Martin Endjala
The Ministry of Environment Forestry and Tourism has issued an Environmental Clearance Certificate (ECC) to Uranium One Group a subsidiary of Rosatom to construct a field laboratory on farm Tripoli where its main field operations are for its headspring iunvestment in Namibia.
The company Mining Projects and Executive Director Kirill Egorov-Kirillov, made this announcement last week in Windhoek while providing an update on the mining company’s latest activities.
He confirmed that all due processes regarding the Environmental Impact Assessments were followed and that the company has once again illustrated that it is following all of Namibia’s laws, rules and regulations.
“I want to thank everyone who was involved in the process to obtain this ECC and I also want to thank the relevant ministry who displayed trust in us, and the way we are conforming to laws, rules and regulations by issuing the ECC to us,” said Egorov-Kirillov.
He said the ECC was issued in accordance with section 37(2) of the Environmental Management Act, Act 7 of 2007, and the Environmental Impact Assessment Regulations of 2012 (CG 4878). Uranium One ECC is valid from 10 October 2023 until 10 October 2026.
Egorov-Kirillov explained that having a field laboratory will be of significant benefit to Uranium One, as it will now be affordable to examine core samples much faster and determine where the uranium ore body is situated, as well as the grade of the uranium ore. As will also make results available much quicker than sending samples away for testing, without delaying the process.
He emphasised that the company is not only committed to the safety of its employees and the communities but remains committed to the upliftment of the communities where it will operate.
Hence, the issuance of the ECC by the ministry is a positive step in the right direction for the company. However, he stated that it should also give hope to communities who are looking forward to the benefits that will be derived from the envisaged mining operation.
Uranium One is a Russian-owned mining company prospecting for uranium in the Leonardville area, in the Omaheke region. It has been operating in Namibia through its subsidiary Headspring Investments Ltd since 2010, with the goal of discovering prospective uranium deposits in Namibia.
Right after the project was launched, the Namibian government declared a moratorium on uranium exploration activities, so it was suspended until 2018.
