Global Justice - Indigenous Peoples and Uranium Mining
(last updated 3 Dec 1997)
- English Translation -
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Global Justice - Indigenous Peoples and Uranium Mining
One of the severe environmental threats connected to nuclear
power is uranium mining, as it is the starting point of all
nuclear power production. In the beginning of the Swedish
nuclear power era, Sweden extracted its own uranium in large
open-cast mines. After it became obvious that these open-cast
mines at Ranstad were a great threat for the environment, the
mines were closed and the Swedish nuclear power started to
import uranium from abroad.
Nowadays, Sweden imports its uranium mostly from Canada,
Australia and the former Soviet Union. Uranium is extracted
either in deep or open-cast mines. The latter method creates the
most severe environmental problems as the mining activites leave
dumpsites unprotected enabling the spreading of carcinogenic
dust from the tailings to the surrounding water, air and soil.
Dumpsites are kept wet during mining activites but are often
turned adrift after the mine is closed. For each ton of uranium
oxide approximately 40,000 tonnes of tailings remain behind as
low-level radioactive waste which still hold up to 85% of the
ore's original radioactivity. For the extraction and processing
of uranium, huge amounts of water and sulphuric acid are needed.
Therefore, uranium mining is an all-out environmental threat.
- dissolved radioactive and toxic remains of the uranium
mining process leak out of the basins into the groundwater.
- extremely high contents of radon were measured in buildings
next to mining activities.
- the groundwater level is raised because of excessive use of
water during mining activities.
Indigenous peoples
70% of the worlds uranium resources are located in the lands
inhabited by Indigenous Peoples in Africa, Asia, Australia, and
North and South America. These people are severly affected by
the negative impact of mining activities but don't get any
benefit from it. For instance, native communities in Canada,
aboriginal communities in Australia and bushmen in Namibia.
Indigenous peoples are still waiting for justice concerning
their inherent right to self-determination - as it is written in
the UN Declaration of Human Rights. These demands were repeated
on several occasion like indigenous peoples conferences and UN
meetings.
ILO-convention
In 1989, Bolivia, Colombia, Mexico and Norway signed the so-
called ILO convention which shall guarantee indigenous peoples
their right to their original territories. This includes the
right to land, water and resources and the right to determine
the use, administration and protection of the land. Sweden voted
for the convention but didn't sign it yet. At the end of 1994,
Denmark and Finland did sign the convention.
New uranium mines established
Traditional indigenous peoples landrights - the right to
determine the use and administration of the resources within
their territories - are violated by ongoing mining activites.
Recently, the Australian government permitted the mining of the
second-largest uranium deposit on the planet at Jabiluka, and
permitted the quadrupling of production capacity at the largest
uranium deposit on the planet at Roxby Downs. Both deposits are
located on the land of indigenous Aboriginal peoples who are
adversely affected by mining and who strongly oppose these
developments. The Jabiluka site, surrounded by the World
Heritage Kakadu National Park. The Minister of Environment gave
the permit to the mining activities but is still waiting for the
licence to export the uranium. Now, the environmental and
indigenous rights movement in Australia started a protest
against the uranium mining at Jabiluka. They took part in a
European Tour of Indigenous Peoples Against Uranium Mining in
October 1997.
Independent experts should be consulted
Part of the mined uranium is used in nuclear reactors in Sweden
and has also been used as the raw material for EU nuclear
weapons programs including nuclear weapons testing, in
connection with the defence policy of certain EU member states.
Both the uranium mining and the transports of uranium shows that
the negative impact of nuclear power production is not only
limited to Sweden. The only way to stop the negative effects is
to mind nuclear power and the import of uranium.
The Swedish Government should launch a comprehensive independent
study on the origin of the uranium fuel used in Swedish nuclear
plants and research reactors, as well as an estimate of that
used for military purposes, where the study would specify the
quantities, mining companies involved, impact on health and
environment, and violations of indigenous peoples landrights as
well as energy use, CO2, and other waste production
at each stage
Protect indigenous peoples lands
Sweden should work actively on the international level (EU, UN,
WTO) for the respect of indigenous peoples inherent right to
self-determination as well as their right to land, water, and
resources including their right to use, administration and
protection of the resources.
Sweden should present a proposal at the EU Council of Ministers
to abolish the Euratom treaty (1957) which still promotes the
use of nuclear energy, to absorb its safeguard functions into
the EU, and to create an EU Solar Energy Treaty for the study,
promotion, and implementation of renewable energies within as
well as outside the EU. Sweden should take initiative to reform
article 1 of the United Nations International Atomic Energy
Agency (IAEA) and the creation of a new united nations
International Solar Energy Agency, and in any case to repudiate
the may 1959 agreement between the World Health Organisation
(WHO) and the IAEA.
Submission
With regard to the above, the Green Party of Sweden demands that
- the Swedish Parliament calls upon the Swedish Government to sign the ILO-convention No. 169 ,
- the Swedish Parliament calls upon the Swedish Government to
work actively on the international level (EU, UN, WTO) for the
respect of indigenous peoples inherent right to self-
determination as well as their right to land, water, and
resources including their right to use, administration and
protection of the resources
- the Swedish Parliament calls upon the Swedish Government to
launch a comprehensive independent study on the origin of the
uranium fuel used in Swedish nuclear plants and research
reactors, as well as an estimate of that used for military
purposes
- the Swedish Parliament calls upon the Swedish Government to
abolish the Euratom Treaty, to absorb its safeguard functions
into the EU and to create an EU Solar Energy Treaty for the
study, promotion, and implementation of renewable energies
within as well as outside the EU.
- the Swedish Parliament calls upon the Swedish Government to
take initiative to reform article 1 of the United Nations
International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and the creation of a
new United Nations International Solar Energy Agency, and in
any case to repudiate the May 1959 agreement between the World
Health Organisation (WHO) and the IAEA.
- the Swedish Parliament calls upon the Swedish Government to
take initiative for an international phase-out of nuclear power
production.
Stockholm 30 September 1997
Eva Goës (Green Party, Swedish Parliament)
Birger Schlaug (Green Party, Swedish Parliament)
Ragnhild Pohanka (Green Party, Swedish Parliament)
Per Lager (Green Party, Swedish Parliament)
Elisa Abascal Reyes (Green Party, Swedish Parliament)
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