RE: A dose of reality [ U-mining, US vs. Czech]

["Franta, Jaroslav" <frantaj@aecl.ca>]

Franz, I think you (almost) put your finger on it -- from what I've heard
about it, conditions in Czech and US mines were NOT the same at all...

...as you correctly say, the US ones -- particularly those in the arid
south-western region of the country -- were dusty, as are probably most such
mines in the world  ( these days the mines use enormous water-tanker-trucks
to hose down ore piles periodically, to avoid dust generation during truck
loading operations, etc. - the Rossing mine in Namibia published some nice
pictures of these activities in an old edition of their quarterly magazine,
as well as their plant safety pamphlets).

...but the Czech ones were notoriously wet, sloppy, muddy affairs, due to
natural spring water seeping in through the rock (they were underground
mines, as opposed to the open-pit mine in Namibia, and, I believe, most of
the western US mines -- if anyone knows what TYPE of US mine the radon
studies were carried out in, please correct me ). In fact I recall that the
name "pitchblende" originates with the muddy form of the ore from Jachimov
(Joachimstal in Ger.). Besides the water, there were poisonous heavy metals
in the ore (other than U), and of course everyone smoked unfiltered
cigarettes made from cheap tobacco with all sorts of crap mixed in.

There is a two-volume book on early post-war Czech uranium mining, but
unfortunately its in Czech only, and even that has proven impossible for me
to obtain ( the book is by Kaplan, Karel and Pacl, Vladimir, title, "Tajny
prostor Jachymov" - or "Secret Area Jachymov", cast I.: Jachymovske doly,
cast II.: Lide v Jachymovskych dolech. nakl. ACTYS ve spolupraci s K klubem,
Ceske Budejovice, 1993. ISBN: 80-901234-2-2 ). 
For those interested ( & who can read Czech), there is a lengthy abstract on
the web at http://www.ujep.cz/natura/n_9708/n_9708-01.html.cz.us-ascii  

According to various news bulletins last year, ALL Czech uranium mining will
be ended within two years :

Uranium Institute News Briefing 99.30 | 21-27 July 1999
[NB99.30-4] The Czech government has decided against a reprieve for the
country's uranium mines. The Hamr and Rozna mines are scheduled for closure
by 2001, but trade and industry minister Miroslav Gregr had appealed for
mining to continue at least to 2005 and possibly beyond, arguing that the
extension would be financially worthwhile and would safeguard jobs. About
2500 people are expected to lose their jobs with state mining company Diamo
when the mines close, but the government predicts that 60% of them will find
other work within months. However, prime minister Milos Zeman has not ruled
out the possible reopening of the Rozna mine at a later date if world
uranium prices warrant it. (NucNet News, 308/99, 23 July; see also News
Briefing 99.26-4) 

Cabinet decision not to extend uranium mining is right - Kuzvart 
PRAGUE, July 21 (CTK) - The government decision not to extend uranium mining
is very correct and based on expert studies, Environment Minister Milos
Kuzvart told journalists during a cabinet meeting today. 
The government today rejected the Industry and Trade Ministry's proposal for
uranium mining to be extended by four years. Only Industry and Trade
Minister Miroslav Gregr was against. 
Gregr wanted the process of the wind-down to be prolonged by four years to
enable the complete exploitation of all easily accessible uranium deposits
to secure the country's needs without imports, while Continued uranium
mining has been opposed by Kuzvart as well as the Duha (Rainbow) green
movement, both of whom have questioned Gregr's figures concerning the
resultant unemployment.

