The agriculture minister, Calle Schlettwein Namibia, can only grant Headspring Investments licences to drill for uranium after receiving expert advice on the impact of numerous exploration boreholes and in situ leach mining.
Headspring Investment, owned by Uranium One, was awarded eight EPLs for base, rare metals, and nuclear fuel minerals in the Omaheke’s Leonardville area and Hardap Region.
Schlettwein withdrew Headspring Investments’ permits on November 9, 2021, citing non-compliance with some of the drilling permit conditions issued by the agriculture ministry.
The company started its drilling programme in the area in 2012 and has drilled about 600 exploration boreholes and 36 hydrogeological /monitoring boreholes on 39 farms.
Schlettwein told parliament that Headspring Investments conducted the drilling after receiving environmental clearance certificates from the environment ministry and drilling permits from his ministry.
According to Schlettwein, the drilling permits issued contained conditions required to ensure the safety of the groundwater resource.
The minister said Headspring returned the cancelled permits 11561 and 11562 as required by the law.
Schlettwein said that Headspring Investments applied to the agriculture ministry to drill a further 261 boreholes for nuclear fuel minerals exploration, 36 boreholes for radionuclides observation, and seven boreholes for monitoring and control, citing the possession of valid ECCs and renewed EPLs.
No drilling
The minister said as far as the ministry was concerned, drilling activities have not been since the drilling permits were withdrawn.
He said the agriculture ministry staff have been conducting compliance monitoring visits in the Stampriet Artesian Basin area, including Leonardville, where Headspring Investment has been conducting exploration activities.
“During these compliance visits, we have not observed any drilling activities by Headspring Investment unless otherwise,” he said, adding that the last visit to the area was from January 25 to 30, 2024.
“However, it is essential to be informed that the borehole drilling licence has a validity period of three years. After this period, if further drilling is required, a new licence must be applied for. Non-compliance with these regulations is considered a violation, and according to the newly enacted Water Resource Management Act No. 11 of 2013, penalties can be imposed by the minister as stipulated in the Act,” Schlettwein added.
