THOMAS MUNK VIRUSES
Thursday, 02 December 2021 - 11:49
A key issue in the debate on the uranium ban has been whether the Self-Government risks having to pay compensation to companies that have spent millions of kroner on exploration and which now have the prospect of being denied a production license due to the new ban.
The question will only be finally clarified in the courts if a raw materials company chooses to drag the Self-Government to court.The Naalakkersuisut has prepared for that situation should it happen.
In a reply to Democrat chairman Jens-Frederik Nielsen, naalakkersuisoq for raw materials, Naaja H. Nathanielsen (IA) states that legal assessments of the uranium ban have been made by the law firm Poul Schmith, but that they will not hand over the assessments with reference to , that they may be used in a future trial.
Is there an expensive aftermath?
Jens-Frederik Nielsen is not satisfied with the answer in relation to the fact that the legal assessment remains unknown to the public.The party chairman believes that the Naalakkersuisut must come to the fore and reassure the legislators in Inatsisartut and the people that the Naalakkersuisut is in control of the legal and that there is not a potentially very large bill on the way:
- Firstly, we are smashing the investment climate in this country, and secondly, the Minister can not guarantee that there will be no expensive aftermath, says Jens-Frederik Nielsen.
Naalakkersuisut has previously stated that rightholders, who are affected by the law, have spent 146 million kroner on investigations in the years 2016 to 2020. In a written response to Sermitsiaq.AG, Naaja Nathanielsen states that she will first and foremost seek a dialogue with Greenland Minerals.The company is set to be hit hardest, as the Kuannersuit project is likely to collapse as a result of the law:
Special conditions apply to uranium mining
- At present, there is no prospect of a lawsuit, and I have not yet had the opportunity to discuss GME's ongoing project with them and therefore look forward to discussing this with them before others, it sounds from Nathanielsen.
Naalakkersuisoq further emphasizes that the uranium ban has followed a democratic process and has been subject to both a consultation period and consideration by the Legislative Assembly.In addition, there are special conditions regarding uranium mining, she says:
- All licenses that have focused on uranium have since 2011 been covered by special conditions which state that for political reasons, uranium mining can be refused.Such special conditions have been given under changing coalitions, also a Sium-derived one, says Naaja Nathanielsen.
