Keep moratorium on uranium mining at Virginia Beach, say officials
Virginia Beach officials want uranium mine ban extended, By Julian Walker The Virginian-Pilot, October 13, 2011 VIRGINIA BEACH Concerned that a proposed uranium mining operation could taint the city’s water supply, Virginia Beach officials want the state to maintain an existing moratorium on that activity for at least another year.
In a letter this week, the city’s water task force asked Mayor Will Sessoms and the City Council to urge the General Assembly to keep Virginia’s long-standing mining ban in place until at least 2013 and to delay related regulatory action. City officials are already on record opposing mining until they’re satisfied it won’t threaten Lake Gaston, a key drinking water source.
Some studies have said flooding near the mine could wash radioactive contaminants into tributaries that feed Lake Gaston, though a pro-mining analysis concluded that is highly unlikely. Forces for and against lifting the nearly three decade-old ban are bracing for a battle on the subject as early at the 2012 state legislative session. A National Academy of Sciences study on mining should be publicly released by then.
Virginia Uranium, the company that wants to extract ore from a Pittsylvania County uranium deposit, has actively lobbied officials as it pursues permission to mine, sending some to foreign countries to observe mines there. http://hamptonroads.com/2011/10/virginia-beach-officials-want-uranium-mine-ban-extended
Iran’s uranium enrichment offer should be accepted by USA
“These measures set out a foundation for diplomatic efforts focusing on establishing enhanced safeguards on Iran,” according to Vaez. He added that he thinks there is still “plenty of time” to strike a diplomatic accord.
U.S. Should Accept Iran’s Latest Uranium Enrichment Offer, Experts Say, Oct. 7, 2011 By Martin Matishak Global Security Newswire WASHINGTON — The United States should accept Iran’s offer to halt its production of higher-enriched uranium if provided equivalent material by Western powers as the first step in breaking the diplomatic standoff between the two countries, a new report by a pair of nonproliferation experts argues (seeGSN, Oct. 5). Continue reading
Deputy Director General of World Nuclear Association not optimistic about new uranium mines
with demand lower than was expected before, the price outlook is also down in both the medium and long-term..
It is clear that some of the anticipated new mines, heavily promoted by financial backers, will be ‘out of the money’—in other words, too expensive to develop in the new environment. Future uranium projects are very sensitive at prices in the $50 to $70 per pound level, and many may need more than $70 for viability.
Uranium – what are the prospects post-Fukushima?, Nuclear Engineering, Steve Kidd Deputy Director General of the World Nuclear Association, 06 October 2011“………..Falling uranium demand in the short-term is likely to delay some new projects, particularly those in Africa where financial requirements are heavy. But the reaction of producers will largely depend on the continuation of China’s new build programme and its willingness to finance new mines abroad. Continue reading
Down, down, into the abyss goes the uranium industry
Over the last month, these companies have lost between 25 and 29 percent, and they have lost between 57 and 84 percent so far this year. These significant losses proliferate uranium miners and producers, as can be seen from the Global X Uranium ETF (URA), which tracks the Solactive Uranium Index and is down over 60% so far this year…..
An Abysmal Month For Uranium Producers Extends Their 2011 Pain, Seeking Alpha 4 Oct 11, The uranium industry is not what it used to be, nor are the share values of the uranium producers. This may well go down as the worst year for uranium in the modern era, even though several nuclear power experts continue to claim that uranium use is sensible and safe.
This first quarter of 2011 started off with Japanese nuclear concerns following the destruction caused by the earthquake and tsunami that hit the nation, and uranium prices entered a tailspin shortly thereafter. In the wake of tsunami, Germany opted to discontinue nuclear power plant development and reveal plans to eventually eliminate nuclear power as an energy source.
It also appears likely that Japan may be hesitant to build more nuclear power plants in the near future. For many years, Japan and Germany have been significant users of nuclear power. This perceived vacuum to demand weakened the price of uranium. It also weakened the shares of those companies that produce and/or provide uranium…..
In the third quarter, which just ended last week, uranium and its producers continued to drop along with the broader market, only mostly to a broader extent as the investment was deemed more and more speculative. Most uranium producers ended the third quarter at their 2011 lows.
