Participant Funding Program decision – NexGen’s Rook 1 Project

Status

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

Background

The Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC) previously announced that it was offering up to $250,000 in participant funding to assist Indigenous Nations and communities, members of the public and interested parties in reviewing the environmental assessment (EA) and licence application for NexGen’s Rook 1 Project and in participating in a future Commission hearing process. This was the second opportunity to apply for participant funding for the Rook 1 Project. The Commission has not yet announced the date or location for a hearing on NexGen’s application. For more information on the earlier Rook 1 funding opportunity, please see the previous participant funding notice.

NexGen is proposing to develop an underground uranium mine on the Patterson Lake peninsula, located in the southwestern portion of the Athabasca Basin in northern Saskatchewan, approximately 155 km north of the town of La Loche. The proposed Rook l mine would produce up to 14 million kg of uranium concentrate (U3O8) annually for 24 years. Under the Nuclear Safety and Control Act, NexGen’s proposal requires CNSC authorization, which must include an EA decision under the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act, 2012, affirming that the proposed activities will not cause significant adverse environmental effects, followed by a licensing decision.

CNSC participant funding decision

A funding review committee (FRC) was established to review the funding applications received by the CNSC’s PFP administrator and to make recommendations on the allocation of funding to eligible applicants. The FRC was given the flexibility to recommend funding beyond $250,000 based on the value-added nature 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 $464,979.93 to the following recipients:

Recipient	CNSC approved funding
Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation	$68,375
Clearwater River Dene Nation	$101,033.70
Métis Nation – Saskatchewan	$65,505.73
Ya’thi Néné Land and Resource Office	$67,850
Birch Narrows Dene Nation	$66,665.50
Mikisew Cree First Nation	$16,600
Willow Lake Métis Nation	$20,000
Buffalo River Dene Nation	$58,950
Total	$464,979.93

Eligibility and funding criteria

For more information on participant funding and how it works, including details on eligibility and funding criteria, please read the PFP guide.

Contact information

Participant Funding Program Administrator
613-415-2814
pfp@cnsc-ccsn.gc.ca