Administrative History

In 1979, the construction of a uranium refinery at Corman Park, 5 km southeast of Warman, Saskatchewan was proposed by Eldorado Nuclear Limited. The refinery was to transform mined uranium from northern Saskatchewan into uranium hexaflouride to be used in nuclear reactors. In January 1980, public hearings were held where the Federal Environmental Assessment Panel was presented with oral and written presentations. Seventy-five percent of the presentations were in opposition to the refinery, and one fourth of the presentations were presented by Mennonites wanting to preserve the area on moral grounds.

While there was no support from the urban Mennonites during the hearings, the rural Mennonites supplied one third of the opposition. They felt that the refinery threatened their lifestyle and ideology. After three weeks of meetings the Environmental Assessment Panel concluded that there would be minimal impact on the physical environment, however the possible affect on the human environment could not be determined. On these grounds the Environmental Assessment Panel refused to endorse the construction of the Eldorado uranium refinery.