Canadian authorities turned blind eye to depleted uranium affected soldiers
Gulf War vets wounded and angry,CNews By Kris Sims, Parliamentary Bureau, 10 Nov 11 OTTAWA — All of Louise Richard’s hair fell out after she came home from the Gulf War. “Ninety-five percent of the casualties we dealt with were Iraqi prisoners of war,” the former army nurse said. “They were obviously totally contaminated with depleted uranium, they had shrapnel, we operated on them, so here we were — hands in guts and breathing all of these things.”500 abandoned uranium mines contaminated Navajo land
Summit focuses on uranium contamination on Navajo land, News 13 FARMINGTON, N.M. (AP) – Tuesday marks the start of a yearly summit focused on the Navajo Nation’s problems with uranium contamination. Six federal agencies, along with tribal officials and others are gathering in Farmington, N.M., for the 3-day summit. Jared Blumenfeld of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and Navajo President Ben Shelly are set to give keynote speeches.
The reservation has more than 500 abandoned mines. Federal and tribal officials have screened hundreds of structures for potential contamination, replacing some of them. They’ve also tested unregulated water sources. Officials who developed a 5-year plan to address the contamination are expected to give progress reports this week.
Concerns over safety and the health of its people led the Navajo Nation to ban uranium mining on the reservation in 2005. http://www.kold.com/story/15983987/summit-focuses-on-uranium-contamination-on-navajo
Global nuclear industry in turmoil – uranium company’s profit drops 60%
Cameco reduces production forecast, Globe and Mail, BRENDA BOUW — MINING REPORTER, VANCOUVER, Nov. 07, 2011 Uranium giant Cameco Corp. lowered its annual production forecast and reported third-quarter financial results below expectations amid continuing upheaval in the nuclear power industry.
Saskatoon-based Cameco, in a bidding war with Rio Tinto PLC for Hathor Exploration Ltd. during the current uranium price slump, cited “unfavourable market conditions” for the earnings underperformance…..
Production of uranium used to fuel nuclear power plants fell 5 per cent to 5.3 million pounds in the quarter, and for the year it is expected to drop 1 per cent to 21.7 million pounds, Cameco said. It also lowered guidance for UF6, a compound used to make enriched uranium, by 6 per cent….
profit fell 60 per cent…… Cameco shares closed down 6.5 per cent to $20.35 on the Toronto Stock Exchange on Monday, a sign investors are worried that Cameco will continue to suffer from volatility in the sector following the Japanese nuclear disaster.
“We expect the current uncertainly in the uranium market to linger for the near to medium term,” Mr. Gitzel warned.
Driving industry concerns are forecasts for excess uranium inventories in Japan and Germany, which represent 12 and 5 per cent of global nuclear generating capacity, respectively. Germany is phasing out its nuclear program, and Japan is operating only 11 of its 54 reactors since a tsunami and earthquake destroyed its Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant this past March…..
China, too, is slowing its rapid nuclear power expansion plans as it takes extra measures to ensure its facilities are safe….
Finally some justice for Spokane Tribe uranium workers
a recently completed epidemiology study of the 2,700-member tribe conducted by the state Department of Health and the Northwest Indian Health Board concluded there were high rates of cancer among tribal members who worked at the mine.
Women of the tribe have contracted cancer from cleaning the clothes of the men who worked in the mines,
Progress made toward cleaning up uranium mine, Canadian Business By AP | November 06, 2011 SPOKANE, Wash. (AP) — The Spokane Tribe of Indians has recently won big victories in its long fight against uranium contamination, including a deal reached this fall between the federal government and mining companies to clean up the long-closed Midnite Mine on the reservation.
In addition, tribal members in September became eligible to receive federal compensation if they became sick while working at the mine. Continue reading
Scotland’s opposition to depleted uranium weapons testing
The Labour MP for North Ayrshire and Arran, Katy Clark, said she would be concerned if DU tests resumed. “There remain health concerns about these weapons and we should be concentrating on getting an international ban on their production and use,” she said.
Anger as depleted uranium shells to be test-fired again Depleted uranium shells are blamed for causing radioactive and heavy metal pollution and are used by Challenger tanks, HERALD SCOTLAND EXCLUSIVE BY ROB EDWARDS ENVIRONMENT EDITOR, 6 Nov 2011 HIGHLY controversial depleted uranium shells are set to be test-fired in Scotland again, the Sunday Herald has learned. Continue reading
Brakes put on Colorado uranium mining
in the rush to develop this infamous resource (again), there was a rare moment of rationality two weeks ago when a federal judge ordered DOE officials to halt permits for exploring and mining in Colorado. U.S. District Judge William Martinez said the agency “acted arbitrarily and capriciously in failing to analyze site-specific impacts” on the people and places in the path of the mining boom. He said the DOE violated environmental laws, including the Endangered Species Act, by failing to consult U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service scientists about the potential impacts of the extractions.
