PM expresses preliminary support for new uranium mining site

Following the closure of the Rožná uranium mine northwest of Brno, the state owned uranium mining company Diamo wants to open a new uranium mine near Brzkov in the Jihlava region. Prime Minister Bohuslav Sobotka expressed preliminary support for the idea on Monday saying the cabinet would debate the matter and make a decision within the next few months. Villages located in the vicinity of the potential mining site have previously protested against the idea. If the project were to go ahead, preparation work would take up six to seven years after which the site would be mined for around 16 years, providing jobs for several hundred people.