Djedovic Handanovic during session on lithium: Vinca director denied there is danger of radiation
The third day of the session in the Serbian National Assembly is underway
Minister of Energy and Mining Dubravka Djedovic Handanovic rejected today, during a session of the National Assembly of Serbia dedicated to lithium, the allegations made in amendments to the Law on Mining and Geological Surveys.
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The amendment was submitted by Danijela Nestorovic, who claims that there is a risk of increased radiation with the implementation of the Jadar (lithium mining) project.
The minister told the opposition to stop spreading fear and panic and misleading citizens.
"The director of the Vinca (nuclear) Institute denied (there would be) radiation. Radioactivity analysis was done and there are is no kind of elevated levels of radioactivity. Stop spreading fear, panic, stop misleading people, continuing to talk that there will be some disasters. You put wrong information about waste water and sulfuric acid, agriculture, the impact on agriculture and displacement in the draft law," said Djedovic Handanovic.
The minister added that several thousand people are still being mentioned, in terms of having to be displaced (because of the mining), and that she explained several times yesterday that this is not true.
Asked about the RTB Bor mining complex, she said that its sale has so far resulted in investments worth more than two billion dollars in that region, as well as that there has been an increase in industrial production, an increase in local budgets, better infrastructure and higher wages.
"And, in the end, real estate price have gone up, it all speaks of economic development," the minister stated.
She added that the National Bank of Serbia has the right to first offer of purchase of everything that Bor produces, and that the central bank is doing this.
"We are replenishing foreign exchange and gold reserves, which have increased three and four times compared to 2012," said Djedovic Handanovic.
(Telegraf Biznis/Tanjug)