Below are the 1-month, 3-month, 6-month, and 2011-to-date performance rates for several companies that mine and/or provide uranium for energy production: Continue reading
Rio Tinto, uranium miners, and nuclear colonialism
situation isn’t all rosy for the multinational, which has long faced allegations of widespread environmental destruction and labor and human rights abuses in Africa, Asia and even the U.S.
Foreign control of metals and other natural resources in African and other developing countries is increasingly seen as a new form of colonialism, wherein locals work for relatively low wages and often in grueling, repressive conditions for companies that take most of the profit from the resources and labor out of the country.
Namibian Uranium Miners vs. Rio Tinto, IN THESE TIMES, BY KARI LYDERSEN, OCT 3, 2011 Namibian union uranium miners on strike against international mining giant Rio Tinto alleged in late September that a week into the strike, the company was violating mutually agreed upon conditions of the strike by hiring nonunion workers at its Rossing uranium mine.
Rio Tinto says it is not hiring nonunion workers and is demanding written proof from the Namibian Miners Union.
Miners have demanded payments of $2,557 (USD) each to end the strike over union allegations of unfair bonus payments and other grievances. Rio Tinto has asked the country’s labor court to rule that the union’s complaints are not grounds for a strike. Continue reading
UK cuts back on armed forces, spends up big on nuclear weapons
The huge sum, signed off with little parliamentary scrutiny, has raised questions over the accountability of AWE to the taxpayer and the MoD’s priorities
while all armed forces are suffering cuts, the UK’s nuclear weapons programme is benefiting from significant increases in spending, even before the government makes a decision on replacing Trident, the ballistic nuclear missile system.
Britain’s nuclear spending soars amid defence cuts Secret MoD report reveals £750m bill for enriched uranium plant as Liam Fox announces axing of 1,100 navy personnel. The Guardian, Jamie Doward, 2 October 2011, Government spending on Britain’s nuclear weapons programme is defying the swingeing budget cuts being experienced across Whitehall.
As the Ministry of Defence cuts frontline positions in the military, a previously confidential report reveals that the taxpayer is committed to paying almost £750m for the construction of a new enriched-uranium facility at the Atomic Weapons Establishment in Berkshire.The 32-page MoD report, Defence Equipment & Support … UK Enriched Uranium (EU) Capability Investment Appraisal, spells out the taxpayer’s commitment to funding Project Pegasus, which will replace the enriched-uranium facility built at the site in the 1950s. Continue reading
Double digit share price falls for uranium mining companies
Shares of Denison Mines and Uranium Resources Face Strong Downward Pressure, MarketWatch, NEW YORK, NY, Sep 30, 2011 (MARKETWIRE via COMTEX) –– Uranium stocks have struggled this month as prices for the radioactive material have plunged. According to the latest quarterly report by Resource Capital Research, uranium prices are down 27 per cent over the past three months and 23 per cent over the past year….
Lengthy and costly cleanup of uranium contaminated site
Largest abandoned uranium mine cleanup on Navajo Nation announced An important milestone in the effort to clean up of Navajo trust lands contaminated by historic uranium mining will be achieved in the cleanup of the Northeast Church Rock Mine in New Mexico., Mineweb, Dorothy Kosich, 30 Sep 2011 RENO, NV – The U.S. EPA announced Thursday it has approved a plan to clean up 1.4 million tons of radium and uranium contaminated soil at the Northeast Church Rock Mine, the largest and highest priority uranium mine on the Navajo Nation. Continue reading
Unguarded uranium – yellowcake for the taking, in Libya
post-Gaddafi Libya affords little or no protection to this vast haul of material which, if refined, is the essential element of a nuclear bomb.
‘Uranium’ stockpile uncovered in Libya, SMH, Richard Spencer, September 27, 2011 SABHA: International atomic agencies and Libya’s rebels say it will take weeks to safeguard at least 10,000 abandoned drums thought to contain uranium. Continue reading
USA – Ukraine deal on enriched uranium
US and Ukraine sign deal to remove Soviet-era stockpile of bomb-grade uranium, Washington Post, By Associated Press, September 26, NEW YORK — The United States and Ukraine signed a deal Monday to remove the former Soviet country’s stockpile of weapons-grade uranium by early next year.
Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and Ukrainian Foreign Minister Kostyantyn Gryshchenko represented their nations in signing the agreement to remove the stockpile, which could provide enough material to build several nuclear weapons.
The deal was announced last year at an international nuclear security conference hosted by President Barack Obama but was not formalized until Monday….
Radioactive pollution from rare earths processing in China
China Re-Nationalizes Rare Earths – Part One, Metal Miner by STUART on SEPTEMBER 19, 2011 That China has suffered severe and widespread pollution from the mining and refining of rare earth elements (REE) is not in doubt —
The New York Times reported this week that China had largely shut down its rare earth industry for three months to address pollution problems. Officials confirm evidence visible by satellite that large tracks around both legal and illegal mine sites have become wastelands…….
Apparently the government also plans to consolidate 80 percent of the production from southern China — which produces the rest of China’s rare earths — into three companies within the next year or two. All three of these companies are former ministries of the Chinese government that were spun out as corporations, and the central government still owns most of the shares. These actions will at least ensure Beijing achieves control of mining and refining; if pollution remains a problem, they only have themselves to blame.http://agmetalminer.com/2011/09/19/china-re-nationalizes-rare-earths-part-one/
Lynas’ rare earths processing plan for Malaysia fraught with dangers
Rare earths mining and processing is difficult, expensive and rarely ecologically friendly. It produces enormous quantities of wastewater, requires vast amounts of energy, uses toxic materials in the refining process and can produce radioactive materials with half-lives of hundreds of years.
Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak and other government officials have continued to insist the plant won’t open until all safety and environmental concerns are met. …
Rossing uranium mine first hit by rains, now by union strike
Namibia mine union readies for strike at Rossing Reuters 21 Sept 11, – Namibia’s Mineworkers Union of Namibia (MUN) on Wednesday served Rio Tinto’s Rossing uranium mine with a strike notice after failing to reach a deal in talks over output incentives, with a stoppage expected to start on Friday. Continue reading
Low demand for uranium: AREVA limits production
Areva suspends some uranium production after Japan quake Google News, 16 Sept 11, PARIS — French nuclear giant Areva is suspending uranium production at two plants because of low demand from Japanese power stations in the wake of the Fukushima disaster, a spokeswoman said Thursday. Continue reading Bribery, propaganda, anything goes for Virginia Uranium
Virginia legislators criticized for all-expense paid trip to Saskatchewan uranium mine Yahoo News, By Andy Radia | Canada Politics , 13 Sept 11 Some Virginians are upset by a forthcoming ‘excursion’ by state politicians to a Saskatchewan mine, an outing paid for by a company that wants state legislators to lift a 30-year moratorium on uranium mining.
The company, Virginia Uranium, has a claim to what is thought to be the largest deposit of uranium in the U.S. — estimated to consist of about 119 million pounds — worth as much as $10 billion……
In the early 1980s, however, the state of Virginia halted uranium mining due to potential radiological risks – the moratorium still stands today….
But some eyebrows were raised in Virgina by people who question the appropriateness of a private company footing the bill for the legislators’ travel. Some are even suggesting the lawmakers are being“bought off.”
Since 2007, when Virginia Uranium was incorporated, the company has spent hundreds of thousands of dollars lobbying the General Assembly. It donated $91,650 to candidates in Virginia since 2008 and retained four of Richmond’s most influential lobbying firms, as well as a top public relations firm….http://ca.news.yahoo.com/blogs/canada-politics/virginia-legislators-criticized-expense-paid-trip-saskatchewan-uranium-162535662.html
1 This Month
Chernobyl: The Lost Tapes – A good documentary on Chernobyl on SBS available On Demand for the next 3 weeks– https://www.sbs.com.au/ondemand/tv-program/chernobyl-the-lost-tapes/2352741955560
of the week–London Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament
Tell the Ukrainian Government to Drop Prosecution of Peace Activist Yurii Sheliazhenko
To see nuclear-related stories in greater depth and intensity – go to https://nuclearinformation.wordpress.com
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