First Uranium warns finances may have been compromised Eric Lam, Financial Post February 02, 2010 – “…….the unexpected loss of an environmental permit last month, while warning the delays have compromised the company’s finances.
The environmental authorization was for a new tailings storage facility, part of an existing tailings recovery project in the North West province of South Africa………….
Toronto-based First Uranium warned that construction delays as a result of this setback have “disrupted” financing opportunities which, if not obtained, would “severely compromise the company’s financial position.”………
First Uranium is also scaling back production from its tailings recovery project in March, to maximize its tailings capacity. The move will result in lower revenues and increase financing needs, the company warned.
The Department of Agriculture, Conservation, Environment and Rural Development, a provincial ministry, withdrew First Uranium’s environmental authorization to build a tailings storage facility in late January. The facility is supposed to be part of a larger tailings recovery project.
Tailings are waste by-products produced while refining ore. As the process produces a slurry of fine mineral particles suspended in water, tailings present a serious environmental issue for many mining operations.
First Uranium warns finances may have been compromised
February 3, 2010 by Christina MacPhersonRadioactive waste entering drinking water wells, from uranium mining
January 29, 2010 by Christina MacPhersonWhy do nuclear companies always start by denying there is a problem when there is a problem, only admitting it when there is a lot of pressure hoping the issue is already forgotten? For years AREVA denied the problems in Niger and now in Brazil! With such track record do they really expect us to believe anything they say?
Greenpeace, by Rianne Teule, 29 Jan 2010 In October 2008,……Greenpeace published data showing that drinking water around the Caetité uranium mine in the state of Bahia, Brazil was contaminated with uranium levels up to seven times higher than the World Health Organisation’s recommendations. The Bahia Institute of Water Management and Climate (Ingá) opened its own investigation in the matter. In November 2009 they suspended the use of water from six wells preventively, because radioactivity in the wells was found to be above allowed limits. Read the rest of this entry »
Move to force Uranium Mill company to clean up radioactive wastes
January 29, 2010 by Christina MacPhersonTaxpayers have given a one billion dollar bailout to uranium companies to clean up past mill sites, just in the state of Colorado,”s.hauser@krdo.com
Bill Announced To Crack Down On Uranium Mills NEWSCHANNEL 13 by Sean Hauser Jan 27, 2010 FREMONT COUNTY – A major bill was announced in Canon City Tuesday to deliver a message to Uranium Mills in Colorado that enough is enough. Read the rest of this entry »
Depleted uranium too ‘hot’ for Utah
January 29, 2010 by Christina MacPhersonDepleted uranium gets more and more hazardous for at least 1 million years. In contrast, most of the Class A waste at the Utah site is supposed to pose virtually no radiation risk after 100 years………..
Public largely critical of depleted uranium disposal - State has already borne a heavy burden from the nuclear industry, one Utahn says. By Judy FahysThe Salt Lake Tribune: 01/26/2010 Utah’s depleted uranium regulations should ensure no harm will come to the public or the environment as long as the waste remains dangerous — and that, said some Utahns on Tuesday, means the radioactive waste does not belong in a shallow disposal site in western Utah. Read the rest of this entry »
No sign of increase in price of uranium
January 29, 2010 by Christina MacPhersonthe term uranium market was even quieter, with no new demand…
Uranium Continues Its Retreat ninemsn Money 27/01/2010 By Andrew Nelson With only a handful of deals reported last week, the uranium spot price continued its new year retreat. Industry consultant TradeTech’s U3O8 Spot Price Indicator showed a decline of US$1.25/lb to US$42.50/lb over the course of last week……………. Read the rest of this entry »
Australia’s hypocrisy: its uranium easily ends up in nuclear weapons
January 29, 2010 by Christina MacPhersonA credible safeguards regime for Australian uranium exports depends on having a credible safeguards agency. Sadly, the federal government’s Australian Safeguards and Non-Proliferation Office (ASNO) is anything but.
Nuclear Safeguards and Australian Uranium Export Policy — Friends of the Earth Australia, by Jim Green 25 Jan 2010 There is a long history of nuclear power facilitating nuclear weapons programs …….The larger part of the problem is real or feigned interest in nuclear power providing a rationale for the acquisition of enrichment plants, reprocessing plants and research reactors and a rationale for the development of cadres of nuclear scientists and engineers whose skills can be put to use in weapons programs………… Read the rest of this entry »
Uranium mining is poor value for local regions
January 29, 2010 by Christina MacPhersonRelevant to the proposed BHP Roxby new open pit and to the Ranger expansion – will they leave nothing but waste and cleanup bills (comment from David Noonan)
Call to levy mining firms for green fund KIM MACDONALD, The West Australian January 26, 2010,
Former scientist of the year Jorg Imberger has called for a five per cent levy on mining companies to pay for social and environmental programs, amid revelations only a fifth of export sales money stays in WA. Read the rest of this entry »
France still has problem of groundwater contamination from uranium mining
January 29, 2010 by Christina MacPhersonFrance dicovers legacy of its uranium mining League of Individuals for the Environment, 24 Jan 2010 Recently, uranium wastes in France have been receiving more and more attention in the media. Among some of the headlines: “Many uranium mill tailings deposits found to be illegal”; “200,000 nuclear waste casks found in mined-out uranium mines”; “severe contamination of the environment with transport of uranium ores and uranium mill tailings”……...a significant long-term hazard to ground water......published by WISE News Communique on January 31, 1992 Amsterdam -
France produces about one half of its reactor-related uranium needs from domestic mines, in addition to the uranium needed for nuclear weapons…………. Read the rest of this entry »
Symposium on health effects of uranium mining
January 21, 2010 by Christina MacPhersonUranium Mining in Virginia Symposium 11 March 2010
Appomattox Area Calendar By Linda on 18 January 2010 Join Friends of the Earth for a Uranium Mining in Virginia Symposium in Richmond, VA. The goals of the symposium are to examine the health and socio-economic impacts of proposed uranium mining in Virginia.
The conference will provide participants with information about experiences with uranium mining all over the world. Specific attention will be given to the water quality and quantity impacts of uranium mining, alternatives to uranium mining, health consequences of uranium mining to local populations, and new versus old techniques of uranium mining.
(Note: The conference will not focus on the pros and cons of nuclear reactors and power plants). For more information, please contact Brent Blackwelder, President emeritus, Friends of the Earth at 202-966-3451 or by email at “tbbackwelder @ yahoo.com” (remove quotes and spaces).Location TBD (near the State Capitol) Richmond, VA10am-5pm6pm receptionWho Should Attend?State And Local Officials, The Media, Concerned Citizens, Planners, Those Living In Potentially Impacted Areas
Speakers:
- Doug Brugge, Professor of Public Health & Community Medicine at Tufts University
- Gordon Edwards Canadian Coalition for Nuclear Responsibility
- Manuel Pino Director of American Indian Studies, Scottsdale Community College
- Paul Robinson Research Director, SW Research & Information Center (N.M.)
Sponsoring Organizations:
- Friends Of The Earth
- Piedmont Environmental Council
- Sierra Club, Virginia Chapter
- Southern Environmental Law Center
Expanded Olympic Dam uranium mine will cause huge greenhouse gases
January 21, 2010 by Christina MacPherson“All of our efforts to reduce emissions, to conserve energy, will be undone by just one company, one project” The Advertiser DAVID NOONAN, 20 Jan 2010
The science of climate change demands action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 2020. BHP Billiton’s proposed new open-pit mine at Roxby Downs would blow out SA’s greenhouse gas emissions by more than 12 per cent. Read the rest of this entry »
