nuclear-news

Non-Africans exploit poor environmental controls in African uranium mines.

it is non-African companies that are exploiting the resource — Chinese, Canadian and French firms. It’s a whole new phase of colonialism.”…..

A recent investigation in Niger uncovered radioactive shovels on sale in the local market in Arlit, a company town next to Areva’s mine there.

The great uranium stampede  The Sunday TimesJanuary 31, 2010

“…….The scramble has been set off by the comeback of nuclear power. In the past couple of years countries that for decades had shunned it as an expensive, pariah technology have embraced it anew. Britain is leading the charge. The government envisages a new generation of reactors to replace the rickety old stations that will be retired in the coming years. The renaissance has taken hold elsewhere, from America to the Middle East and China.

For some, the resulting uranium rush is worrying. Rianne Teule, a nuclear campaigner at Greenpeace, said: “A lot of new countries in Africa are opening up to uranium mining but it is non-African companies that are exploiting the resource — Chinese, Canadian and French firms. It’s a whole new phase of colonialism.”…..

Niger has also begun drawing the attention, and money, of big multinationals. Areva is investing more than €1 billion (£870m) in a giant new mine in the impoverished desert nation. CNNC, China’s state-owned nuclear firm, bought a stake in a project there last week………..

Greenpeace’s Teule, who argued that many of the new mining areas are virtually unregulated. A recent investigation in Niger uncovered radioactive shovels on sale in the local market in Arlit, a company town next to Areva’s mine there. The country is the world’s sixth-largest producer and has ambitions to move up the rankings. It employs only three nuclear inspectors to keep watch on the industry…………s investors flood into Niger, companies are starting new projects in other poor countries such as Namibia and Malawi.

“Getting a mine going in Texas takes two bookshelves full of authorisations,” said one commentator. “In Niger you give a shovel to a guy on $2 a day and you’re mining uranium.”

February 1, 2010 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | Niger, politics international | antinuclear, AREVA, nuclear, nuclear secrecy, nuclear spin, nuclear weapons, radioactive, uranium