BEAUFORT WEST NEWS - Today, 25 March, marks the final day to submit comments on the proposed uranium mining project on various farm portions in the Beaufort West district.
The deadline for submitting comments is tonight at midnight.
They can be sent to Environmental Impact Management Services (EIMS) via email to aquatox.rystkuil@eims.co.za, by phoning 011 789 7170 or by faxing them to 086 571 9047.
The contact person is Jolene Webber and the EIMS reference number is 1616.
The Graaff-Reinet-based Support Centre for Land Change (SCLC) and the Karoo Environmental Justice Movement (KEJM) have raised strong objections to the proposed project, which includes both an application for mining rights for uranium extraction and a water use licence.
The Karoo - one of South Africa’s driest regions - relies heavily on its underground aquifers, which are already under immense pressure due to ongoing droughts.
“This project threatens to exacerbate the already limited water resources in the region,” says Patrick Sambo, the SCLC’s executive director.
He explains that the water-intensive nature of uranium mining would divert essential water supplies from uses critical for domestic consumption and agriculture, thus jeopardizing the survival of local communities.
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