March Against Uranium in the South

ARGENTINA

March Against Uranium in the South

3rd June 2006 – Mendoza

www.diariouno.net.ar

SAN RAFAEL -- Driven by a growing fear of possible mining contamination of the Rio Diamante and the surrounding environment, hundreds of residents of San Rafael in the Province of Mendoza, Argentina marched yesterday through the streets to say NO to the reopening of mining operations in Sierra Pintada or any other uranium mining operation.

In a general proclamation headed by the Multi Sectorial of the South, the demonstrators stated that the uranium mines "are incompatible with agriculture and tourism," which to them would make it impossible for San Rafael to sell products free of chemical and radioactive contamination. The march, the largest of its kind in the struggle against the reactivation of the uranium complex Sierra Pintada, demonstrated again the wide gap in opinion between those in favor and those opposed to the possible uranium mining operation.

In the face of the demands of the San Rafael community, the Commission of Mining repeated its claims that it has not awarded any prospecting rights to the company Megauranium (Maple Minerals), and consequently, it does not forsee nor has authorized the intiation of exploratory works in search of uranium, nor any other mineral, in the zones alongside the Rio Diamante.