The mining industry is vital to the sustained prosperity and growth of modern society. Throughout human history, mining has produced the raw materials essential to the critical infrastructure and energy we all depend on. Today, it is also the social backbone of many small rural communities, supporting job creation and economic opportunities that are often otherwise inaccessible.
In recent decades, public scrutiny surrounding the dangers of mining has focused its ire on the industry’s contribution to environmental hazards. At NexGen, we're intent on moving the industry forward through advancements in nuclear innovation — and perceive these concerns as an opportunity to drive the future of mining safety.
Our Rook I Project is already challenging the energy status quo with a relentless focus on doing things differently. With possibilities unlocked by technological developments, mining now can be safer than ever. Inspired by this belief, NexGen embraced a new approach in uranium mining design to optimize the storage of mining tailings for reduced harm to the environment, local wildlife, and surrounding communities. Tailings, the waste generated from mining, and their subsequent disposal are issues the mining industry has long struggled with. We’re proud to lead the way for our industry through our underground tailings management facility (UGTMF), a first-of-its-kind in the uranium mining sector.
The UGTMF will enable our Rook I Project to supply the largest single-source deposit of low-cost, high-grade uranium in the world while also transforming the future of uranium mining waste storage. Made possible by our UGTMF, processed mining tailings will be stored underground in backfilled mine stopes as cemented paste. This innovative approach prevents the risk of water contamination and solves for one of the most pressing environmental challenges associated with our industry. Our approach to tailings generates benefits for the environment, our safety and stability procedures, and regulatory compliance and community relations, including:
- Reduction in surface land disturbance and environmental contamination
- More secure containment of radioactive and hazardous materials
- Enhanced structural integrity of the mined area by using tailings to backfill voids
- Reduced risk of tailings dam failures and associated environmental disasters
- Addresses the stringent environmental and safety regulations
- Improves relationships with local communities by demonstrating responsible waste management practices
At NexGen, our vision is a mining industry where secure tailings management like ours is the norm, not the exception. By designing and implementing our UGTMF, we are positively affecting the future of our industry and influencing our peers to follow our innovative lead. Uranium mining focused on risk mitigation and setting the standard for progressive reclamation will elevate nuclear energy’s position as a viable net-zero energy solution.
As leaders in the clean energy transition, we believe in a carbon-net zero future and a moral and ethical obligation to create lasting generational change. By setting a new industry standard for environmental integrity, our UGTMF is a testament to this commitment and to our foundational promise to change the future of nuclear fuel so that nuclear can change the world.
