The ban also affects the planned mining of rare earths at the Kvanefjeld mine.
Uranium mining in Gönland has now been officially banned, Reuters news agency reports. A corresponding law was passed by parliament on Tuesday.
It also prohibits the development of raw material deposits with a certain concentration of the radioactive element uranium. This also affects the planned commercial extraction of the Kvanefjeld mine’s rare earth deposit, which also contains uranium. The project and its feared impact on the environment have been a point of social and political contention for years (we reported), even necessitating new elections this year.
The Inuit Ataqatigii party, which emerged victorious from the parliamentary elections in April, had clearly positioned itself against extraction in Kvanefjeld during the election campaign.
Greenland has also banned the exploration of oil and gas deposits because of environmental concerns, and licenses have not been issued since this summer. Instead, the great potential for hydropower on the island is to be further developed.
(Update from 11.11.2021)
Photo: iStock/KimKimsenphot
