Debate over hazards of uranium mining now hots up in Tanzania

Dar es Salaam. At which point does uranium become hazardous to health of human beings? This is the question that Tanzanians are now grappling with as the country gets closer to joining the league of nations that mine the radioactive chemical compound. This has left Tanzanians’ ears itching for credible information on how and when  uranium becomes costly to people’s health.

Unfortunately, since it was announced that the country has commercially-viable uranium reserves, the number of ‘experts’ in the areas has been on the increase with a good number of activists abruptly becoming ‘experts’ in uranium.

Just earlier this month, experts from the International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War (IPPNW), Uranium Network, Rosa Luxemburg Foundation and Tanzania’s Legal and Human Rights Centre (LHRC) advised the government to first consider the long-term impacts of the industry.

In their views, the demerits of uranium mining do far outweigh any of the seemingly economic benefits.

A uranium expert from Germany, Mr Gunter Wippel, told this paper earlier this month that it will not be a good idea for Tanzania to mine the material because the country lacks the financial capacity to combat the resultant health effects as well as recovery of mining sites.

“Germany is using more than seven billion euros in reclamation of old uranium mining sites, poor countries can’t afford that. Niger is a living example, they have failed to do so after years of mining and it continues to pose serious health and environmental risks to civilians,” he warned.

Reading the joint statement of the organisers, a radiologist from IPPNW, Prof Andreas Nidecker, said uranium is very different from most of other minerals. It is not only toxic, but also radioactive, potentially causing different cancers, abortions, birth defects and genetic damage.

Such sentiments are echoed by the executive director of Concern for Development Initiatives in Africa (ForDIA), Mr Bubelwa Kaiza.

Mr Kaiza, whose NGO facilitates people-centred development efforts under local conditions, said since Tanzania was not well prepared in terms of capacity to monitor Uranium prospecting, exploration and mining there is high possibility for environmental and health hazards.

“Like what is happening in the gold mines whereby there are environmental and human health risks affecting the surrounding communities, the Uranium mines will harm the environment and human health,” says Mr Kaiza.

This comes at a time when Tanzania’s Mkuju River Project (MRP) in Natumbo District in Ruvuma Region is in the stage of looking for suitable site to construct a plant that will process Uranium yellow cakes (U308) or Uranium Oxide.

Project approved

It also comes at a time when the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) experts who visited the country mid this year have already given the project a green light on grounds that there is no environmental and health damage caused by their activities.

Nemc has also approved the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) of the uranium exploration and development activities on Mkuju River area.

And some experts say so long as the product is processed for export, it cannot pose any harm on the environment and human health.

Don’t worry

The cocoordinator of Tanzania Atomic Energy Commission (Taec), Mr Denis Mwalongo recently told BusinessWeek that   there is no need to worry about the project because already the Mkuju River Project was certified by competent local and international authorities to instal a plant that will process Uranium yellow cake for export.

“They have been given a special licence under the special mining development agreement to undertake digging and processing of Uranium yellow cake. There is also a committee to monitor Uranium mines at Mkuju River under the Prime Minister Office,” says Mr Mwalongo who is also a nuclear physicist.

The committee, according to him constitutes members from the PMO, the ministry of Energy and Minerals, National Environment Management Council (Nemc), Taec and other related authorities.

Living with uranium

There are thousands of Tanzanians who have been living with raw Uranium particles throughout their lives ranging from 50 to more than 70 years without experiencing tested environmental and health harm, he says.

The cases in point are the communities with their domestic and wild animals living near Lake Bahi in Dodoma, Mkuju River in Namtumbo and Manyoni in Singida, whereby scientists working under Taec have not found any harmful effects of raw Uranium at the exploration stage.

MRP is owned by Mantra Tanzania, and operated by Uranium One Inc

The Uranium One chief executive officer Chris Sattler, told senior journalists recently that operations at the project will be subjected to all international standards set by the IAEA. The operations will also be subjected to all national and regional laws and regulations.

