Experts allay uranium mining fears

Several experts yesterday shared their experiences from their visits to mines in Kazakhstan and Russia where in situ leaching is used.

The mining technique involves injecting chemicals to dissolve underground uranium and then pumping the solution out. Concerns exist that this could contaminate important underground water sources.

One of those experts, Dr Kuiri Tjipanganjara, was impressed when he visited the Karatau uranium mine in Kazakhstan in November 2022. Yesterday in Windhoek, he said training and information are needed to convince people near the proposed Headspring Investments in situ uranium mining project outside Stampriet of the safety and benefits of the project.

Tjipanganjara is a metallurgist and the managing director of Water Solution Group, with years of experience in how mining and water management can work together.

Headspring is owned by Uranium One, a subsidiary of Russia's Rosatom uranium mining company, which is trying to advance its Wings project in the Hardap Region - a uranium mine that uses in situ leaching

The project is awaiting approval to proceed with a testing phase.



Not convinced

Various pundits, including environmental experts, attended a media conference yesterday to share their experiences during visits to Kazakhstan and Russia at other mines where the same technology is applied.

The managing director of Environam Consultants Colin Namene, radiation specialist Vera Uushona and hydrogeologist Spike Shippiki visited the Dalur uranium mine in Russia last month to gain more insight on the mining technique.

Community activist Sam Tjiuiju visited the same mine in August last year and Packy Pakarae from the Omaheke Regional Council was also at this Russian mine in 2023.

Members of the Stampriet Aquifer Uranium Mining Association (Sauma) were also invited to such a visit in 2023, and although they were not present at yesterday's event, the association said in a statement that the visit did not address its concerns.

Among other things, it was not convinced that the underground water was not contaminated, Sauma's statement read.

However, Namene said he has noticed that the ground is less disturbed by the in situ method compared to open pit and underground mining, which is common in Namibia.

He added that initial opposition from farming and surrounding communities was overcome in Russia by sharing data with the communities around the mine.



Coexistence

Meanwhile, Shippiki highlighted the absence of noise as refreshing from his standpoint as an environmentalist, "and the coexistence we saw between the mine and the local farming communities was very impressive".

Pakarae said Namibian communities want to develop and improve their living conditions, but must also preserve the heritage of future generations. The ongoing assessment of the ecological impact of mining is essential, he argued.

Headspring operations director Aldo Hengari said the project must now continue with the testing phase to fully understand the environmental impact and determine exactly how much rehabilitation may be required.

He added that it is possible to capacitate Namibian officers to enforce law, while international organisations, such as the International Atomic Energy Agency, will also be willing to help.

Headspring spokesperson Riaan van Rooyen said that the company has been prepared, from the get-go, to invest money for restitution should something go wrong, but that the test phase is necessary to also determine this amount.

"Until today, there has never been such an incident at any of our seven other mines in Russia and Kazakhstan," he stressed.