Two uranium mining giants–Cameco and Areva–are about to sign a disturbing agreement with the Village of Pinehouse, Saskatchewan, that promises jobs and money in exchange for the entire community’s silence for as long as the two mining companies are working in the area.
A group of people from Pinehouse, Beauval, English River First Nation and Canoe Lake First Nation are now seeking a court injunction to stop anyone from signing the agreement.
Since the anti-free speech clause became public knowledge, the mining companies moved up their deadline for signing agreement from December 31st to December 12th.
The group is urging “all human rights and environmental groups and organizations to demonstrate unity in protecting our right to free speech by signing on to this court injunction“.
To sign the injunction, please contact:
Larry Kowalchuk
Kowalchuk Law Office
101-2222 Albert St.
Regina SK S4P 2V2Work: (306) 522-2606
Cell: (306) 529-3001
Fax: (306) 522-2608
Email: larc@sasktel.net
Please see below for a full briefing of the situation, courtesy of The Committee for Future Generations
1. Contact Cameco, Areva, the Mayor of Pinehouse and others involved in this agreement
Email, phone or fax Cameco, Areva, the Mayor of Pinehouse and tell them:
To group email key people involved in the collaboration agreement:
You can also contact key people individually. Contacts are included at the bottom of the Committee for Future Generations ‘Take Action’ website post.
And use the following hashtags:
#cameco
#areva
#nogagagreement
#skpoli
3. Help Pinehouse residents spread the word
Articles, analysis, letters to the editor and more are on the Committee for Future Generations website at http://committeeforfuturegenerations.wordpress.com. Please share the information on Facebook, Twitter and through your email networks!
4. Express your opinion in the media
The Coalition for a Clean Green Saskatchewan has an excellent “Express Your Opinion” page on its website, where you can find contact information for major media outlets and elected officials in Saskatchewan: http://www.cleangreensask.ca/Home/express-your-opinion
Write letters to the editor detailing your support for Pinehouse residents’ right to speak up!
Cameco and Areva are about to sign a collaboration agreement with the Village of Pinehouse, Saskatchewan which promises jobs and money in exchange for what amounts to a gag order on the whole community for the duration of time that Cameco and Areva will be mining.
G/ Other Promises
Pinehouse promises to:
e/ Not make statements or say things in public or to any government, business or agency that opposes Cameco/Areva’s mining operations.
f/ Make reasonable efforts to ensure Pinehouse members do not say or do anything that interferes with or delays Cameco/Areva’s mining, or do or say anything that is not consistent with Pinehouse’s promises under the Collaboration Agreement.
See a copy of the agreement here:
http://committeeforfuturegenerations.files.wordpress.com/2012/11/collaborationagreement.pdf
A group of northerners from Pinehouse (5), Beauval (1), English River First Nation (1) and Canoe Lake First Nation (1) has just secured a lawyer that is working on a court injunction to stop the signing of this agreement. The lawyer informed the group today that “Anyone can add their name, including organizations and groups.”
The group is appealing to all human rights and environmental groups and organizations to demonstrate unity in protecting our right to free speech by signing on to this court injunction.
The community of Pinehouse knew nothing about this agreement until November 13th 2012, when they were provided with only a summary. When community members asked for details they were told by administration:
Following are more disturbing clauses from the agreement:
B/ 3. Business Development
b/ Some examples of specific evergreen contracts’ that Cameco/Areva intends to give Pinehouse are as follows: iii) Provide environmental waste management services for all of Cameco/Areva’s mines.
Pinehouse is in site selection process with the Nuclear Waste Management Organization. Northerners are concerned that the gag order and undisclosed information of the Cameco Areva Pinehouse collaboration agreement is a tool the nuclear industry is using to push nuclear waste into our province.
15. b) Pinehouse will Support Cameco/Areva’s Proposed Projects in the following ways:
iii) acknowledge that Cameco/Areva have properly consulted Pinehouse for these projects, including the possible social, economic and environmental effects of the projects and any effects the projects may have on the Pinehouse’s aboriginal rights;
iv) agree not to seek any more payment or other monies or any other sort of accommodation from Cameco/Areva, including for any damages to Pinehouse’s aboriginal rights as a result of the projects.
Nowhere in Canada or in the world should people have to be worried about getting poisoned by radioactivity. Nowhere in Canada or in the world should people have to fear speaking out.
The Cameco-Areva-Pinehouse agreement is in violation of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms and the United Nations Declaration of Rights because it is denies free speech. Every Canadian’s right to free speech is guaranteed and protected in the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. If Cameco and Areva sign this agreement with Pinehouse, it will constitute a crime against every Canadian, and will set a precedent allowing Cameco/Areva to commit more crimes.
On behalf of every Canadian, we seek a court injunction to:
If you, your group or organization would like details regarding signing on to the court injunction, please contact:
Larry Kowalchuk
Kowalchuk Law Office
101-2222 Albert St.
Regina SK S4P 2V2
Work: (306) 522-2606
Cell: (306) 529-3001
Fax: (306) 522-2608
Email: larc@sasktel.net
To contact a representative of the group of eight Northerners:
Max Morin: 306-865-9299
maxcdm@yahoo.com
John Smerek: 306-884-2341
jonsmerek@gmail.com
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