As government and corporate leaders look to uranium as a cleaner alternative to fossil fuel energy sources, some environmental groups are demanding that resource companies act responsibly. Recently, I spoke with the president of Ultra Uranium Corp. [TSX: V.ULU], Ray Roland, about Ultra’s stance on this issue.
In 2005, the corporation secured 100% ownership of the Kalnica-Selec Uranium Project in Slovakia’s western Povazsky Inovec Mountains. The property was originally explored by Uranovy Prieskum State Enterprise (UP) operated by the former Czechoslovakian government. Throughout the 1970s and 1980s, UP conducted extensive exploration and development of the 28.91 square kilometre region. This work was halted in the early 1990s due to the global drop in uranium prices.
In February of this year, Ultra Uranium received a technical report on the Kalnica-Selec Project by geologist Dr. Boris Molak, PhD., P.Geo (BC). The report details the promising results of Uranovy Prieskum’s historical findings from radiometric surveys, geological mapping, extensive pitting and trenching vertical and horizontal drilling and tunneling. Dr. Molak, a Slovakian native, believes this region has promising potential for discovering additional mineralization deposits.
In recent months another resource company exploring for uranium in Slovakia, Tournigan Gold Corp., has received a strong backlash from Greenpeace and SOSNA (a local environmental group). The groups drafted a petition supported by at least 32,000 protesting Tournigan’s Jahodna project, located about 5 miles from the 250,000 residents of Kosice. Protestors are mainly concerned with the mining operation’s effects on a nearby protected bird sanctuary, water reservoir and the city’s recreational park.
Although Ultra Uranium has yet to experience such remonstrations and couldn’t comment on the Tournigan situation, Mr. Roland did say, “We realize that there are going to be environmental issues that we have to address before we do anything in the way of extraction. We are going to take the initiative to preclude problems of an environmental nature that might come up. We are not anticipating huge problems, but before we go in and do a drill program, for example, we would go in and talk to the local people. And we have an agent in Slovakia who is well-versed in doing that kind of thing.”
There are two villages, each with populations around 2,000 in Kalnica and Selec; however, they are not located in the areas where exploration work will resume. I also spoke with Dr. Molak, who said that during his next trip to Slovakia he plans to organize a presentation and talk to the local communities. This presentation will explain the company’s plans and intentions in the area and help to alleviate local inhabitants’ misconceptions or environmental concerns.
Because many people associate uranium with nuclear waste and cancer-causing radiation many misconceptions of the white hot metal exist. However, the operational processes and environmental aspects associated with uranium mining are common to all metalliferous mining.
In Situ Leach (ISL), extracting techniques are safe, environmentally friendly and cost advantageous. The method involves pumping liquids through the ore while still in the ground in order to recover the desired minerals. This process causes negligible disturbance and does not generate tailings. Most of the radioactivity remains well underground. There is minimal increase in radon release and no ore dust produced from this process. Whether ISL methods are feasible or not depends on site geology and ground water location. Uranium ore suitable for ISL occurs in permeable sand or sandstone located below the water table.
Ultra Uranium’s property in Slovakia is comprised of permeable sandstone and some areas might possess the right conditions for ISL mining. The detected mineralization sites in the Krajna region, by far the largest resources on the property, are located below the water table about 300-500 metres from the surface. But, the deposits in the Selec region are set above the water table in a 240 metre hill making ISL unfeasible and they will most likely be extracted by conventional means.
Conventional mining consists of removing rock from the earth, breaking it up and treating it to remove the desired minerals. The tailings or waste products contain most of the radioactive material from the original ore. After the project is complete these tailing dams are covered with two metres of clay and topsoil to reduce radiation to naturally occurring regional levels and vegetation cover is established. Despite the fears of some, uranium ore actually possesses a very low level of radioactivity. In fact, a lump of pure uranium emits fewer gamma rays than a lump of granite.
Today, modern uranium exploration and mining techniques are performed under well-established environmental constraints set in place to control off-site pollution including strict standards for limiting gamma radiation. Dr. Molak informed me that as a member of the European Union, Slovakia has very strict environmental regulations. “We must comply with European Union regulations which are pretty similar to Canadian [laws].” This also extends to the Non-Proliferation Treaty meaning that any uranium mined in Slovakia cannot be used for weapons.
The environmental policies of Slovakia are organized around principles of prevention, pre-caution and polluter responsibility. The central authority responsible for administering and regulating these policies is The Ministry of the Environment which requires licenses and environmental impact assessments for exploration and mining operations. These regulations are quite comprehensive.
During exploration work Ultra Uranium is required to comply with several Slovakian environmental laws that protect water reservoirs and agricultural and forest soil. Exploration activities are also prohibited from encroaching upon the vegetation of the Selecky Potok Natural Memorabilia and the game protection area at the south western margin of the licensed property. Ultra Uranium is required to adhere to established codes for integrating environmental pollution controls during the course of exploration.
When asked about the Slovakian government’s attitude towards nuclear energy and uranium mining, Mr. Roland offered: “They are very open. If not the best country in the world, they’re right at the top in terms of being amiable to mining opportunities. I think if you pay attention to the environmental side. . .you’re going to be welcomed with open arms.”
Melissa Pistilli
http://www.articlesbase.com/investing-articles/ultra-uranium-addresses-environmental-concerns-137031.html