The Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC) has granted a uranium mining license to Cameco for the construction and operation of Cigar Lake project in northern part of Saskatchewan.
The license will be valid from 1 July 2013 to 30 June 2021.
Uranium mining company Cameco applied for authorization to complete the final stages of commissioning at the site, transition into operations, and begin shipping uranium ore slurry for further processing.
CNSC said that an environmental assessment for the mine was completed in the 1990s and a construction license was issued in late 2004 and renewed in January 2010.
The licensed facilities consists of underground mine workings accessed by two mine shafts, waste management systems, a surface load-out facility, a mine water management system and other associated site facilities.
Cameco owns 50% stake in Cigar Lake, the second largest high-grade uranium deposit.