NexGen Energy (ASX:NXG) has submitted responses to the remaining 49 technical review comments to the federal regulator, Canadian Nuclear Safety Commision (CNSC), as part of the environmental assessment review process for the Rook I Project in Canada.
The 49 technical comments represent the remaining aspects of the original 274 questions received from the CNSC from their technical review of the Rook I Project draft environmental impact statement (EIS) submitted in June 2022.
On June 21 2022, NexGen, which has a market capitalisation of $6.91 billion, submitted the EIS which included letters of support for the project from each of the Clearwater River Dene Nation, Birch Narrows Dene Nation, Buffalo River Dene Nation and Métis Nation.
CEO Leigh Curyer says the company received provincial environmental assessment approval in November 2023 and then submitted responses to the full federal technical review comments and received 80% acceptance in round one.
“The submission of these remaining 49 responses represents another significant milestone in the final advancement of the federal environmental assessment for the Rook I Project,” he says.
Curyer says once approved, NexGen will be the “largest and lowest-cost uranium fuel producer”.
“We look forward to the successful conclusion of the federal environmental assessment technical review process and the establishment of a federal commission hearing date to conclude the approval process for this generational project, enabling construction and operation of this environmentally elite and fully supported green energy project,” he says.
Following the establishment of the federal environmental assessment process, the CNSC will now conduct a completeness check of NexGen’s most recent submission, which will be completed within 30 days.
On completion, a technical review of NexGen’s comment responses and revised EIS will be carried out by the CNSC through the federal-indigenous review team which is expected to take 60 days.
Once confirmed by the CNSC that all technical comments have been resolved and the EIS is accepted, the regulator will schedule a federal commission hearing date.
The Rook I Project, located in Saskatchewan’s southwestern Athabasca Basin,is being optimally developed into a large, low-cost uranium producing mine.
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Write to Aaliyah Rogan at Mining.com.au
Images: NexGen Energy
