Nuclear facility – Wheeler River Project
Denison Mines Corporation (Denison) is authorized to prepare a site for and construct the Wheeler River Project, an in situ recovery uranium mining and milling operation located in the Athabasca Basin in Saskatchewan, approximately 600 kilometres north of Saskatoon.
The licence issued to Denison authorizes site preparation and construction activities under the Nuclear Safety and Control Act. The licence does not authorize the operation of the facility. Authorization to operate the facility would be subject to a future Commission licensing hearing and decision should Denison come forward with the relevant licence application.
If operation of the facility were to be authorized, the Wheeler River Project could potentially produce up to 5,400 tonnes of uranium oxide annually for up to 15 years.
| Location: | Athabasca Basin, Saskatchewan |
|---|---|
| Licensee: | Denison Mines Corporation |
| Owner: | Denison Mines Corporation |
| Facility type: | Uranium mine and mill |
| Status: | Site preparation and construction |
| Licence issued: | February 18, 2026 |
| Licence expires: | February 28, 2031 |
| Licensing documentation: | Request a copy of the Wheeler River Project site preparation and construction licence and licence conditions handbook at cnsc.info.ccsn@cnsc-ccsn.gc.ca |
| Facility website: | Denison Mines Corporation |
Latest news
Commission proceedings
The Commission is an independent administrative tribunal set up at arm’s length from government, without ties to the nuclear industry. Use the links below to find documents related to Commission meetings or hearings.
- February 19, 2026: Commission issues a licence to Denison Mines Corp. authorizing site preparation and construction of its Wheeler River Project
- August 20, 2025: Revised notice of public hearing and participant funding – Denison Mines – Application for a licence to prepare a site for and construct its Wheeler River mine and mill project (PDF, 4 pages, 162 KB)
- February 27, 2025: Notice of Public Hearing and Participant Funding – Denison Mines – Application for a licence to prepare a site for and construct its Wheeler River mine and mill project (PDF, 4 pages, 294 KB)
- Record of decision on the scope of the environmental assessment for the proposed Wheeler River Project
- Commission hearing on the scope of the environmental assessment for the proposed Wheeler River Project
Regulatory actions
The CNSC posts regulatory enforcement actions taken to protect the health, safety and security of Canadians and the environment. Use the links below to find out more about any orders or penalties that have been placed on this licensee.
- No recent regulatory actions
Disclosure
Licensees must report events and incidents involving licensed activities that could impact the health, safety and security of Canadians and the environment to the CNSC. Use the links below to find any information provided by this licensee, as well as other public disclosures made by licensees.
- No recent disclosures
Timeline
A summary of regulatory milestones for the facility can be found below.
- February 19, 2026: Commission issues a licence to Denison Mines Corp. authorizing site preparation and construction of its Wheeler River Project
- December 8 to 11, 2025: Part 2 of the 2-part public hearing on Denison’s application for a licence to prepare site and construct
- October 8, 2025: Part 1 of the 2-part public hearing on Denison’s application for a licence to prepare site and construct
- February 2025: The Commission announces that it will hold a 2-part public hearing to consider Denison’s application for a licence to prepare a site for and construct the Wheeler River Project
- November 22, 2024: CNSC issues letter to Denison Mines Corporation noting licence application sufficiency
- July 2023: Denison applies to the CNSC for a licence to prepare a site for and construct the Wheeler River Project
- October 21, 2022: Start of conformity review for the Wheeler River Project EIS submission
- December 2019: The Commission issues its decision on the scope of the EA
- August 2019: CEAA 2012 repealed when the Impact Assessment Act (IAA) comes into force; the EA continues under CEAA 2012 in accordance with the transitional provisions set out in section 182 of the IAA
- May 2019: Start of the EA for the Wheeler River Project following Denison’s submission of the project description
Protecting Canadians and the environment
Environment
The CNSC uses information provided by licensees to create its own reports assessing the environmental effects of nuclear facilities or licensed activities.
- Environmental monitoring: Independent environmental monitoring results collected by the CNSC
- Federal, provincial and municipal monitoring programs: List of monitoring programs managed by other levels of government
- Radionuclide releases: Uranium Mines and Mills dataset in the Open Government catalogue for information on releases from this facility
- Environmental risk assessment: Email cnsc.info.ccsn@cnsc-ccsn.gc.ca to request a copy
- Canadian Impact Assessment Registry on the Wheeler River project: Assessment by the Impact Assessment Agency of Canada looking at both positive and negative, environmental, economic, social and health impacts of potential projects
Health and safety
The CNSC oversees licensee emergency planning and works with other levels of government to ensure the health and safety of Canadians. We also conduct and review health studies on various areas associated with the production, possession or use of nuclear substances.
- CNSC health studies on Canadian nuclear facilities: Relevant health studies of nuclear reactors regulated by the CNSC
Related links
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