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Corporate Impunity

Procedures & Milestones : Areva – Niger/Gabon

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2003: Sherpa and CRIIRAD (the independent commission for research and information on radioactivity) are alerted by the Nigerian civil-society group about the impact of AREVA’s uranium mining in Niger and carry out an on-site analysis.

Santé mineur niger areva

Minor in Areva’s site in Niger

2005: First report on AREVA in Niger. Sherpa is contacted by the Mounana group.

2007: Second report on AREVA in Gabon. Sherpa and CRIIRAD consider legal action. Negotiations between ARVEA, Sherpa, and Doctors of the World begin.

June 2009: Conclusion of agreements between AREVA and Sherpa/Doctors of the World.

October 2010: First health observatory established in Gabon, at the Mounana site (OSM).

December 2012: Health observatory established in the Agadez region, Niger (OSRA).

January 2012: Follow-up: Sherpa visit to the Imouraren and Agadez sites, meetings with AREVA and the civil society.

April 2012: Agreement on claims by families of foreign ex-employees.

End of 2012: OSM carried out examinations of 650 ex-employees who had worked at COMUF’s Mounana site, and OSRA met with 115 COMINAK and SOMAÏR employees. None of the assessments were deemed to meet the criteria of a work-related illness that merited compensation by the Groupe Médical.

December 18, 2012: In response to AREVA’s failure to act, the lack of progress on the claims procedure, and the civil society’s unhappiness, Sherpa decided to withdraw from the agreements.

ACTION IN PROGRESS…