EPA Releases its Report and Recommendations on Yeelirrie
August 3, 2016
Western Australia’s Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) has completed its assessment of Cameco’s Yeelirrie Uranium Project, located in the Shire of Wiluna in the Northern Goldfields region of Western Australia, and released its report and recommendations to the Minister for Environment for consideration.
The EPA has assessed the Yeelirrie Project against nine (9) key environmental factors.
The EPA has determined that eight of the nine key environmental factors at Yeelirrie can be managed to meet the EPA’s objectives. For one factor, subterranean fauna, the EPA was not satisfied with what was proposed.
Cameco respects the findings of the EPA and acknowledges the complexity and uncertainty involved with assessing subterranean fauna.
“Sampling and impact management for subterranean fauna at Yeelirrie is very complex and this is reflected in the EPA’s findings,” said Cameco Australia Managing Director Brian Reilly.
“We believe that with further sampling and research, subterranean fauna can be appropriately managed at Yeelirrie and we will work with government agencies and stakeholders to find a way forward.”
More than 850 samples have been taken from the Yeelirrie project area, which has identified 73 species of stygofauna. Of these, eleven species are currently only known from the impact area.
Cameco believes the long-term fundamentals of the nuclear industry are strong and we are taking prudent steps to prepare our uranium projects for improved market conditions.
Yeelirrie is 100 per cent owned by Cameco, one of the world’s largest uranium producers. The uranium deposit is estimated to contain total measured and indicated resources of 127.3 million pounds (36,640 thousand tonnes at 0.16% U3O8).
Profile
Cameco is one of the world’s largest uranium producers, with operations in Canada, America, Asia and Australia. The company has been actively exploring for uranium in Australia since 1996 and is involved in a number of projects across the country, including two of Australia’s largest undeveloped uranium deposits, Kintyre and Yeelirrie. Cameco’s uranium products are used to generate clean electricity in nuclear energy plants around the world. Cameco's shares trade on the Toronto and New York stock exchanges.
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