Naalakkersuisut expands consultation for Kuannersuit
The hearing on the controversial mining project at Kuannerusuit continues until 13 September. Politicians go to citizens' meetings in South Greenland at the end of August.
Merete Lindstrøm / Sermitsiaq.AG
MERETE LINDSTRØMThursday, 27 May 2021 - 11:05
In a paragraph 37 question, member of Inatsisartut Mariane Paviasen asked the Naalakkersuisut about the status of the consultation process for the mining project at Kuannersuit.
In the reply, Naalakkersuisoq for Raw Materials, Naaja Nathanielsen (IA) states that the project from Greenland Minerals will be processed in accordance with the Mineral Resources Act and the special conditions given to the company.
- The Naalakkersuisut operates in accordance with applicable law and complies with the conditions set out in the exploration permit. In parallel, the Naalakkersuisut is assessing the possibilities within the framework of the law and the exploration permit to avoid extraction of uranium - also for the Kuannersuit project.
New encounters with the population
Naaja Nathanielsen also states that the plans for another series of consultation meetings in South Greenland are planned to be held in week 34 and / or 35.
According to the Mineral Resources Act, Greenland Minerals is entitled to a public consultation in connection with their exploitation application, and the Naalakkersuisut will help to complete it before a decision can be made as to whether an exploitation permit can be granted. the answer.
- Even if the Naalakkersuisut may have a desire to stop the consultation process, this would not be possible within the framework of the current legislation, Naalakkesuisoq points out.
No decision before consultation is over
Despite the fact that IA in the election campaign has promised that there will be no project at Kuannersuit with uranium mining, as is the plan in the project that Greenland Minerals has presented in the EIA and VSB statements, the final decision has not been made. yet. At least not formally.
At the consultation meetings held in February, there was no political participation due to threats
- Naalakkersuisut wants to rectify this, as it finds political participation in consultation meetings according to the Minerals Act is important, writes Naaja Nathanielsen.
In her question, Mariane Paviasen also wants an answer as to whether it can be expected that the mining project in Kuannersuit will be stopped.
- Naalakkersuisut has a desire to stop the exploitation of radioactive minerals and elements in Greenland. This also applies to the mining project in Kuannersuit. How the issue regarding the mining project in Kuannersuit will be handled in a concrete way will depend on the conclusions that the Naalakkersuisut reaches in studies of what possibilities we have.
