This 2-year licence renewal application is an administrative request to change the licence term and continue activities at the McClean Lake Operation until June 30, 2029. Orano is not requesting any changes to the licensed activities or operations at this time.

Orano intends to request approval of new mining activities in a future application. This current renewal will allow Orano sufficient time to complete a comprehensive application for the proposed changes.

The CNSC is offering participant funding to assist Indigenous Nations and communities, members of the public and interested parties in:

• reviewing documentation, including CNSC staff’s and Orano’s Commission member documents
• providing new, distinctive and valuable information through informed and topic-specific interventions in writing to the Commission

Up to $50,000 in participant funding will be disbursed among all successful applicants.

Participant funding decision

A funding review committee (FRC) was established to review the funding applications received by the CNSC’s participant funding program administrator and to make recommendations on the allocation of funding to eligible applicants. The FRC was given the flexibility to recommend funding beyond the advertised total based on the value added of the funding applications received.

The CNSC carefully considered the FRC’s recommendations on the allocation of participant funding and approved the reimbursement of up to $62,703.75 to the following recipients:

Applicant	CNSC approved funding
Ya’thi Néné Land and Resource Office	$20,010
English River First Nation	$12,793.75
Métis Nation–Saskatchewan	$20,000
Kineepik Métis Local	$9,900
Total	$62,703.75

Eligibility and funding criteria

For more information on participant funding and how it works, including details on eligibility and funding criteria, please read the Participant Funding Program Guide.

Contact information

Participant Funding Program Administrator
pfp@cnsc-ccsn.gc.ca