News:Uranium Project Drillings Delayed Sweden

original article in Swedish with pictures (.pdf)

Sweden: Uranium Project. Drillings delayed.
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The residents of Nianfors have tried to stop the test drillings in numerous ways. Ingegerd Jonsson lives downstream the Nian creek, is born in the village, and firmly resolved to fight to the very end.

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An action to stop the drilling companies from crossing the bridge was hastily put together

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Around 40 test drilling opponents gathered in the village communal house on saturday night.

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The residents of Nianfors have made signs, printed shirts, and published their own protest song on the internet. Kjell Stockberg waited in the village communal house.

Delay following mobilisation.
Nianfors, Sweden

Saturday night was marked by mobilisation in Nianfors, after the villagers had gotten word that the awaited drilling rig carriages had left from Dalfors, in Dalarna. The villagers held guard through the night, and on Sunday. Then, an unexpected message came through: The coming of the drill-rigs will be delayed.

On Sunday, the CEO of Mineralbolaget I Stockholm (The Mineral Company In Stockholm), Carl Wiktorsson, contacted Nianfors to explain that other projects had been given precedence over the test drilling at the Majsa mountain in Nianfors. According to Örjan Wallin, chairman of the No To Uranium Mining In Nianfors Committee, this does not mean that the surveillance of the roads will end or fade.

The Inhabitants of Nianfors have, since it became clear that the Mineral Company intend to do test drilling, built up a network of informants from Dalfors, Dalarna, up to Nianfors. In Dalfors, the drilling equipment, that's been reserved for the Majsa mountain, has been employed, and the people of Nianfors have gotten regular reports about the situation down there.

On Saturday, the message came that the drilling rigs had left Dalfors. In Nianfors the villagers gathered to keep watch, and to block the road to Majsa mountain. Meanwhile, reports came in that the truck convoys had passed Bollnäs, in the direction of Söderhamn. In Nianfors there was resolve to make passive resistance, block the road, stop drilling company Drillcon's transports from reaching their destination.

But nothing happened. The people of Nianfors kept guard for the whole night. Sunday came, but no drill-rigs were seen.

- ''We sent out own cars to check all possible roads, but saw no trailers. We began to understand that they had gone somewhere else,'' says Örjan Wallin. ''Then CEO Carl Wiktorsson called and said that the drilling in Dalfors had taken so long, that other projects had to come first. So it will take a while before they come here.''

This was of course wonderful news for the villagers. They get a respite, for now.

- ''The Mineral Company has of course kept themselves informed through our website. They have seen that we've gotten upset here in Nianfors. We of course see this as a partial victory'', says Örjan Wallin.

How long the delay will be is unclear, however. The inhabitants of Nianfors haven't gotten any indication of when it could become time to drill, but are firmly resolved to stop all infringements upon the Majsa mountain. Carl Wiktorsson verifies that the test drilling is postponed until further notice, but how long the respite will be, he doesn't know:

- No idea at all, he says.

Sandy Bergström 8.3.2008 Hudiksvalls Tidning

The text in finnish

Another article about the situation in Nianfors: Ecological Self-defence in swedish Hälsingland

The Nianfors movements webpages: http://nianfors.nu

swedish network against uranium mining: http://nejtilluranbrytning.nu