Radio Prague Enews
Date: 22.7.99
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Copyright (c) 1999 Radio Prague (Vysilani do zahranici CRo)
Environment Ministry welcomes decision not to continue uranium mining

The cabinet has rejected a proposal by the Trade and Industry Minister
Miroslav Gregr to continue uranium mining. Mr Gregr had proposed keeping
open the country´s last working mine and reopening a second mine until 2005,
a move he says would have ensured a guaranteed source of fuel for the
country´s two nuclear power stations and saved several thousand jobs. The
government´s decision has been welcomed by the Environment Ministry. The
Environment Minister Milos Kuzvart stressed that the cabinet had taken into
account environmental, economic and social criteria in taking the decision.
Mr Kuzvart said there were employment opportunities for miners who would
lose their jobs in the two regions concerned. He estimated that uranium
mining had cost the country up to one hundred billion crowns in damage to
the environment. Czechoslovakia was once a major uranium producer, which
much of it being used in Russia´s nuclear arsenal during the Cold War.
However the industry went into a severe decline following the 1989 overthrow
of Communism.

> Radio Prague E-News
> Date: July 21, 1999
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------
> -
> Copyright (c) 1999 Radio Prague (Vysilani do zahranici CRo)
> 
> Govt to discuss uranium mining
> At its session on today the Czech cabinet is to discuss the future
> of uranium mining in the Czech Republic. The government is to
> decide whether the process of closing down the mines should be
> prolonged by four years as demanded by mining unions. Uranium
> miners demonstrated outside the government seat in Prague on
> Monday, calling for continuation of mining. They have support from
> the industry and trade ministry. On the other hand, economists and
> environmentalists claim that the Czech Republic can buy uranium
> for a much lower price on the world market and that the mining
> activities are seriously damage the environment.
> 
Miners demonstrate in favour of uranium mining 
PRAGUE, July 19 (CTK) - Around 40 miners from the state uranium mining
company Diamo demonstrated in front of the government office at around 2:00
p.m. today in favour of the plan of Miroslav Gregr, the Trade and Industry
Minister in the minority Social Democrat government, to continue uranium
mining. 
The miners read a statement expressing their support for Gregr's proposal to
mine the remains of the geologically easily accessible deposits at the Hamr
1 mine in Straz pod Ralskem, north Bohemia, and at the Rozna 1 mine in the
Czech-Moravian Highlands. Gregr is to put forward the proposal at the
cabinet meeting on Wednesday. 
If the government accepts it, for around 2,500 employees this would mean a
four year deferment of the cessation of mining in these places. 

Kuzvart asks government to reject extension of uranium mining 
PRAGUE, July 19 (CTK) - Environment Minister Milos Kuzvart will suggest on
Wednesday to the government, which is to discuss material on the extension
of uranium mining, not to approve the report of the Ministry of Industry and
Trade. 
Kuzvart told reporters today that the mining should not be extended for the
sake of employment since in the region of North Bohemia unemployment is
below the national average and is dropping, and new employment opportunities
are being created through current programmes.

[NB99.26-4] The Czech Republic is reconsidering plans to end uranium mining
within two years. The Hamr and Rozna mines are currently scheduled to stop
operating in 2000 and 2001 respectively. The trade and industry ministry has
proposed delaying closure of the mines until either 2005 or 2007, thereby
providing for a new supply contract between the state-owned mining company,
Diamo, and the national power utility, CEZ. (NucNet News, 271/99, 25 June) 


Jaro
frantaj@aecl.ca
> ----------
> From: 	Franz Schoenhofer[SMTP:schoenho@via.at]
> Reply To: 	radsafe@romulus.ehs.uiuc.edu
> Sent: 	Monday April 03, 2000 2:03 PM
> To: 	Multiple recipients of list
> Subject: 	Re: A dose of reality, continued
> 
> At 00:00 03.04.2000 -0500, you wrote:
> >We should all be able to give an example of this right away.  If my
> >recollection is correct, the U.S. EPA used data generated primarily by
> >studies of Czech uranium miners to determine acceptable levels of radon
> in
> >American homes.  
> 
> If my memory serves me well (and I am quite sure it does) then there were
> comprehensive studies on miners in the USA as well. Nevertheless I do not
> think that the conditions of miners would differ so much between the two
> countries. Mining is a dusty job, smoking is abundant everywhere. I agree
> that the limits are not easy to derive, but I suppose that persons like
> Bernard Cohen can give appropriate information.
> 
> Franz Schoenhofer
> 
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