SERMITSIAQ AG, Friday, 09 June 2023Naalakkersuisut's rejection:...

SERMITSIAQ AG, Friday, 09 June 2023

Naalakkersuisut's rejection: Too much uranium in KuannersuitNaalakkersuisut publishes their rejection of the company Energy TransitionMinerals' application for an exploitation permit in Kuannersuit. The companycan file a case with the court within one year of rejection.

Refusal to former Greenland Minerals is finalbut can be submitted to the court within one year. Naalakkersuisuit justifiesthe refusal with the fact that Kuannersuit has too large amounts of uranium,which was supposed to be a by-product during the project. Scanpix.
KassaalukKristensen Friday, 09 June 2023 - 16:39

Not surprisingly, it is the amount of uranium inKuannersuit that ultimately causes Naalakkersuisut to reject the company EnergyTransition Minerals' application for an exploitation permit.

According to the new Uranium Act from 2021,preliminary study, exploration and exploitation of uranium is not permitted,unless the activity is aimed at minerals other than uranium, and the averagecontent of uranium in the total resource is below 100 ppm based on weight.

Investigations of Kuannersuit's underground showthat Kuannersuit has uranium with 300 ppm. In other words, three times as muchas was allowed according to the new law. - It is clear from the bill, whichforms the basis of the Uranium Act, that with the introduced ban it is desiredto eliminate the risk of uranium being dispersed in the surroundingenvironment, says Naalakkersuisut's reasoning.

Golden byproduct According to Naalakkersuisut,

Greenland's Uranium Act exists to eliminaterisks associated with mining where uranium can be released. The application foran exploitation permit of 17 June 2019 for the Kuannersuit project is based ona project where it is intended to extract rare earth metals, while uranium,zinc concentrates and fluorspar will appear as by-products.

READ ALSO: Kuannersuit:

ETM files for arbitration next month

At the same time, it is described in the EIAstatement of Energy Transition Minerals (formerly Greenland Minerals) that, onaverage, approx. 500 tons of uranium oxide per year., and that the uraniumoxide produced in the project will be sold to electricity plants for use asfuel in nuclear power plants.

Refusal – not deprivation of right of useNaalakkersuisut emphasizes in their justification that the refusal should notbe seen as expropriation of a permit. This means that Naalakkersuisut considerstheir decision as one that does not deprive the company of any right of use. -Refusal of the application for exploitation permission is not, however, anexpression of an intervention in a property right (...). This is because thereis no interference with an existing right. Furthermore, there is no justifiedexpectation that the application of 17 June 2019 would be granted, it says.

READ ALSO: Final decision:

Naalakkersuisut says no to Kuannersuit projectNaalakkersuisut explains in their justification that the then GreenlandMinerals has not done enough to get rights in place, which givesNaalakkersuisut no other option than to reject their application. The decisionis final and cannot be appealed to another administrative authority. Thedecision can be brought before the Court of Greenland as the first instancewithin 1 year from 1 June 2022.