Ya'thi Néné Collaboration Agreement
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True North // July 2016 cameco in northern saskatchewan Diane McDonald, lead negotiator for the seven Athabasca Basin communities, and Cameco president and CEO Tim Gitzel, were honoured at the CA signing ceremony at Hatchet Lake Denesuline First Nation by the communities with a presentation of Star Blankets (See story pages 2&3) Ya’Thi Néné Collaboration Agreement : Building on a long, fruitful partnership Athabasca Basin communities renew partnership with uranium mining industry Chief Bart Tsannie of Hatchet Lake Denesuline First Nation and band councillor Peter Gazandlare show Cameco president and CEO Tim Gitzel the fine craftwork of the Star Blanket presented June 21. INCLUDED IN THIS HONOUR WERE : The comprehensive and unique HATCHET LAKE Diane McDonald, lead negotiator for agreement builds on the existing DENESULINE the seven Athabasca communities relationships and commercial that comprise the CA, Tim Gitzel, arrangements between Cameco, FIRST NATION president and CEO of Cameco AREVA and the three First Nation Corporation (Cameco) and Vincent communities of Black Lake, Fond Martin, president and CEO of AREVA du Lac and Hatchet Lake, and the It was a warm day this past Resources Canada Inc. four communities of Stony Rapids, Wollaston Lake, Uranium City June 21 in the gymnasium The signing of the collaboration and Camsell Portage. of Father Megret school, agreement was announced and but the participants in celebrated on National Aboriginal “The renewed partnership the celebration ceremony Day. The agreement confirms the agreement gives the Athabasca enduring partnership between these communities certainty, to help were beaming smiles when communities and Cameco and ensure that the companies the three key signatories AREVA in development of the uranium operate sustainably, bringing to the new Ya’Thi Néné resources of the Athabasca Basin. positive changes for the future generation,” said Diane who acted collaboration agreement Ya’Thi Néné (“Lands of the North” in throughout as lead negotiator for the Dene) confirms the continued support (CA) were honoured Athabasca communities. with Star Blankets that of the communities historically and traditionally associated with the Cigar were placed around their Lake, McClean Lake and Rabbit Lake Diane McDonald, shoulders. uranium mining operations. lead negotiator for the seven Athabasca communities. page 2 True North // July 2016 Ya’Thi Néné CA highlights The Ya’Thi Néné collaboration Create a business advisory committee the health and well-being of residents, agreement builds on the existing to ensure strategic discussions address housing needs, preserve impact management agreement take place and business targets are language, culture and traditional signed in 1999. The new agreement is achieved practices, improving community structured on five pillars of workforce infrastructure and generate education COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AND development, business development, and economic opportunities for ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDSHIP community engagement, residents. Establish new structures, in environmental stewardship, and consultation with communities, to The agreement will remain in force community investment. Terms of the engage and inform the Athabasca until the existing Athabasca Basin agreement include commitments to: residents on environmental and operations of Cameco and AREVA are WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT operational matters related to the decommissioned. Continue the hiring preference Cameco and AREVA’s operations for residents of the Athabasca Sustain and enhance the community- communities for the Cigar Lake, based environmental monitoring McClean Lake and Rabbit Lake program currently overseen by the operations and the establishment of Tim Gitzel, Athabasca Working Group employment targets in consultation president and CEO of Cameco. with communities Provide annual funding to support the Ya’Thi Néné Land and Resource Office Continue providing career awareness which will serve as a point of contact programs and scholarship funding for “This agreement further for the companies on environment- community residents solidifies our longstanding related matters BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT collaboration with these COMMUNITY INVESTMENT Continue preference for community- communities. It speaks to our Cameco and AREVA will provide owned businesses in meeting the joint vision and commitment annual production-based payments service requirements for Cameco and to the prosperity of northern to a community-administered trust to AREVA operations and develop new Saskatchewan for decades to be used for initiatives that promote opportunities in specific areas come.” Ya’Thi Néné Collaboration Agreement signing ceremony: present, from left, are Terri Daniels, chairperson of the Settlement of Wollaston Post; Mayor Daniel Powder, Hamlet of Stony Rapids; Dean Claussen, chairperson of Uranium City, Cameco president and CEO Tim Gitzel, (now-former) Chief Ricky Robillard of Black Lake Denesuline First Nation; Chief Bart Tsannie of Hatchet Lake Denesuline First Nation; Vincent Martin, president and CEO of AREVA Resources Canada Inc.; Claire Larocque, Chairperson of the Northern Settlement of Camsell Portage; and Chief Rudy Adam of Fond du Lac Denesuline First Nation. page 3 True North // July 2016 Environment key driver while Rabbit Lake operation in “care and maintenance" The water treatment plant located within the mill complex at Rabbit Lake will continue to operate in the months ahead under the care and maintenance status, treating water pumped from the Eagle Point mine and from groundwater wells surrounding tailings facilities. The Rabbit Lake operation maintains a tailings facilities, waste rock piles and substantial environmental management around the mine. Air and groundwater program to ensure protection of the monitoring requirements are included environment, but what changes will we under provincial and federal approvals see to the program when the site enters and monitoring will continue to ensure into a state of care and maintenance? the health and safety of people and protection of the environment. The answer is “Not very much,” according to Rabbit lake environmental Rabbit Lake will continue to progress co-ordinator Ryan Washenfelder. “We clean-up and reclamation activities will essentially continue to conduct during care and maintenance at a environmental monitoring the same as relatively unchanged pace. Rabbit Lake’s environment department we did during production”. Cameco will submit its plans for Rabbit will continue to collect downstream Mine water, water from the in-pit Lake’s care and maintenance status to water and sediment samples and have tailings facility and other locations such both federal and provincial agencies. them lab tested while the mine and mill as runoff from waste rock piles will are in care and maintenance. During the care and maintenance continue to be collected and pumped state Cameco will maintain open to the mill for treatment. There, it communications with our northern will be treated and tested to ensure partners as it has done in the past, the water quality meets regulatory through the community engagement requirements prior to release to the and environmental stewardship pillar. environment. The key goal of the pillar is to Cameco remains committed to communicate site licensed activities ensuring water quality is maintained and facilitate a means for community and the requirements will not change members to bring forward issues. during care and maintenance. Communication with communities can Groundwater monitoring will continue occur in many ways including face at several locations on the site. Air to face meetings, media releases, Runoff water will continue to be quality monitoring will still occur, but newsletters and through the Cameco collected from around existing waste reflect the fact that industrial activity website. rock piles and sent to the mill’s water has been reduced. Key areas that treatment facility before being released will be monitored include the mill, to the environment. Cameco Northern Affairs Office 306.425.4144 cameco.com/northernsk page 4 True North // July 2016.