Participant Funding Program decision – Licence renewal for Cameco Corporation's Rabbit Lake Operation

The Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC) announced on September 20, 2022, that it was offering up to $75,000 under its Participant Funding Program (PFP). This funding was to assist Indigenous Nations and communities, members of the public and stakeholders in reviewing Cameco Corporation’s licence renewal application for the Rabbit Lake Operation.

Background

The CNSC made participant funding available:

• for the provision of new, distinctive and valuable information to the Commission through informed and topic-specific interventions
• to assist interested parties in reviewing the Rabbit Lake licence renewal application and associated documents and in participating in the Commission hearing process

A funding review committee (FRC), independent of the CNSC, was established to review the funding applications received by the CNSC’s PFP administrator and to make recommendations on allocating up to $75,000 to eligible applicants. The FRC was given the flexibility to recommend funding beyond $75,000 based on the value-added nature of the funding applications received.

The FRC members were:

• Bruce Young, retired director, Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency
• Kurt Saunders, retired director, Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency
• James Taylor, retired senior advisor, Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada

On December 1, 2022, the FRC met to review the 6 PFP applications received, requesting a total of $250,846.30.

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.

CNSC participant funding decision

The CNSC carefully considered the FRC’s recommendations on the allocation of participant funding and approved the reimbursement of up to $117,235.70 to the following recipients:

Applicant	CNSC approved funding
Birch Narrows Dene Nation	$16,239.30
Ya’thi Néné Land and Resource Office	$39,765
Canadian Environmental Law Association	$6,500
Kineepik Métis Local #9	$12,750
English River First Nation	$22,356.40
Métis Nation – Saskatchewan	$19,625
Total	$117,235.70

Additional information

Participant Funding Program Administrator, CNSC
Tel.: 613-415-2814
Email: pfp@cnsc-ccsn.gc.ca