SASKATOON -- Cameco announced Monday that it is extending the temporary production suspension at the Cigar Lake uranium mine in northern Saskatchewan as the effects of the global COVID-19 pandemic persist.
“The global challenges posed by this pandemic are not abating – in fact, they are deepening,” president and CEO Tim Gitzel said in a news release.
“We therefore need to stay vigilant and do everything we can to keep people and families safe. We are especially sensitive to the situation in the remote, isolated communities of northern Saskatchewan that are home to a sizeable portion of the workforce at Cigar Lake.”
Cameco announced on March 23 that the Cigar Lake operation was being placed in safe care and maintenance mode for four weeks. Cameco has now determined the workforce will need to remain at the reduced level for a longer duration.
The precautions and restrictions put in place by the federal and provincial governments, the increasing significant concern among leaders in the remote isolated communities of northern Saskatchewan, and the challenges of maintaining the recommended physical distancing at fly-in/fly-out sites with a full workforce were critical factors in the decision, Cameco says.
Cigar Lake ore is processed at Orano Canada Inc.’s McClean Lake mill, which is also presently in care and maintenance. Orano has also decided to extend the temporary production suspension at its McClean Lake mill.
“Despite the current uncertainties as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, we expect our business to be resilient,” Gitzel said in the release.
“With many governments and communities declaring states of emergency in their jurisdictions, our utility customers’ nuclear power plants are part of the critical infrastructure needed to guarantee the availability of 24-hour electricity to run hospitals, care facilities and essential services.
"So our customers are going to need uranium. As a reliable, independent, commercial supplier, we will continue to work with them to help meet their delivery needs."
