Proposed nuclear facility – Wheeler River Project
Denison Mines Corporation (Denison) is proposing to develop an in situ recovery uranium mining and milling operation – the Wheeler River project – located in the Athabasca Basin in Saskatchewan, approximately 600 kilometres north of the City of Saskatoon.
The Wheeler River project would produce up to 5,400 tonnes of uranium oxide annually for up to 15 years.
A licence from the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC) is required for the proposed project to proceed. Before the Commission can make a licensing decision under the Nuclear Safety and Control Act (NSCA), the Commission must first decide on the environmental assessment for the project, under the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act, 2012.
A Commission hearing is now scheduled for the Commission to consider both the EA and the licence application. The two-part hearing will take place on October 8, 2025, and the week of December 8, 2025.
| Location: | Athabasca Basin, Saskatchewan |
|---|---|
| Licensee: | Denison Mines Corporation |
| Status: | Hearing scheduled for October 8, 2025, and the week of December 8, 2025. For more information, view hearing documents. |
| 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.
- 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 EA for the proposed Wheeler River Project
- Commission hearing on the scope of the EA 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
Protecting Canadians and the environment
Environment
The CNSC uses information provided by licensees to create our 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
- November 22, 2024: CNSC letter to Denison Mines Corporation licence application sufficiency
- December 2023: Update on the Wheeler River project
- April 2023: Denison Mines Corp. Wheeler River project Bulletin (PDF, 0.3 MB)
- October 21, 2022: Start of conformity review for the Wheeler River Project EIS submission
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