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Latest blow to Uranium project

Government say no to uranium development in Narsaq (Photo: John Rasmussen)

Uranium mine proposal near the town of Narsaq is given the thumbs down, but the government says it is open to potential uranium development projects
By Kurt Kristensen

A proposed uranium mine on Kvane Mountain has been turned down by Ove Karl Berthelsen, minister for commerce and raw materials, due to its proximity to the town of Narsaq, western Greenland.

‘Kvane Mountain is situated so closely to Narsaq that we simply can’t run the risk of radioactive pollution as the result of uranium mining, even as a by-product,’ said Berthelsen.

The new government has made it clear that it will not approve the project due to safety concerns, but said that the decision did not indicate it was unwilling to consider uranium by-product mining.

This represents a clear change of political stance towards radioactive materials from the new IA-led coalition government, and moves it away from the previous zero-tolerance policy implemented by the Siumut-led government in 1988.

The government’s coalition agreement states that it is willing to consider the development of non-living natural resources, but not at the cost of the environment.

‘This means that we are willing to consider the development of uranium as a by-product, subject to certain conditions,’ said Berthelsen.

He pointed out that any uranium mined must be a by-product, and that there would have to be assurances that any uranium mined in Greenland was not used in the weapons industry.

However, Berthelsen said that with so much mineral wealth potential in Greenland in the form of molybdenum, zinc, iron, gold and diamonds, to name but a few, there was no need to rush to pass any uranium-mining policy changes.

‘Let’s concentrate on opening these mines first, allowing us the necessary time required to evaluate the development if uranium,’ said Berthelsen, who also pointed to the potential 1,500 jobs that mineral development could create in the country