In the rush for uranium, cooler heads prevail — for now High Country News, By Heather Hansen, Red Lodge Clearing House, 4 Nov 11 Greens got what seemed like a rare bit of good news when the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) last week released their Final Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the Northern Arizona Proposed Withdrawal. The report looks at the potential impacts of removing federal lands near the Grand Canyon from mining consideration for the next two decades. Continue reading
Uranium price falling – AREVA stops African project
Areva suspends uranium mine project, SMH ,November 3, 2011 – French nuclear giant Areva says it is suspending a mining project in the Central African Republic for “a year or two” because of a drop in uranium prices since the Fukushima disaster.
Work on developing the Bakouma mine, which is estimated to hold about 32,000 tonnes of uranium, has been suspended until the market value of the commodity rises again, an Areva spokesman said on Wednesday……
The price of uranium subsequently dropped by about 30 per cent, at a time when Areva was hoping for a global nuclear power renaissance.
On Wednesday the price of a pound (450 grams) of uranium was at $US52 ($A50.49), down from $US68 in March before the accident…..
Areva began development works at the mine under a deal signed in 2007 and to date has spent 106 million euros on developing the site.
The 2007 deal ended friction between Areva and the country’s authorities, who had handed mining rights to British-Canadian firm UraMin in 2006.
Areva bought out UraMin in July 2007 to the displeasure of the government, which said the “irregular” sale showed “disregard for the rights and interests” of the Central African people…..
Areva is expected to present a plan next month on a rethink of its corporate strategies in the wake of the Japanese disaster.
Woes of Australian uranium miner Paladin
India’s uranium enrichment plant at risk from cyber attack?
Uranium plant faces cyber attack, Deccan Chronicle November 2, 2011 , By S. Raghotham , Bengaluru India’s lone uranium enrichment facility at Rattehalli, near Mysore, may become the target of the gravest act of cyberwar against India to date, attacking no less than its strategic nuclear programme, sources in the Indian hacker/cyberwarfare community have warned.The sources said that computers at the Rattehalli facility, euphemistically called Rare Materials Plant (RMP), have likely been infected by the deadly Stuxnet, or a Stuxnet-derived malware, as a precursor to an attack to destroy thousands of centrifuges installed at the facility. Such an attack was made on Iran’s Natanz enrichment plant last year, destroying over 1,000 centrifuges and setting its alleged nuclear bomb programme back by at least 12-18 months…..
The discovery last week that the new Duqu malware, a trojan derived from the Stuxnet worm, had infected computers at a private Web hosting firm, Web Werks, in Mumbai, has lent new credence and urgency to the warning about the Rattehalli facility. While attempts to elicit the views of officials in the Department of Atomic Energy went unanswered, an Indian government official charged with protecting critical infrastructure against cyber attacks said he did not ‘rule out Stuxnet-like attacks on India’. http://www.deccanchronicle.com/channels/cities/bengaluru/uranium-plant-faces-cyber-attack-157
70 organisations and localities want to keep Virginia’s ban on uranium mining
“They want good quality jobs and they see a uranium mine as a deterrent to economic development,”
The Sierra Club said the NAACP is among 70 organizations and localities that want the ban to remain in place.
NAACP: Keep Va. ban on uranium mining, Canadian Business, By Steve Szkotak October 31, 2011 RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — The state chapter of the NAACP wants Virginia to keep intact a 30-year ban on uranium mining, stating that opening one of the world’s largest known deposits of the radioactive ore is not worth the environmental risk.
The civil rights organization said the resolution is rooted in fears that poor and minority communities would be disproportionately affected if an accident occurred in mining the Southside Virginia deposit.
“This is a human right. The NAACP is about human rights and environmental justice,” said Naomi Hodge-Muse, president of the Martinsville-Henry County NAACP and sponsor of the resolution. Continue reading
Downward plunge of prices and shares for uranium mining company
Paladin chief slashes his pay, SMH, Peter Ker,November 1, 2011 PALADIN Energy boss John Borshoff has taken the knife to his $2.5 million salary, in the latest chapter of a miserable year for the struggling uranium miner.
Barely 10 months after enjoying a 5 per cent pay rise, Mr Borshoff has agreed to reduce his pay by 25 per cent as part of a drive to reduce administration costs at the Africa-focused company. The pay cut coincided with a lacklustre quarterly report from Paladin, which has earned a reputation for over-promising and under-delivering. ……… mine production targets were missed by 15 per cent over the past three months, while the company’s forecasts for the uranium price also proved too optimistic.
But the cut to Mr Borshoff’s pay was the stand-out item in the report, and comes after much agitation from investors who have watched the share price plummet since the Japanese nuclear disaster in March. Mr Borshoff’s remuneration package was worth $2.522 million in the year to June 2011, up from $1.9 million the year before.
That increase to his remuneration, which included a 5 per cent rise in fixed pay, came in a year when Paladin made an increased trading loss of $US82.3 million. The company sought to justify Mr Borshoff’s remuneration by describing him as a ”recognised global authority” on nuclear power, whose expertise was in ”extremely limited supply” around the world….
