Jobs, Safety And Environmental Protection The Key Factors In Cameco Mining Applications, Nuclear Industry Says

SASKATOON, April 3, 2013 /CNW/ - Cameco's performance on jobs, safety and environmental protection are reasons to renew its licences for the Cigar Lake mine and the decommissioned Beaverlodge mine, the Canadian Nuclear Association (CNA) said today.

"Cameco is the leading industrial employer of Aboriginal people in Saskatchewan," CNA President Heather Kleb told a Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission hearing in Saskatoon. "These are high-paying, secure jobs in northern communities," she added. Canadian uranium miners employ some 5,000 Canadians and pay about $500 million in wages and benefits.

The safety commission is holding hearings on Cameco's applications to mine uranium at Cigar Lake, the world's second-largest high-grade uranium deposit, and to renew its licence for the decommissioned Beaverlodge Mine and Mill site.

Kleb pointed to Cameco's excellent health and safety record as a further reason to approve the applications. The company, one of the world's largest uranium producers, incurred only one lost-time injury at Cigar Lake over three years, and no injuries at Beaverlodge during that time.

"When it comes to safety, we are never complacent," Kleb said. "Cameco values safety and, like all of our members, strives to improve even further."

She also noted Cameco's core commitment to environmental protection: "By maintaining its commitment to the highest standards of environmental stewardship, Cameco continues to demonstrate our industry's responsible management over the full lifecycle of our activities," said Kleb.

The Canadian Nuclear Association represents over 100 organizations that directly employ 30,000 men and women across Canada.

SOURCE: CANADIAN NUCLEAR ASSOCIATION

John Stewart
Director of Policy
Canadian Nuclear Association
[email protected]
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