Belarus refusing to participate in enriched uranium return scheme

Minsk to hold on to its arms-grade uranium – Lukashenko , ‘RIA Novosti’ newswire, 20 April 2010, Belarus has no plans to build a “dirty” nuclear bomb but no one can take its enriched uranium stockpiles away from it, President Alexander Lukashenko said on Tuesday.”Russia and the United States are telling us – give us your enriched uranium. We will not give anything away. Everything here is under IAEA control. Russia tells America: Calm down, we will take it from there [Belarus]. No one will take anything without our consent. We will not allow that,” he said in a state-of-the-nation address.

Lukashenko added that his strained relations with Russia and the United States were due, among other things, to its reluctance to give away enriched uranium.

Minsk to hold on to its arms-grade uranium – Lukashenko | Top Russian news and analysis online | ‘RIA Novosti’ newswire

Conflict of interest in sponsors for uranium impact study?

Virginia currently has a moratorium on uranium mining and milling.

Tobacco Commission Gets Process Rolling For Socioeconomic Uranium Mining Study The Gazette Virginian, JOHN R. CRANE/Danville Register & Bee. 20 April 2010 The process has begun for the second part of a study focusing on the socioeconomic impacts of uranium mining and milling in Virginia.

Iran might now do a deal on its uranium stockpile

Iran wants to reopen talks about a nuclear fuel swap,  guardian.co.uk, Julian Borger, 19 April 2010, As a new sanctions resolution is discussed at the Security Council, Tehran has sent signals it might still be prepared to strike a deal over its uranium stockpile…… at the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) review conference in New York. the US and its allies will try to focus the discussion on Iran, and the threat of nuclear terrorism. Iran will strive to keep the spotlight on the failure of the nuclear weapons states thus far to disarm, and Israel’s refusal to join the NPT. As the review conference requires a consensus, few expect a clear outcome (with worrying implications for the NPT’s future. The focus of the action will be the western attempt to isolate Iran…..

One interesting piece of news amid the rhetoric was Manouchehr Mottaki’s announcement that Iran is seeking to reopen talks on last year’s abortive deal on the Tehran Research Reactor (TRR), the arrangement provisionally agreed last October by which Iran would swap 1200 kg of its low enriched uranium (LEU) for 20% enriched fuel rods to make medical isotopes in the TRR.

Iran wants to reopen talks about a nuclear fuel swap | World news | guardian.co.uk

Uranium production falls at Ranger mine

Uranium production falls at Ranger mine, Sydney Morning Herald, BARRY FITZGERALD April 14, 2010 SHARES in Rio Tinto’s listed uranium subsidiary, Energy Resources of Australia (ERA), have suffered a beating on the back of the company’s sharply lower production effort at the Ranger uranium mine in the Northern Territory.Market sentiment towards the stock was not helped by a downbeat assessment of the likelihood that uranium prices would pull out out of a spiral,….ERA shares dropped $1.17 or 5.9 per cent to close at $18.52. Its forecast of near-term moves in the uranium price rubbed off on other uranium stocks, with Paladin Energy shares falling 3.45 per cent……. there had been no progress in ERA’s plan to develop the $20 billion Jabiluka uranium deposit near Ranger.

ERA has undertaken not to develop the deposit without the consent of the traditional owners.

Uranium production falls at Ranger mine

Canada to Transfer Enriched Uranium to U.S. – Political Punch

Canada to Transfer Enriched Uranium to U.S. ABC News , April 12, 2010 As President Obama’s Nuclear Security Summit kicked off Monday, Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper announced that his government had agreed to return to the United States highly enriched uranium from the nuclear reactor at the Chalk River Laboratories in Ontario.

Canada to Transfer Enriched Uranium to U.S. – Political Punch

Mexico agrees to give up highly enriched uranium | D.C. Now | Los Angeles Times

Mexico agrees to give up highly enriched uranium  Los Angeles Times April 13, 2010 The nations of North America said they will work to eliminate highly enriched uranium from Mexico’s research reactors, an effort to protect against the proliferation of nuclear materials, the White House announced on Tuesday.The agreement was announced on the second
“The conversion of the reactor’s use of highly enriched uranium to low enriched uranium fuel will enable the elimination of all the remaining highly enriched uranium from Mexico. Mexico agrees to give up highly enriched uranium | D.C. Now | Los Angeles Times

In-situ uranium mining a danger of water contamination

a major hurdle for dozens of proposed in-situ uranium proposals in the region

Water concerns delay Wyoming uranium projects, 30 march 2010, The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has told the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to go back to the drawing board with its site-specific environmental reviews of three proposed in-situ uranium mines in Wyoming.

Uranium mining could be stopped by the community in Slovakia

more power and control to local communities, municipal and regional authorities. This will allow them stop or limit geological research of uranium deposits and to stop proposed uranium mining.

Victory! Uranium mining in Slovakia? No way! – Nuclear Reaction -6 March 2010, Regular readers of Nuclear Reaction may remember the campaign in Slovakia to have the law changed so that the country’s local communities can …

This week the campaign was victorious when, in a momentous decision, the Slovak parliament agreed on legal changes to geological and mining laws to give more power and control to local communities, municipal and regional authorities.

Niger’s water: radioactive contamination by foreign uranium mining companies

water in the region had 10 times the level of radioactivity considered safe.

Niger’s uranium coup, boilingspot: 7 March 2010 On February 18, Niger’s President Mamadou Tandja was overthrown in a military coup. A military junta calling itself the Supreme Council for the Restoration of Democracy, headed by Major Salou Djibo, took power Tony Iltis | Green Left Online | 6 March 2010 “…

No uranium through Oakajee: Premier

No uranium through Oakajee: Premier  ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation) Mar 25, 2010

The Premier Colin Barnett has ruled out using the proposed Oakajee deepwater port north of Geraldton to ship uranium products.