Around 50 people gathered in front of Košice’s city hall on Monday, to voice their opposition to potential uranium mining in Jahodná, where extensive deposits have recently been discovered. Organiser of the protest Ladislav Rovinský handed leaflets to councillors that state that information about ongoing preparations for mining has emerged, even though the council has ruled against mining activities.
"Economy Minister Tomáš Malatiský signed a memorandum with the mining company on December 14 without even discussing the issue with the government and without informing the local authorities about the mining, despite the fact that Košice’s local council rejected mining," the leaflet states, appealing to councillors to deal with the situation. Rovinský told the TASR newswire that the people of Košice oppose uranium mining. "The investor will always declare that the risks are minimal, but experience from around the world tells a different story," said Rovinský.
A company called Ludovika Energy, which has been engaged in the uranium-mining project, states that it has been in contact with both the Economy Ministry and the Environment Ministry. According to company spokesman Maroš Havran, the deposit includes 5.42 million tonnes of uranium ore. "The results of the preliminary feasibility study defines the project as one of the most important uranium-ore deposits in the world," said Havran, adding that this is only a preliminary study and that it is still unclear whether or not uranium will be mined in Jahodná. "If the process of approval for uranium mining really takes place, the local authorities will factor in the wishes of the people [of Kosice]. But it's still too early to speak about it," said mayor of Kosice Richard Raši, who is also an MP for the governing Smer party.
(Source: TASR)
Compiled by Zuzana Vilikovská from press reports
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