Canada’s Cameco said on 4 July that it is returning its regular workforce to the Cigar Lake uranium mine in northern Saskatchewan and planning to restart production in the following week.
Some 230 workers were evacuated from the site on 1 July as a precaution due to the proximity of a wildfire burning in the vicinity of the operation. Cameco said: “In consultation with provincial wildfire management officials from the Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency, we believe the risk to Cigar Lake posed by the fire has now subsided.”
With improved weather and smoke conditions, minimal likelihood of further road closures in the area, and all infrastructure at Cigar Lake remaining intact, Cameco believes the full complement of personnel can be safely remobilised and regular operations resumed.
Cameco is now in the process of transporting employees and contractors back to site. Final inspections and preparation of equipment will occur over the coming days to ready the operation for a return to production.
Cigar Lake (Photo credit: Cameco)
