This was according to Dr Stefan Cramer, hydro-geologist and science advisor to the Southern African Faith Communities’ Environment Institute. The institute describes itself as committed to ‘earth keeping’.
READ The dangers of uranium mining
The mining company had applied to the Western Cape government for mining rights on some 500 000ha in the Karoo.
Uranium mining in the Karoo posed a serious threat to the environment, and extreme water consumption and severe dust pollution caused by uranium mining were of grave concern, he said in a statement.
The fact that the company missed the deadline could be construed as blatant disregard for the legal processes for mining rights applications, Cramer said, adding that it made a mockery of the public participation process prescribed by law and enshrined in the SA Constitution.
“The possible effects of uranium mining in the Karoo and the impact thereof on the environment are even more terrifying than the effects of shale gas extraction,” Cramer said.
