Denison Mines (TSX: DML) this morning officially acknowledged an application for judicial review filed by the Peter Ballantyne Cree Nation against both the company and the Government of Saskatchewan this morning.
The application, which was filed with Court of King’s Bench for Saskatchewan, is seeking for the courts to set aside the provincial approval granted to Denison’s Wheeler River uranium project. The group is seeking that the environmental approval for the project be return to the Saskatchewan Minister of the Environmental for reconsideration, while claiming that the government failed to sufficiently consult with the Peter Ballantyne Cree Nation on the project.
This application comes despite the First Nation group being provided the opportunity to review the draft Environmental Impact Statement for the project as far back as November 2022, and the Nation being directly engaged with Denison since March 2023, when Denison says it first became aware of the Nation’s interest in the Wheeler River project.
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READ: First Nation Moves To Quash Wheeler River Uranium Approval
As per Denison, the company was not aware of Peter Ballantyne’s intention to seek the judicial review, and recently entered into an agreement with the First Nation for environmental monitoring to support their independent activities.
Denison also added that they deny the claims made within the court filing and that they intend to refute several of the statements made and defend its interests.
The filing by the First Nation notably comes as Denison is between two hearings as part of the final stages of a multi year federal environmental assessment being managed by the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission. The first hearing on the matter was held on October 8, while the second of the two part hearings is scheduled for the week of December 8.
The Wheeler River project, found in Saskatchewan’s Athabasca Basin, aims to produce up to 8.4 million pounds of U3O8 over it’s ten year initial mine life. The project boasts an after-tax net present value of $1.56 billion based on a feasibility study conducted in 2023, with initial capital costs of an estimated $419.4 million.
Denison Mines last traded at $4.11 on the TSX.
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