Ranua:Camp History

Read the story of the Ranua Rescue Areva Mining Monitor'' (RRAMM) Camp! It's continuously contiunued using the "Latest News" ticker on the Ranua Rescue main page...''

Camp Set Up in Ranua to Monitor Areva's Mining Activities
We can't trust Areva or the authorities. All their information is really contradictional. First both Areva and the environmental authorities said clearly: Areva doesn't and can't start the deep drilling before they get the claim. Areva has announced several times that they stop working because there is nothing they could legally do before the ministry's permission=claim.

BUT: there are at least two holes, and an expert said after seeing a foto that those looks like drilling holes. No-one knows how deep those are, as Kaipainen from Areva says they haven't drill anything. The chief of the environment protection from "Lapplands enviroment center" didn't know anything about the holes (with white, sweating face), but wanted to have the fotos and after all said that AREVA IS ALLOUD TO DO DEEP DRILLING BY THE PERMISSION OF THE LAND OWNER, and there is nothing they can do unless they could proof that it would harm the environment seriouly, just maybe is not enough. The boss of areva says they are not doing anything because they can't, but at the same time they said at their web page that they can start drilling by the land owners permission.

So we see that there needs to be observators. Ready to film whatever happens there, and call more people if they try to start drilling. Hopefully not, if they know it wouldn't stay hidden. But if they would be that stupied, we would be ready to act, and the show would really start.

The idea is that the camp would stay there as long as needed, means over the winter. Some people may visit one night, some longer. There are already tents with "fireplace", and the idea is to build the camp so that it would be possible, even nice, to be there at winter time as well (personally waiting for the northern lights..)

One point is, that Ranua council will after all vote for their opinion about the mining soon. Starting the camp just when they vote can be the best timing ever! Even if their "no" wouldnt save the situation, just make it a little bit better.

May 12th, 2010 Mining plans in Sokli area include uranium Norwegian company Yara plans to start mining phosphate- and niobiore in Sokli area, eastern Finnish Lapland. The ore contains also uranium and other radioactive substances. Sokli mines would be opened in the middle of the herding area of reindeers and would seriously harm reideer herders' source of livelihood. Young reindeer herding families in the area build their future on reindeer herding. The planned tailing dams of the mines would also destroy the local salmon rivers. The mines would operate for couple of decades and afterwards the whole eastern Lapland would be wasteland. read more

August 13th, 2009 Areva is having a break in Ranua, until TEM makes the decision. "We have done the things we are allowed to within the legal limits, and now we have to wait" says Tapani Hyysalo, the operative manager. The company will no make new diggings, but will fill the holes they've made so far. ...looks like they started to feel the pressure...

August 27th, 2009 Today they had Ranua council and they have decided that they will vote for their decision about Arevas claim application. But they are having lack of hope that it would matter. But they are enought brave to say that they have their right to say what they think. In away that is true: their decision and opposition is only symbolic; Ministry is making the final desicion and as far as they had made those desicions before, it has never cared if there is even strong opposition in municipality. That is according to the law. We don`t have yet the date when they will vote, but it must be before 30th of this month.

August 28th, 2009 Municipal government in Ranua, south of Finnish Lapland, 3rd of August 2009 voted yes for the company Areva Resouces Finland Oy plans for prospecting uranium in the municipality - without consulting the municipal board. Now 11 of the municipal board members are trying to get the decision to the board for it to give it's stance. Most of the board members belong to the Central Party of Finland which is very popular in the Finnish countryside. The Party's policy has been very positive towards nuclear energy and uranium mining despite nuclear industry's devastating effects to the environment. Now it's very important to urge especially the board member's belonging to the Central Party to vote NO for uranium mining! More info in the model letter below. Contact info of municipal board members (KESK=The Central Party): http://www.ranua.fi/?Deptid=18543

August 31th, 2009 On August 26 a basecamp has been established for the Ranua Rescue Areva Mining Monitors. During the Lapland Nuclear Climate Camp in July we learned from locals that Areva has already began their uranium prospecting in Ranua, Lapland. We have come here to monitor Areva's activities and help support the resistance to uranium mining here, and everywhere. We have found a beautiful location for the camp, near a lake, within an old forest, on the edge of Areva's massive prospecting claim area. We need thoughtful, respectful people, skills, supplies, support, laughter, and dedication! You can check the http://www.nuclearfreefinland.org site, and the blog on http://www.ranuarescue.blogspot.com. Soon we will be sending photos and directions to get here, we will also set up a schedule for when people are most needed, what is needed, and what events will be happening. When you want to come to the camp, contact in advance (camp (at) nuclearfreefinland.org) and tell of your arrival time in Ranua. From there you can phone the camp work phone number +358 40 365 2041.

September 6th, 2009 After 12 days of glorious rain and sunshine we are still firmly in place in Ranua Rescue Areva Mining Monitor Camp. The longer we stay the stronger the feeling grows that this beautiful land needs protected, and that the great people here need support. Unfortunately, we now REALLY need your support!!! We need PEOPLE and a VAN/PICK-UP TRUCK/CAR (or money to get one) MOST URGENTLY if this is to continue. In a postive way, there were 14 of us at the camp last night (2 dogs and 3 kids included)! So very nice to have people. Energy and ideas flowing! However there are NOT enough people to stay here - especially during the week days - now only 2 of us for the next week - more will come later. This means we are now very restricted in our ability to do local outreach - and is not good as the camp becomes more public due to potential security risks. With more people here we can also be more effective building connections with local communities, spreading information, planning together for the October 12-14 Public Meeting. If You have been wondering when is a good time to get active, come here NOW, if you cant, donate some money, a vehicle, time or stuff, spread the word - check the wish list on: http://www.nuclearfreefinland.org

September 9th, 2009 Great news is that the forest camp to monitor and resist uranium mining in Finnish Lapland is growing stronger! See http://www.nuclearfreefinland.org and look for the RRAMM links. Connection with local resistance is perhaps the strongest part of our campaign. To assist their struggle, we have been asked to help with a Public Meeting regarding uranium mining. On October 12 - 14. The local government council will have a CLOSED meeting to listen to (probably pro nuke specialists with AREVA) and decide to give or not to give prospecting permission. "Our" meeting would be to inform the public about the dangers of uranium mining, while also exposing the dangers of "closed door democracy".

