Billion dollar Cameroon Uranium project on the spot

With Cameroon set to start exporting billion-dollar uranium deposits from next year, environmental concerns over the mining area are already rearing their head.

Exploration by Canadian-registered firm Mega Uranium through its local subsidiary, Nu Energy, has been on since 2009, with initial results from drilling an area of 1,000 square kilometres indicating that Mt Kitongo in Poli area of northern Cameroon is home to about 13,125 tonnes of uranium.

However, even before exploitation begins, some 12 villages surrounding the mountainous range have expressed concern over the environmental and health hazards to which they would be exposed.

According to an environmental official for the local government, Mr Bernard Piti, “there are risks linked to biodiversity degradation, pollution of water and air by certain gases emanating from the exploitation operations as well as other risks associated to illness from cancer”.

But the a Mega Uranium representative, Dr Eyong John, is quick to point out that what is going on now is merely exploratory work which is “less dangerous”.

“We have specialists who have been ensuring that international norms concerning radiology security as defined by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to which Cameroon is a member are respected”, Dr Eyong says.

The assistant mayor of Poli, Mrs Aboubakary Hadidja, is also worried by the silence around the operations on the mountain.

“The population should from time to time be informed on the evolution of the work so as to calm down their anxieties”, she says.
Health and environmental worries aside, the local populations stand to benefit from the uranium exploitation when it does start.
According to the country’s mining code, the mining company is expected to pay the equivalent of 2.5 per cent of total envisaged investment into the public treasury even before exploitation begins.

Other significant proportions will go to the government, the local community and the mining regulator.