“Just like any other uranium mining project in the world, the Mkuju River Project will be operated in accordance with national and international safety regulations and standards,” Mr Sattler said while responding to questions from journalists.

“Radiation is simply moving energy and human beings are always exposed to it….radiation only becomes dangerous when it gets inside one’s body…so far, the level of radiation at Mkuju is less than the one that pilots are exposed to when flying,”  a radiation protection officer at the site, Mr Fredrik Kriel, said.

According to nuclear physicists, the Uranium rocks and particles that exist in raw form in some parts of the country are not as harmful as the enriched ones, which Tanzania and other African countries have no capacity to work on scientifically.

Raw Uranium particles, according to scientists are in contact with  human beings and animals because they exist in air, water, underground rocks and eroded rocks.

The adverse effects of Uranium depend on their chemical concentration and level of depletion or decay, according to Mr Mwalongo.

“Raw Uranium does not possess radiation. Uranium which is found in the country in the form of yellow cake is not harmful because it does not emit radiation. It possesses minute rays which are harmless,” he says.

He further says at Mkuju River there is a monitoring well installed to monitor flow of water so that water flowing to Kilombero River tributaries are not contaminated by acidified Uranium.

The managing director of Uranium-One, Mr Asa Mwaipopo, also rules out on the possibility of Uranium mine at Mkuju River causing environmental and human health hazards.

“There is no need for people to worry because more risks are at the enrichment stage than at the exploration stage. Uranium enrichment (UE) will not be done locally.  After all at the current stage the risks are controllable,” says Mr Mwaipopo.

The ministry of Energy and Minerals is preparing a public education campaign for educating the masses on Uranium mining in the country, according to him.

According to nuclear scientists, Uranium enrichment is the process which involves combining uranium with fluorine to make uranium hexafluoride (UF6) followed by gaseous diffusion. 

According to Taec Director General, Prof Iddi Mkilaha, the 2003 Act that established such a commission has capacity to protect environment and human health through enforcement of regulations on Uranium mining. Prof Mkilaha says the country is well prepared in protecting the environment, surrounding communities and ensuring health safety during transportation of Uranium materials.

He also says the commission has been working closely with the IAEA to make sure the Uranium exploration and mining activities do not cause harm to human health and the environment.

“The commission is a bridge linking the country with International Atomic Agency for monitoring Uranium exploration, mining and uses of Uranium equipment,” says Prof Mkilaha.

According to Taec report, there are 240 stations with 1,300 monitors for monitoring Uranium related activities and radioactive metals countrywide.

Countries with experience in Uranium mining such as Namibia, South Africa, Canada, DR Congo, Australia, Malawi and Niger have been consulted, according to the report.

“There are very few countries in the world which can carry out enrichment because the process is very complex and expensive,” reads part of the report.

Countries with capacity to undertake UE for use in nuclear reactors and nuclear power generation are very few although currently there are 45 countries worldwide, according to the IAEA.

The African countries which have presented proposals to the world’s nuclear regulator for establishing nuclear energy plants, according to IAEA are Kenya, Uganda, Nigeria, Ghana, Senegal and Namibia.

No nuclear plants

The minister for Energy and Minerals, Prof Sospeter Muhongo, says that Tanzania does not have policy for embarking on nuclear energy as the central focus is to use four sources of energy including gas, coal, hydro-power and renewable energy (wind, solar and biomass).

Prof Muhongo says since the country has no requisite professional capacity to run nuclear plant, it is set to benefit from exporting the  Uranium yellow cakes.

The Geological Survey of Tanzania estimates that the country possesses 53.9 million pounds of uranium oxide (U3O8) deposits, valued at Sh3.52 trillion ($2.2 billion).

The Mkuju River project alone is expected to attract Sh1.6 trillion ($1 billion) in foreign direct investment to Tanzania over the life of the mine. Some 1,600 people are expected to be employed during construction and there will be 750 permanent jobs when the mine starts operations, according to a Uranium One report.

