NO TO CANCER = NO TO URANIUM MINING AND PROCESSING IN KOŠICE
06/03/2013 18:25
"NO TO CANCER = NO TO URANIUM MINING AND PROCESSING IN KOŠICE
6 March 2013 18:25
* TO SUPPORT CANCER PREVENTION
We support all the activities aiming at prevention of oncological diseases. A healthy environment is a key factor in the effort to prevent cancer. We want a healthy environment for a healthy city.
* TO SUPPORT THE COLLECTIVE CHANGE PROPOSAL TO THE AMENDMENT OF THE GEOLOGICAL LAW - FOR PRESERVATION OF THE RIGHT OF VETO OF THE LOCAL AUTHORITIES IN THE NEGOTIATIONS AND DECISION MAKING ABOUT TERRITORIES FOR EXPLORATION OF RADIOACTIVE MINERALS - ESPECIALLY URANIUM IN KOŠICE https://www.changenet.sk/?section=kampane&x=703878
In the negotiations dealing with licences for exploration of radioactive minerals in a certain territory the local municipality as the representative of the people living in the affected area currently has rights ensuring the protection of healthy living conditions, a healthy way of life and work of the inhabitants. However, if the amendment of the geological law was approved as proposed by the Ministry of Environment, the currently valid legal obligation to reject the proposal for delimitation of a territory for exploration of radioactive minerals because of a negative opinion of local municipalities and regions would be cancelled. At the same time, local municipalities and regions would be completely excluded from negotiations and decision making about territories for exploration of radioactive minerals.
Already the realization of a geological exploration for presence of radioactive minerals itself can have a negative impact e.g. to the quality of water sources, to the protection of nature reservations and to the quality of the environment as a whole.
The collective change proposal aims to preserve the right of municipalities to refuse activities with a possible negative impact to the health of citizens.
* TO ENSURE THE RIGHT OF CITIZENS TO MAKE DECISIONS ABOUT A HEALTHY ENVIRONMENT
Approving the amendment of the geological law as proposed by the Ministry of Environment would limit the right of the general public to participate in these important decision making processes through their elected representatives. At the same time the municipal authorities elected by the inhabitants of the affected areas would lose the right to make an appeal against the decisions made about exploration territories, which is in contradiction with the Aarhus Convention on Access to Information, Public Participation in Decision-making and Access to Justice in Environmental Matters.
MEMORANDUM OF THE PARTICIPANTS OF THE MEETING
x WE REFUSE to be an object of a multi-phase experiment with our health that starts with a non-monitored geological exploration, continues with mining, processing and distribution of radioactive minerals and ends with radioactive heaps and ponds whose disposal will be technically almost impossible and financially extremely demanding.
x WE REFUSE to accept the tendentious legal amendment of the geological law (and eventually also of the mining law) that is being prepared and whose aim is to remove from towns, villages and municipal communities the right to participate and to veto decisions in negotiations for granting licences for exploration of radioactive minerals.
x WE SUPPORT the collective change proposal to the amendment of the geological law whose acceptation will preserve the current legal status quo.
x In negotiations for granting licences for exploration of radioactive minerals WE DEMAND to always prefer the constitutional right for a healthy environment to economic parameters.
x WE DEMAND for the general public the right to participate in decision making about their environment either directly or via their elected representatives in local municipalities."