Greenland Eases Uranium-Mining Ban, Gives Nod To Australian Company

First Published Thursday, 9 September 2010 09:09 pm - © 2010 Dow Jones
By Matthew Walls Of DOW JONES NEWSWIRES

"Greenland's government Thursday partially changed a decades-old ban on uranium mining in one of its most significant acts since gaining limited autonomy from Denmark a year ago.

The move could open the icebound and sparsely populated country to exploration for uranium and rare earths and gives a nod to an Australian mining company to develop a mine plan for what the company says is the world's biggest undeveloped deposit of rare earths.

Months of intense debate within the country and negotiations with mining companies preceded the decision as the government sought to balance environmental concerns with the need for revenue to wean Greenland off Danish aid, a necessary step towards achieving full independence.

In its decision, Greenland's government amended the terms of its exploration licensing to allow for the exploration of radioactive elements such as uranium and thorium on a case-by-case basis, said Lars Emil Johansen, a former prime minister of Greenland who is chairman of Australian mining company Greenland Minerals & Energy Ltd.'s (GGG.AU) local subsidiary.

"We just got the information that the government has made a decision to change the uranium mining policy," he said. "It's not permission to start mining, but it is permission to make studies for mines with uranium. It's a very big step forward for the company."

Government officials were unavailable for comment. A press release in Greenlandic has been issued. The amendment is a reversal to the zero-tolerance policy that was instituted in the 1980s. The government is still conducting a full review of mining radioactive elements, which is expected to produce a broader decision on mining.