Global market price of uranium yellow cake has risen from $10.30 in 2010 to an average of $40 per pound in October this year due to international supply shortages, along with escalating nuclear projects in nations such as India and China in the wake of increasing demand for environmentally friendly nuclear energy, according to IAEA.

China plans to spend about Sh80 trillion ($50 billion) to build 30 nuclear reactors by 2020, according the global nuclear power regulator.

The governments globally struggle for solutions to control greenhouse gas emissions and produce affordable energy; nuclear power is the cleanest, least expensive and most secure source of electricity.

There are currently 432 operational nuclear reactors worldwide and that number is expected to grow significantly within the next decade, according to IAEA.

There are 1.5 million tonnes of uranium oxides in Africa constituting about 20 per cent of global quantity.

According to the latest Taec report, there has been upsurge of  uranium prospecting and exploration companies in the country in recent years of which, among others include Uranex NL, Omegacorp Ltd, Mantra Resources Ltd, Uranium Resources plc, Sabre Resources Ltd, Uranium Hunter Corporation, Trimark Explorations Ltd., IBI Corporation and Gambaro Resources.

Others include;  Douglas Lake Minerals Inc., Canaco Resources, Sub-Sahara Resources NL, East Africa Resources Ltd, Korea Resources Corp, Tanganyika Uranium Corporation, Troll Mining, Jacana Resource, Globe Metals & Mining Ltd, Atomic Minerals Ltd, Universal Power Corp, Central Iron Ore Ltd, VIPR Industries Inc, Minergy Tanzania Ltd (Mauritius), Peak and Resources Ltd.

Others are Kinti Mining, Kilimanjaro Mining Company, Edenville Energy Plc, Japan Oil, Gas and Metal National Corporation, Kibo Mining PLC, Tanzania Minerals Corp, Karoo Exploration Corp, IBIS Resources Ltd., Baseline Resources Ltd., Japan Investment Co and Frontier Resources.

They also include; Sterling Resources Ltd., Nyanza Goldfields Ltd., Pula Group LLC, WTF Resources Ltd., Bahati Investment and Mining General Co, Mineral Evaluation Ltd., Vision Geosources Co Ltd, TanzOz Uranium and Montero Mining and Exploration.

The 55 Uranium experts working with Taec have been certifying activities of companies engaging in Uranium prospecting and exploration activities, says Mr Mwalongo who is also a Nuclear Physicist.

All uranium mines worldwide are tightly monitored and must have insurance cover to protect living things, including human beings, fauna and flora, according to him.

He says people have been too critical of Uranium prospecting, exploration and development activities due to three basic reasons, one- the nature of the metal when enriched produces terrific destructive weapons of mass killings and huge destruction of natural resources, including fauna and flora.

Other reasons are that there is little knowledge among many people on the advantages and uses of Uranium and there is strong belief in witchcraft and taboos associated with ignorance among surrounding communities in the Uranium mines.

Nuclear physicists argue that only decayed and enriched uranium without protective measures can cause dangers namely; kidney diseases, black lung cancer, pollution of water, air pollution, disturbances in biodiversity, destruction of nervous system and killing of cells.

The emission of four types of radiation rays: Alpha, Beta, Gamma and X-rays, according to them if not well controlled can cause harm to human health and environment.

Nevertheless, nuclear physicists have identified several uses and advantages of uranium materials; including manufacturing equipment for X-rays in hospitals, generation of cheap electricity, treatment of cancer, production of high quality seeds, animal breeding, radio waves, micro waves and Gamma waves for images and sound transmission equipment.

Other uses include making radiation tools for checking leakages in oil and gas pipelines, sterilisation of disposable medical equipment, killing of mosquitoes and tsetse flies, construction equipment, equipment for health checks, preservation of fruits and other food and prevention of post-harvest losses.

Basing on the above arguments raised by nuclear scientists it is still premature and unscientific to agitate against uranium mining in the country.