The World Nuclear Association (WNA) has developed a program for Uranium Stewardship and Sustainable Development. It defines Uranium Stewardship as “a program of action based on continued commitment to ensure uranium and its by-products are managed in a safe, environmentally responsible, economically and socially acceptable manner.” Uranium Stewardship entails building partnerships throughout the life cycle of materials to ensure their production, use and disposal are consistent with global sustainable development. An essential element of Uranium Stewardship is sharing management systems and best practices within and across industry sectors.
The Republic of Kazakhstan has been an important source of uranium for more than fifty years and is now the world’s leading uranium producer.
A French low-carbon energy producer requested SRK Kazakhstan to assist them in auditing their uranium fuel supplier’s compliance with WNA’s Uranium Stewardship program. Their supplier is a uranium mining operation in Kazakhstan.
A mining engineer and an environmental consultant from SRK visited the mining operation as part of a Joint Evaluation, which also included specialists from the client’s technical department.
The team evaluated the mining operation’s compliance with the Uranium Stewardship guidelines, and measured its ability to conduct its business both within WNA’s guidelines and Kazakhstan’s laws and regulations relevant to sustainable development, environmental and social impact, health and safety management, and social responsibility.
The findings of the SRK team were incorporated in the Joint Evaluation team report on Uranium Stewardship.
