Since 2018, it has been prohibited to extract uranium in Sweden. The government wants to change this from next year.
One of the proposals is that municipalities should not be able to stop smaller mines and mines where uranium is extracted as a by-product. However, what is classified as smaller mines is not entirely clear.
The proposal has caused several municipalities to react strongly. Even municipalities that are not directly affected by mining are worried that the municipalities' veto power may be restricted.
Large-scale popular protests
Falköping Municipality – which is governed by a broad coalition and where large deposits of uranium are found in alum shale – writes in its response that uranium mining can have major negative consequences for the environment, agricultural landscapes, animal husbandry, and for residents in the area.
The proposal also lacks popular support, according to the municipality. In the 1970s, large protests broke out among residents in Skaraborg when uranium mining was to be resumed at the Ranstad plant, on the border between Falköping and Skövde. The affected municipalities also exercised their veto at the time.
The municipality writes that the veto power is threatened if the government's proposal is implemented.
"Dismantling the municipal veto in favor of uranium mines would be a step in the wrong direction," they write in their response, which was prepared together with Skövde Municipality.
Risk: Water supply
Large deposits of uranium are also found in Jämtland County, and the municipalities of Östersund and Åre believe that it is unacceptable to have such a far-reaching proposal with so much uncertainty about which planned mines are included or not.
Östersund believes that uranium extraction poses significant environmental risks, affecting water supply and food production. Additionally, mining can negatively impact tourism.
However, the mining companies Swemin and Bergslagen Metals are largely positive and want to give the legislative proposal the green light.
Reduce Russian dominance
The government believes that the ban on uranium mining has hindered the possibility of extracting other critical raw materials necessary for the climate transition, including those used in wind turbines and batteries.
Other reasons for lifting the ban include investments in nuclear power and the tense security policy situation. Today, Russia, Kazakhstan, and Uzbekistan control more than half of the world's uranium production.
More than a quarter of Europe's known uranium deposits are found in Sweden.
The consultation period ends on Thursday, and the government plans for the new law to come into effect on January 1, 2026.
