Jordanian Cabinet to review new proposed uranium mining bylaw

With the introduction of a proposed new uranium bylaw, the Kingdom of Jordan has taken another important step in the development of its planned domestic nuclear energy program.

RENO, NV - 

The Jordan Atomic Energy Commission (JAEC) announced it has completed a draft bylaw governing uranium mining in the Kingdom.

The commission will forward the bylaw to the Jordanian Cabinet which will consider its final approval.

JAEC Commissioner for Nuclear Fuel Cycle Ned Xoubi told the Jordan news agency Petra that the bylaw is modeled after the International Atomic Energy Agency's instructions and bylaws on extracting and mining uranium.

The bylaw is part of Jordan's efforts to draw up the necessary legal and regulatory frameworks to proceed with the country's national nuclear energy program and the extraction of needed natural resources.

Last August it was announced that France and French nuclear giant Areva will help Jordan in uranium enrichment and the training of Jordan's nuclear scientists. Areva will be given the opportunity to extract 130,000 tonnes of uranium from Jordan's 1.2 billion tonnes of phosphate reserves.

Jordan also signed a memorandum of understanding on nuclear cooperation with China last August. The two nations plan to also work together to explore for and mine uranium in Jordan.

The new bylaw addresses mining impacts on the environment and local communities, transportation of nuclear material, and the safety of workers to ensure the uranium is explored and extracted in a safe and responsible manner, Petra reported.

 Nuclear energy power generation is a vital cog in the country's effort to achieve energy independence because energy imports comprise more than 20% of Jordan's GDP.

SUBSCRIBE to Mineweb.com's free daily newsletter now.

Disclaimer

MINEWEB is an interactive publication, with rolling deadlines through each day, commencing in the Sydney morning,  and concluding, 24 hours later,  in the Vancouver evening.  If you believe your side of an issue deserves inclusion, but has failed to meet one of our deadlines, you are invited to notify the Editor in Chief in Johannesburg, and we will include you in our editing and expanding on our stories. Email him at alechogg@gmail.com

Print story      Email story      Subscribe to free newsletter

Back

 

responses to this article

jordan Based on this article and the fact that Areva has the bulk of the uranium resources locked up and there is reference to the Chinese JV, I doubt there is much left over. Unless the Chinese and Rio are shut out and we take their ground we should dump . .more this asap . .less by johnnygoodhart@yahoo.com on July 08 2009, 08:19 Find this comment inappropriate? Report it

Name
Subject
Comment