A community united about pollution risks
Window dressing hides the long-term health dangers of underground, in-situ leach uranium mining with sulphuric acid in top-quality drinking-water aquifers of the water-controlled Stampriet Artesian Basin.
This is according to the Stampriet Aquifer Uranium Mining (SAUM) Committee, which says that Leonardville and surrounding areas are covered by exclusive prospecting licences, which have been issued to Project Wings of Headspring Investments, a subsidiary of Uranium One.
Uranium One is itself a subsidiary of Rusatom, a Russian state-owned uranium exploration, mining and processing company.
Divan Oppermann, the chairperson of the committee, said in a statement that so far, about 600 exploration boreholes for uranium have been drilled in the basin.
"Two uranium orebodies with associated heavy metals have been discovered in the main and strongest artesian aquifer, which contains the above top-quality drinking water."
According to Oppermann, the water from the aquifer is pumped by NamWater to provide the communities of Leonardville, Aranos, Aminuis, Onderombapa, Derm, Stampriet, Gochas and Koes with drinking water.
United concerns
Oppermann said Headspring Investments has indicated an intention to test the feasibility of mining one of the orebodies by means of a pilot plant operation involving acid in-situ leaching.
"This proposed operation is now the subject of an environmental impact assessment (EIA) and it will only be able to proceed if issued with an environmental clearance certificate by the environment ministry."
Opperermann said that the committee feels responsible for the united concerns of inhabitants of the Stampriet artesian basin regarding the safety of the only fresh water source within the 63 250 square-kilometre-wide area.
"Landowners and community members fear that the groundwater could be polluted by uranium, radioactive decay products of uranium, and heavy metals if in-situ leaching of uranium were to take place."
In-situ leaching (ISL), also called in-situ recovery (ISR) or solution mining, is a mining process used to recover minerals such as uranium through boreholes drilled into a deposit, in situ.
Lack of validity
He said that this concern is highlighted by the large number of exclusive prospecting licences issued for nuclear fuel (uranium), which cover about 60% of the total area of the Stampriet Basin.
"Supporting our concerns is the fact that two drilling permits covering 37 boreholes, issued to Headspring Investments, were retracted by the agriculture ministry on 9 November 2021 – citing non-compliance with permit conditions."
The same letter clearly stated that at least 70 more boreholes were drilled for exploration purposes without a valid permit.
He said that since in-situ leaching happens underground, no-one can see the impact of this process immediately if leakage occurs.
"There is no guarantee that in-situ leach mining of uranium will not negatively affect our precious drinking water. We do not want to risk the health and safety of our children and of present and future generations and endanger this unique and critical water resource."
This is according to the Stampriet Aquifer Uranium Mining (SAUM) Committee, which says that Leonardville and surrounding areas are covered by exclusive prospecting licences, which have been issued to Project Wings of Headspring Investments, a subsidiary of Uranium One.
Uranium One is itself a subsidiary of Rusatom, a Russian state-owned uranium exploration, mining and processing company.
Divan Oppermann, the chairperson of the committee, said in a statement that so far, about 600 exploration boreholes for uranium have been drilled in the basin.
"Two uranium orebodies with associated heavy metals have been discovered in the main and strongest artesian aquifer, which contains the above top-quality drinking water."
According to Oppermann, the water from the aquifer is pumped by NamWater to provide the communities of Leonardville, Aranos, Aminuis, Onderombapa, Derm, Stampriet, Gochas and Koes with drinking water.
United concerns
Oppermann said Headspring Investments has indicated an intention to test the feasibility of mining one of the orebodies by means of a pilot plant operation involving acid in-situ leaching.
"This proposed operation is now the subject of an environmental impact assessment (EIA) and it will only be able to proceed if issued with an environmental clearance certificate by the environment ministry."
Opperermann said that the committee feels responsible for the united concerns of inhabitants of the Stampriet artesian basin regarding the safety of the only fresh water source within the 63 250 square-kilometre-wide area.
"Landowners and community members fear that the groundwater could be polluted by uranium, radioactive decay products of uranium, and heavy metals if in-situ leaching of uranium were to take place."
In-situ leaching (ISL), also called in-situ recovery (ISR) or solution mining, is a mining process used to recover minerals such as uranium through boreholes drilled into a deposit, in situ.
Lack of validity
He said that this concern is highlighted by the large number of exclusive prospecting licences issued for nuclear fuel (uranium), which cover about 60% of the total area of the Stampriet Basin.
"Supporting our concerns is the fact that two drilling permits covering 37 boreholes, issued to Headspring Investments, were retracted by the agriculture ministry on 9 November 2021 – citing non-compliance with permit conditions."
The same letter clearly stated that at least 70 more boreholes were drilled for exploration purposes without a valid permit.
He said that since in-situ leaching happens underground, no-one can see the impact of this process immediately if leakage occurs.
"There is no guarantee that in-situ leach mining of uranium will not negatively affect our precious drinking water. We do not want to risk the health and safety of our children and of present and future generations and endanger this unique and critical water resource."
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