by Cecilia Jamasmie | October 1, 2013 | Reprinted by permission of Mining.com

The environmental group Sierra Club is asking the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC) to “explain” why Cameco Corp’s TSX:CCO uranium mines in northern Saskatchewan are allowed to operate despite pollution concerns.

In a Tuesday press release the anti-nuclear organization claims it has “enough evidence” to support its accusations about Cameco’s operations. The Sierra Club insists the miner is exceeding the allowed limits for radioactive uranium and heavy metals, including mercury, into the air and water.

But the company alleges the Sierra Club’s submission “lacks context and demonstrates a limited understanding of environmental issues related to uranium mining” in the province. In a statement, the firm added the Sierra Club is creating a false impression of the environmental performance of the facilities.

“Where the unreported emissions come from I really don’t know because all the information that they relied on came from us,” Cameco spokesperson Gord Struthers told News Talk 980.

Today the CNSC begins hearings into Cameco’s application to renew its licences at three mine sites in Saskatchewan: Key Lake, McArthur River and Rabbit Lake.

Reprinted by permission of Mining.com