EX-99.1
2
dmc-prjan192022mljvtmflic.htm
PRESS RELEASE DATED JANUARY 19, 2022
dmc-prjan192022mljvtmflic
Exhibit 99.1
Denison Mines
Corp.
1100 – 40
University Ave
Toronto, ON M5J
1T1
www.denisonmines.com
PRESS
RELEASE
Denison Announces 22.5% Owned McClean Lake Operation
Granted Approval to Expand Tailings Management
Facility
Toronto – Jan 19, 2022.
Denison Mines Corp. (“Denison” or the
“Company”) (TSX: DML) (NYSE American: DNN) is pleased
to report that the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission
(“CNSC”) has approved an amendment to the uranium mine
and mill licence for the McClean Lake Operation to allow for the
expansion of the JEB Tailings Management Facility
(“TMF”).
David Cates, Denison’s President & CEO,
commented “The
McClean Lake mill remains a strategically significant asset in the
Athabasca Basin region – representing the only uranium
milling facility currently operating in Canada. The amendment to
the operating licence for the McClean Lake Operation allows for the
expansion of the TMF, such that the facility will be well
positioned to serve as a regional milling centre for current and
future uranium mining projects in the eastern portion of the
Athabasca Basin for many years to come.
Denison congratulates Orano, as our partner and the operator of the
McClean Lake Operation, on obtaining approval for the
environmentally responsible approach put forward to expand the
capacity of the TMF without resulting in a significant impact to
the operation’s overall footprint.”
The
public hearing regarding the application for amendment was held on
October 4, 2021 and included submissions from Orano Canada Inc.
(“Orano”), as operator of the McClean Lake Joint
Venture (“MLJV”), as well as input from Denison, CNSC
staff, Cameco Corporation, the English River First Nation, the
Metis Nation of Saskatchewan, and the Athabasca Joint Engagement
and Environmental Subcommittee, among others.
The
Commission considered the adequacy of the proposed measures for
protecting the environment, the health and safety of persons,
national security, and other international obligations. The
operation’s past operating performance, environmental
protection, radiation protection, Indigenous consultation and
engagement, decommissioning plans, and other safety and control
areas were also examined. The TMF is designed in line with the
Global Industry Standard on Tailings Management developed by the
International Council of Mining and Metals (ICMM).
The amended licence remains valid until June 30,
2027. To see the full record of decision, please see the CNSC
website at: http://nuclearsafety.gc.ca.
The McClean Lake Mill
The McClean Lake property is located on the
eastern edge of the Athabasca Basin in northern Saskatchewan,
approximately 750 kilometres north of Saskatoon, and is home to the
McClean Lake uranium mill, one of the world’s largest uranium
processing facilities. The mill has licensed annual production
capacity of 24.0 million pounds U3O8
and is currently operating under a
10-year license expiring in 2027. The mill is contracted to process
the ore from the Cigar Lake mine under a toll milling agreement (up
to 18.0 million pounds U3O8
per year). The MLJV is an
unincorporated contractual arrangement between Orano with a 77.5%
interest and Denison with a 22.5% interest. Orano is the operator
of the project.
Denison has assessed the potential economic
benefit of using the McClean Lake mill as a regional milling centre
for the future processing of uranium resources extracted from the
Gryphon uranium deposit, on Denison’s 95% owned Wheeler River
property, and the Tthe Heldeth Túé ("THT,"
formerly J Zone) uranium deposit, on
Denison’s 66.90% owned Waterbury Lake
property.
For
more information about these projects, please refer to the
technical reports titled "Prefeasibility Study for the Wheeler
River Uranium Project, Saskatchewan, Canada" (September 24, 2018),
and “Preliminary Economic Assessment for the Tthe Heldeth
Túé (J Zone) Deposit, Waterbury Lake Property, Northern
Saskatchewan, Canada” (October 30, 2020).
About
Denison
Denison is a uranium exploration and development company with
interests focused in the Athabasca Basin region of northern
Saskatchewan, Canada. The Company has an effective 95% interest in
its flagship Wheeler River Uranium Project, which is the largest
undeveloped uranium project in the infrastructure rich eastern
portion of the Athabasca Basin region of northern Saskatchewan. In
addition to Denison's interests in Wheeler River and McClean Lake,
Denison’s interests in Saskatchewan include a 25.17% interest
in the Midwest Main and Midwest A deposits, and a 66.90% interest
in the THT and Huskie deposits on the Waterbury Lake property. Each
of Midwest Main, Midwest A, THT and Huskie are located within 20
kilometres of the McClean Lake mill.
Through its 50% ownership of JCU (Canada) Exploration Company,
Limited (“JCU”), Denison also holds interests in
various uranium project joint ventures in Canada, including the
Millennium project (JCU 30.099%), the Kiggavik project (JCU
33.8123%) and Christie Lake (JCU 34.4508%).
Denison is also engaged in mine decommissioning and environmental
services through its Closed Mines group (formerly Denison
Environmental Services), which manages Denison's Elliot Lake
reclamation projects and provides third-party post-closure mine
care and maintenance services.
Certain information contained in this news release constitutes
‘forward-looking information’, within the meaning of
the applicable United States and Canadian legislation concerning
the business, operations and financial performance and condition of
Denison.
Generally, these forward-looking statements can be identified by
the use of forward-looking terminology such as ‘plans’,
‘expects’, ‘budget’,
‘scheduled’, ‘estimates’,
‘forecasts’, ‘intends’,
‘anticipates’, or ‘believes’, or the
negatives and/or variations of such words and phrases, or state
that certain actions, events or results ‘may’,
‘could’, ‘would’, ‘might’ or
‘will be taken’, ‘occur’, ‘be
achieved’ or ‘has the potential to’. In
particular, this news release contains forward-looking information
pertaining to: the permitting of the MLJV’s operations,
including the JEB TMF expansion, underlying assumptions and the
MLJV’s intentions with respect thereto; assumptions and
projections with respect to processing uranium resources from
Denison projects; and expectations regarding its joint venture
ownership interests and the continuity of its agreements with its
partners.
Forward looking statements are based on the opinions and estimates
of management as of the date such statements are made, and they are
subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors
that may cause the actual results, level of activity, performance
or achievements of Denison to be materially different from those
expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. For
example, Denison is relying on the information provided, and the
procedures undertaken, by the operator of the MLJV. Denison
believes that the expectations reflected in this forward-looking
information are reasonable but no assurance can be given that these
expectations will prove to be accurate and results may differ
materially from those anticipated in this forward-looking
information. For a discussion in respect of risks and other factors
that could influence forward-looking events, please refer to the
factors discussed in Denison’s Annual Information Form dated
March 26, 2021 under the heading ‘Risk Factors’. These
factors are not, and should not be construed as being
exhaustive.
Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on
forward-looking statements. The forward-looking information
contained in this news release is expressly qualified by this
cautionary statement. Any forward-looking information and the
assumptions made with respect thereto speaks only as of the date of
this news release. Denison does not undertake any obligation to
publicly update or revise any forward-looking information after the
date of this news release to conform such information to actual
results or to changes in Denison's expectations except as otherwise
required by applicable legislation.