The Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Tourism has issued an Environmental Clearance Certificate (ECC) to Headspring Investments, Uranium One Group’s operating company in Namibia, to build a field laboratory on farm Tripoli, where the company’s field operations are located.
The ECC, issued in terms of Section 37(2) of the Environmental Management Act, Act 7 of 2007, and the Environmental Impact Assessment Regulations of 2012 (CG 4878), is valid for three years, from 10 October 2023 to 10 October 2026.
Farm Tripoli is located some 15km outside Leonardville in the Omaheke region. Uranium One is a Russian State-owned entity known for uranium exploration, mining, and processing, and Headspring Investments has been conducting exploration work in Namibia since 2010.
The issuance of the ECC is a vitally important step as having a field laboratory will be of significant benefit to Uranium One, as it will be much cheaper and faster to examine core samples and determine where the uranium ore body is situated as well as the grade of the uranium ore.
This was said by the Director of Mines at Uranium One and Director of Headspring Investment, Kirill Egorov-Kirillov, who confirmed that all due processes regarding the Environmental Impact Assessments were followed and noted that the company has once again illustrated that it is following all the laws, rules, and regulations of Namibia.
“I want to thank everyone who was involved in the process to obtain this ECC, and I also want to thank the relevant Ministry who displayed trust in us and the way we are conforming to laws, rules, and regulations, to issue the ECC to us,” Egorov-Kirillov said.
Having a local field laboratory in the Omaheke region, he asserted, will now significantly shorten analysis timelines. Furthermore, he added that the results of all samples obtained will be available much faster than sending samples away for analysis, implying that the processes would be able to move more quickly.
“We remain committed to the safety of our employees and the communities, committed to the upliftment of the communities we operate in, and the issuance of this ECC is a very positive step in the right direction for us. But, it should also give hope to those communities looking forward to the benefits that will be derived from the envisaged mining operation,” he said.
In another related development, Uranium One spokesperson Riaan van Rooyen, recently announced that their investment in the construction of a dining hall project worth N$1.8 million at Noasanabis Primary School in Leonardville is nearing completion.
Furthermore, the spokesperson revealed that their latest investment in the town would be completed soon and inaugurated on 4 November, noting that it is now 90% complete.
Source: Namibia Economist