PR:Will the new Raw Material Policy open the door to uranium mining in Brzkov? Comments on the draft can be submitted until February 11

=> CZECH version of this press release

Joint press release of NGOs Our Future Without Uranium and Calla - Association for Preservation of the Environment dated January 25, 2017 http://calla.cz/index.php?path=hl_stranka/tiskovky/2017&php=tz170125.php

Comments on the draft can be submitted until February 11
'''People may publicly comment (in the SEA process) on the new Raw Mineral Policy of the Czech Republic, which was prepared by the Ministry of Industry and Trade (MPO). MPO intends to substantially transform the post-November 1989 course in the gradual phasing out of problematic uranium mining and open the door to new mining of additional uranium deposits, primarily in Brzkov. Because the opinions of people, NGOs, municipalities or institutions that disagree with this ministry's commitment, are important, we prepared an online form for sending comments to the Ministry of the Environment. The deadline is on February 11, 2017. Prior to that, a public hearing will be held at the Ministry of Industry and Trade on February 6 .'''

NGOs Our Future Without Uranium and Calla - Association for Preservation of the Environment do not agree with that the Raw Material Policy should allow the construction of new uranium mines in the Czech Republic which has been already quite affected by the uranium industry. '''The problem lies in the future significant effects on people living in villages near a new uranium mine, who had already got experience with the mining in Brzkov in the past. Intention encompasses a risk of loss and groundwater, pollution, dust and radon release, noise, damage of the landscape and a substantial increase in heavy goods vehicles traffic.'''

Although the Ministry of the Environment asked the author of the assessment to evaluate also a variant without uranium mining and to assess "the impact of potential new mining of uranium Brzkov - Upper Věžnice on the environment and public health, including evaluation of synergistic and cumulative impacts", nothing like that happened. Processor ignored the requests on the grounds that: "In the design period of the Raw Material Policy, the commencement of mining is not considered for economic reasons and unpreparedness of the new site. In the design period, the feasibility of uranium mining at the new site will only be examined.". In fact, according to the Government Resolution of 2014 the preparatory steps towards future mining are taken and in January of 2018, the Government should decide on the form of financing the construction of the mine. This will occur within a 15-year design period of the Raw Material Policy.

Edvard Sequens of Calla said: "Although today uranium mining would be loss-making, in the future it need not be so and the new Raw Material Policy would pave the way for the miners. According to the authors of the Raw Mineral Policy maintaining dirty uranium industry should have priority over a clean environment and human health."

Lucie Drahošová Stránská of Our Future Without Uranium said:"If we put on the scales a few years of operation of our nuclear reactors and a several decades of landscape restoration, contaminated groundwater, contaminated soil, and cleanup work, so as residents living near the planned mining site, we know what to choose. We believe the new Raw Material Policy will not be in favour of uranium mining, which will thus remain a thing of the past."

 More information can be provided from: 
 * Edvard Sequens, Calla, email: [mailto:edvardDOTsequensATcallaDOTcz edvard DOT sequens AT calla DOT cz], tel.: +420 602 282 399
 * Lucie Drahošová Stránská, Our Future Without Uranium, email: [mailto:lucikDOTstranskaATseznamDOTcz lucik DOT stranska AT seznam DOT cz], tel.: +420 728 375 619

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