"The French Nuclear Medusa," Beyond Nuclear Bulletin, June 19, 2008.

Areva is dramatically increasing its uranium mining activities in Kazakhstan, a country whose notorious nuclear history includes nuclear weapons tests inflicted on unprotected populations that continue to cause birth defects today. Areva plans to mine 4,000 tonnes of uranium a year, up from 1,000 tonnes. However, according to The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, “Kazakhstan is unprepared for the environmental impact an increase in uranium mining would cause, and the country lacks adequate regulations governing the rehabilitation of land used by mining enterprises.” Furthermore, Kazakhstan is reputedly rife with corruption and, asserts the Bulletin, the “threat that crooked officials could undermine the country's nonproliferation policies by making lucrative side deals with rogue countries or terrorist groups remains.”Recommend this Post

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