Finnish charges of illegal uranium mining under investigation

London (Platts)--5Mar2007

Charges of illegal uranium mining are being investigated by the Finnish
Ministry of Trade and Industry, a ministry official told the Finnish news
agency STT March 2.

Alpo Kuparinen said the investigation involves companies that may
have been doing test drilling for uranium in the Oulanka national park, where
mining is prohibited. Kuparinen, deputy director general of the ministry's
Technology Department/Division for Research and Foresight Studies, did not
identify the companies, but said they have two weeks to respond to the
ministry's inquiry. The ministry began investigating after complaints from
officials in the town of Salla, near the park.