Paladin shares fell 6.5¢ to $1.50 yesterday. The stock was fetching $5 in March before the Fukushima nuclear disaster damaged investor confidence in the uranium sector…. http://www.smh.com.au/business/paladin-chief-slashes-his-pay-20111031-1ms4l.html#ixzz1cV3q88BL
New Zealand MP seeks inquiry on Australia’s nuclear shipments
Uranium passing through NZ ports, Sky News October 30, 2011 A Greens MP has called for an inquiry into Australian shipments of radioactive uranium passing through New Zealand waters and ports in breach of its anti-nuclear stance.
Fortnightly shipments of Australian yellowcake uranium, totalling five thousand tonnes annually, are being shipped through New Zealand ports, according to documents provided to the Sunday Star Times by Green MP Gareth Hughes.
The paperwork shows the Environmental Risk Management Authority (ERMA) was unaware of the shipments for 13 years, until late 2009.
That agency had since been replaced by the new Environmental Protection Authority, and an EPA spokeswoman told the newspaper that even though ERMA was unaware of the shipments, the regime that permitted them to pass through New Zealand’s ports had still followed international best practice…..
A spokesman for Prime Minister John Key told the Sunday Star Times yellowcake was ‘Australian dirt, which is essentially harmless’…..
Hughes is calling for an independent inquiry, saying the shipments had no place in a nuclear-free country.
‘Why did the authority fail to approve it for so long, do we have adequate safeguards and response strategies, and what role is New Zealand playing in the international nuclear cycle?’ he said. http://www.skynews.com.au/eco/article.aspx?id=679499&vId=
India and Japan planning a deal on rare earths
Japan, India to jointly develop rare earths, The Yomiuri Shimbun, 31 Oct 11 Japan and India agreed Saturday to promote at the private level joint development of rare earths, which are indispensable for automobiles and information technology products.
Foreign Minister Koichiro Gemba and Indian Foreign Minister Shri S.M. Krishna also agreed to step up negotiations toward conclusion of an India-Japan nuclear agreement during a meeting at the Foreign Ministry’s Iikura Guest House in Minato Ward, Tokyo, according to officials.
In addition, they agreed to enhance cooperation in security policies by carrying out joint exercises by the Maritime Self-Defense Force and Indian Navy and in other ways, they said.
The exercises are likely to focus on ensuring the safety of sea-lanes in the Indian Ocean, observers said….. India, which has nuclear weapons but does not participate in the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty, is cautious about Japan’s stance in promoting nuclear arms reduction and nonproliferation through conclusion of a bilateral nuclear pact.
Japan wants to hold negotiations with India on the export of nuclear technologies and nuclear-related equipment, but it may be some time before an agreement is reached, the observers said… http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/national/T111029002574.htm
Las Vegas’ water supply must be protected from uranium mining
Keep uranium out of our water supply, Launce Rake, Las Vegas Sun, Oct. 28, 2011 Uranium mining on the Colorado River, near the Grand Canyon National Park, is a bad idea that needs to be rejected by Nevada’s representatives in Congress. Uranium mining contaminates rivers — even mines that closed years or decades ago leach toxic and radioactive material into our water. The mining industry wants to start mining about 90 miles northeast of Las Vegas on the Arizona Strip, within range of Lake Mead and our water supply.
The U.S. Department of Interior told the uranium mining industry this week that our water is too important to risk with its mines. Our entire congressional delegation should support the decision and keep the mines away from our drinking water. http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/2011/oct/28/keep-uranium-out-our-water-supply/
Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting – behind the scenes, India lobbies for Australian uranium
India lobbies for Australian uranium, THE HINDU PRISCILLA JEBARAJ, 28 Oct 11 “……Informal, behind-the-scenes diplomacy is a key part of the CHOGM summits, and India seemed to be using the opportunity to lobby for a change in Australia’s uranium exports policy banning sales to India, which is not a signatory of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).
The issue reportedly came up at Mr. Ansari’s meeting with Australian Leader of the Opposition Tony Abbott on Thursday. Mr. Abbott heads the centre-right Liberal Party of Australia, which favours allowing Australia — which has the world’s largest reserves of uranium — to export the mineral to India…..
Mr. Ansari is also likely to discuss the issue at his bilateral meeting with Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard later this week. The ruling Labour party is split on the issue, which is expected to be a subject of hot debate at the party conference this December. Foreign Minister Kevin Rudd argued that India’s civil nuclear power programme was not dependent on Australian uranium.
“If you hear an argument from an Indian businessperson that the future of the nuclear industry in India depends exclusively on access to uranium, that is simply not sustainable as a proposition. Have a look at the data,” he said at a mining industry breakfast, according to a report by Australian news agency AAP. Both Indian officials and businessmen have been raising the issue on the sidelines of the CHOGM. “There is no problem in terms of global supply, let’s just be very, very blunt about this.”However, Resources Minister Martin Ferguson who supports uranium exports to India, said he was eager to debate the issue at the party conference, which could turn out to be pivotal for India’s hopes of accessing Australian uranium….http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/article2574653.ece
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