Danish and Greenland parliaments to vote on uranium mining
31 January 2013
According to Metal Bulletin, the Danish parliament will soon vote on mining uranium in Greenland, a Danish overseas territory. A majority of parliamentarians are said to be ready to vote in favour, which could make the Arctic territory one of the largest producers in the world. The world’s fifth largest uranium deposits are at Kvanefjeld in the south of Greenland.
Greenland was granted home rule in 1979 but the Danish government is still in charge of foreign affairs, financial policy and security, which includes nuclear issues.
In the spring, a report by the Greenlandic Directory for Raw Materials on uranium’s effect on the environment and public health will be published. If the report does not raise major objections, there is also likely to be a majority in Greenland's parliament to go ahead with uranium mining.