The first is that the operator must identify an environmentally acceptable location to dispose of mine waste rock. Of the three options identified by CLMC, the panel rejected one and recommended a comparative evaluation of the remaining two. Cogema Resources Inc. Plans are to mill Cigar Lake ore 80 kilometres northeast at the McClean Lake uranium site, which is now being developed by the McClean Lake joint venture and which is operated by Cogema. Tailings resulting from milling would be deposited in a mined-out pit at the McClean Lake site. Although the panel endorsed the concept of the proposed in-pit tailings disposal, it identified a number of conditions, including further assessment and monitoring, that should be addressed.
Cigar Lake is one of the largest, high-grade uranium orebodies in the world.
At full production, the site is expected to produce 18 million pounds annually. Test mining completed in 1992 demonstrated the deposit can be mined in a manner which is safe for workers and the environment. Plans are for the orebody to be mined using remote-control methods. The panel's recommendations have been submitted to the provincial and federal governments, which are expected to announce their decisions in the coming months. Its uranium products are used to generate electricity in nuclear power plants around the world, providing one of the cleanest sources of energy available today.