The Sauma association expressed concerns about uranium mining in the Stampriet aquifer in a presentation to the parliamentary standing committee on natural resources, The Namibian newspaper reported on November 25.
Sauma is a non-profit organization formed by a group of large farmers, game ranchers and lodge owners who oppose mining in the Stampriet artesian basin, considered the highest quality source of groundwater in the country.
According to a press release issued by the association, which is part of the Namibia Agricultural Union, Sauma made a presentation to two members of a parliamentary committee in Leonardville, where the uranium mine is located, on November 17. The committee is chaired by MP and former minister Tjekero Thweya.
“The meeting was attended by a variety of regional leaders, including governors, councilors and members of the public, all of whom rely solely on the basin’s underground aquifers as a source of drinking water.””Sauma said.
The development comes shortly after the Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Tourism approved an environmental clearance certificate (ECC) for Headspring Investments, the operating company of Russian group Uranium One in Namibia.
The ECC will allow a Russian company seeking to build a field laboratory at Tripoli Farm, located approximately 15 km from Leonardville, where the company’s main field operations are conducted.
Headspring Investments CEO Kirill Egorov-Kirillov confirmed that all necessary environmental impact assessment (EIA) procedures were followed.
During a presentation to the committee, a Sauma representative spoke in detail about the in situ leach mining process, highlighting the potential risks and describing its negative consequences.
The presentation covered key aspects such as the definition and procedure for the extraction of minerals by in situ leaching, the critical dependence on aquifer water of all who live and farm in the region, the patterns of water use and consumption in the basin and the challenges. inherent to the extraction of minerals by the in situ leaching method.
Sauma representatives also delved into the challenges of rehabilitating the mining areas, the characteristics that would cause a uranium-rich acid solution to leak into the aquifer, the presence of radioactivity, the accumulation of toxic heavy metals and their spread from the area from the mine to the rest of the area. aquifer.
“It is important to note that Sauma is not opposed to mining in general, but is strongly opposed to mining activities in the Stampriet Artesian Basin, Namibia’s main and largest artesian resource. “While recognizing the potential employment opportunities that in-situ leaching from uranium mining could provide Namibians, the committee firmly believes that the environmental pollution of our most valuable water resource far outweighs any short-term benefits.”said a Sauma spokesperson, adding that the consequences and long-term damage are too important to ignore.
Sauma has requested independent experts, including hydrologists and geologists, to conduct a comprehensive scientific investigation of the hazards associated with in situ leaching from uranium mining within a critical and unique drinking water aquifer.
The issue of mining by this method has caused much controversy in Namibia. Agriculture Minister KalleSlettwein has publicly expressed his opposition to uranium development in southern Namibia’s largest aquifer, which extends into Botswana and South Africa.
When asked to comment on the situation, Ministry of Agriculture spokesperson Jona Musheko said: “The Minister has repeatedly expressed our position on this issue, which has led to the revocation of the drilling permit we once granted.”.
Source: Rossa Primavera
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