By Petronella Sibeene WINDHOEK While the uranium rush has prompted local firms to intensify exploratory activity, the Ministry of Mines and Energy strongly feels the government should regulate mining activities and ensure local uranium is not used for the production of weapons of mass destruction. This was said by the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Mines and Energy, Joseph Iita, when he addressed a regional conference under way in Windhoek. A weapon of mass destruction, or nuclear weapon as it is alternatively referred to, is a military hardware which derives its destructive force from the nuclear reactions of fission or fusion. As a result, even a nuclear weapon with a small yield is significantly more powerful than the largest conventional explosive, and a single weapon is capable of destroying an entire city. Iita in his address at the first conference hosted by the Southern African Institute of Mining and Metallurgy (SAIMM) in Namibia, appealed to the government to consider a separate policy on uranium resources in the country. Namibia is one of the 188 countries that are party to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons. This is an international treaty opened for signature on July 1 1968 to limit the spread of nuclear weapons. “Government should ensure that uranium of Namibian origin is not diverted from its intended use and is only applied for peaceful non-explosive purpose,” he said. He added that Namibia would not involve any third party to export its mineral, as that is tantamount to compromising the country’s peace, stability, and prosperity. Currently, Namibia is home to the RÃÆ’Æ‘Æ‘ÃÆ”šÃ‚¶ssing mine, Langer Heinrich and Husab uranium projects. Trekkopje and Valencia are at their feasibility and pre-feasibility stages. Trekkopje, located 20 kilometres north of RÃÆ’Æ‘Æ‘ÃÆ”šÃ‚¶ssing, is expected to start commercial production by the end of 2008 at a capital cost of US$500 million. Initial trial mining will start at the end of the year. Valencia, found 35 kilometres east of RÃÆ’Æ‘Æ‘ÃÆ”šÃ‚¶ssing, is another project with near-term production potential. Looking at the country’s uranium projects, it is notable how rapidly exploration work has proceeded, with drilling already under way at other projects – Goanikontes and Marenica – says independent economic analyst Roger Murray. New uranium mines will generate additional revenue to the state, increase foreign exchange earnings, secure a healthy “balance of payment” and create employment. The demand for uranium has resulted in escalated prices in the industry. Since the beginning of 2005 when the price was around US$20 per pound U308, it has increased rapidly to just over US$45 per pound in mid-2006. By April this year, the price had reached the US$100 per pound level. The price surge has underpinned a significant expansion in global exploration and development of uranium deposits, and most analysts believe that a physical shortage of material – with the current supply shortfall not generally forecast to be met until 2009 – will continue to drive up the prices for some time. In the case of RÃÆ’Æ‘Æ‘ÃÆ”šÃ‚¶ssing mine, sales almost doubled in value between 2004 (gross turnover of US$124 million) and 2006 (gross turnover of US$229 million), despite annual production being more or less constant at 3 600 to 3 700 metric tons, mainly reflecting higher prices. This trend, according to Murray, highlights the importance of bringing presently planned production capacity into operation and of continued high levels of exploration activity for additional uranium deposits. While uranium has always been a controversial metal, from its role in the arms race to its claim to being the only viable alternative to fossil fuel, Iita says safety and security issues concerning Namibian uranium production will be in the spotlight. It has been known for years that large doses of ionizing radiation can cause a measurable increase in cancers and leukaemia (cancer of the blood). High levels such as 10 000 millisieverts (a dose) can cause illness such as nausea and a decreased white blood cell count, and subsequent death within a few weeks. The degree of damage caused by radiation depends on many factors, including type of radiation, parts of the body exposed, age and health. Embryos are particularly sensitive to radiation damage. However, accumulated doses of radiation might produce cancer that would only be observed twenty years after the radiation exposure. There is no scientific evidence of risk at doses below 50 millisieverts. Iita assured that under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Health and Social Services, licences on the import and export of radioactive sources are issued, and thus inspection and authorization of all radioactive sources are carried out. Mainly driven by fears of global warming, at a political level nuclear power is now seen as an acceptable and the only solution to wide-scale reductions in greenhouse gasses. Recently, American President George Bush announced that for the sake of economic security, the USA must aggressively move forward with the construction of nuclear power plants while the United Kingdom’s Prime Minister Tony Blair has firmly put nuclear power back on the agenda. Rapidly developing countries like China and India are relying on nuclear power for their growing energy requirements.