The Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC) has granted an exemption from the Nuclear Safety and Control Act (NSCA) for the Gunnar Closed Mine Site in northern Saskatchewan. The decision exempts SRC, who currently manages the site on behalf of the Province of Saskatchewan, from holding a licence to possess, manage and store nuclear substances at the Gunnar site until December 31, 2016. This exemption will allow SRC to collect additional information that will help inform remediation options as the project proceeds, even after licensing.
The former Gunnar Mine Site is part of a larger environmental mine remediation project Project CLEANS Cleanup of Abandoned Northern Sites managed by SRC, which includes cleaning up more than 30 abandoned mine sites in northern Saskatchewan. The mine sites range in size and complexity, with Gunnar and the Lorado Mill Site requiring the most remediation work and monitoring. Today’s regulatory standards hold mining companies to a higher degree of responsibility in mine site operation and decommissioning. This ensures environmental impacts are considered proactively upfront and that operations are conducted to minimize impacts.
SRC has scientific, technical and management expertise in environmental remediation, as well as experience working with regulators, communities, Aboriginal groups and industry.