September 30th, 2009 Today RRAMM noticed that something is happening in area. There are local people working and also some other company men in the area. Their work is to fill the holes that they made earlier. Workers said that it is 3days work. RRAMM is monitoring, but for that a car is needed at least for this time - if there are some people that are able to come to camp for a few days would help a lot. It is also in News:
 * http://yle.fi/alueet/lappi/2009/09/areva_tayttaa_kaivantonsa_ranualla_1042433.html?origin=rss

October 1st, 2009 People at the RRAMM camp called today to clarify the work being done by Areva in their prospecting claim area north of Ranua. The workers and the land owner have been reasonable / cooperative when asked questions. They stated that they are simply filling in the holes that they have left open since their prospecting digging last November. They said that they are also checking radiation levels to ensure that no highly radioactive rocks are left on the ground surface. RRAMM people have been monitoring this work and confirm that this seems to be all that Areva is doing. One of the vehicles used by Areva is owned / rented by SCF Rahoitus OY, and UK-Yhtiöt Oy, Joensuu. If you are near these companies, maybe you could kindly ask them to stop renting their cars to dangerous eco-terrorists like Areva.
 * Blankets (for the walls and floor of the army tent - the nights have been -8 degrees)
 * Socks and warm gloves (see above, cold days too...)
 * Clay (about 20 l for building better heating / cooking system)
 * PEOPLE - this may be even more important than socks!

October 15th, 2009 It was a sunday afternoon, when we arrived to the camp again...a few more ppl came from Tampere on monday..Then, we had that film-night in Ranua so. Around 30-35 people watched the film till the end. Before that we showed the Ranua-camp slide show. ...and around 15 stayed for the discussion after the film!! We saw some new faces there indeed... In generally, the atmosphere was quite anti-uranium-investigation/mining/Areva, and quite cynical towards this seminar we are organizing having any effect on the local council-members... I mean they probably won't even gonna attend. All in all, this film-night probably carried some fruits, because four new local ladies were visiting us today, bringing bakings, food, carpets (for tiipii), and clothes. Wow. That was nice. And they gonna come again. The local newspaper journalist was here. There was a small article about the event. She seemed interested about the camp and the movement. The closed "info"-meeting for Ranua's council-members was organized yesterday and from the "other" side the representatives from STUK and AREVA (respectfully Osmo Kaipainen himself) were speaking there and then this supermanager of the mining-department of the TEM. He was giving promises concerning the democracy at the local level (when the new mining-law comes in with the local council's right for veto) that the municipality is gonna have the last word and such and talking about the Areva's long and hard application process, which is gonna be full of regulations that they'll have to fulfill from the Mining department's side, that is aware and active of all the security methods of course... Then the local active was speaking against these Areva's plans and next was a speaker for regional anti-uranium movement, who spoke well and was confident. The head-guy of Areva was being critical towards him: in his words: people should understand that Areva indeed knows excactly what they are doing and trust their sense of responsibility!!

October 22th, 2009 The Tii-pii's (kota's) floor is still a bit under construction, though we have got most of it done and covered with the carpets. The next thing is to cover the walls. It should be ready by demo-day, so we can fit people there. The locals have been very actively transporting us whereever we have needed a lift, so we haven't felt being so stuck after all. The snow is melting now, since it has been sort of rain-snowing. The nights are still pretty warm (?)... in the tent and we'll be 5-6 people there over the weekend.

November 16th, 2009 17 of the council members (27 alltogether) voted today for uranium prospecting. SDP, Koko and Kesk are the main guilty parties. We got beaten in this case, but never mind, the struggle will continue! Great thanx to everyone who has been with the campaign so far! The council members got recently over 100 emails!

December 31st, 2009 Areva is drawing back 37 of it's applications for prospecting uranium in the area of Asentolamminoja in the municipalities of Ranua and Rovaniemi. The company finds it best to concentrate the prospecting on a smaller area of 36 square meters instead of the previous 108m2. The present prospecting site is situated in Ranua. check the Areva website

January 7th, 2010 Jee! First one down! Uranium prospecting (but not mining) company Namura Finland Oy has given up all it's applications for uranium prospecting. It had 3 approved applications in Kuhmo, Paltamo and Kuusamo, and 7 applications mainly eastern Finland.

May 5th, 2010 Areva Tries Whitewashing by Selling Uranium Claims The globally operating French nuclear company Areva has sold all their uranium claims in Finland to the mining company Mawson, while the company at the same time bought a significant share of Mawson to benefit from the exploitation of these deposits. It seems that Areva wants to keep their name clean from pollution impacts of their mining activities in Finland. But it doesn't mean that they give up - much more likely is that their will to mine uranium in Finland becomes stronger as another big company is involved in the projects now.

...to be continued...