Last week, the Greenlandic Parliament passed an Act with a ban against prospecting, exploration and exploitation of uranium. It is also forbidden to carry on prospecting, exploration and exploitation of other minerals than uranium, if the average uranium content of the aggregate resource is 100 ppm or more.
The Act also provides for an authority to the Government of Greenland to issue similar ban for other radioactive elements than uranium and the relevant thresholds therefor, as well as the Government of Greenland may restrict or revoke any mineral resource prospecting, exploration or exploitation licence, if exploitation is not possible due to the ban against uranium.
The Act applies only to future licences being granted subsequent to the Act coming into force. However, the Act may be relevant for development of existing projects now being in the exploration phase with regard to the possibility to get an exploitation licence, if the project involves a resource which may not be exploited due to the ban on uranium.
The Act is shown here. See also our earlier comments to the bill here.
Inquiries and requests for further explanation may be directed to attorney-at-law Peter Schriver ps@nuna-law.gl and attorney-at-law Helen Kibsgaard hk@nuna-law.gl or by phone +299 32 13 70.