Wismut concludes cooperation agreement on remediation of contaminated sites

The uranium mining remediation company Wismut is sealing its long-standing partnership with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) with a new cooperation agreement. The agreement with the IAEA on cooperation in the decommissioning, remediation and aftercare of uranium and nuclear contaminated sites is to be signed in Vienna on Wednesday, Wismut GmbH announced. The federally owned company says it has been working with the organization for more than two decades.

The partnership strengthens Wismut's international role and visibility and underlines Germany's contribution to sustainable development in the global raw materials sector, it said. The agreement sets a clear framework for future joint initiatives to address the global challenges of decommissioning and remediating uranium legacy sites.

Focus on international expertise

"By working closely with the IAEA, we are actively contributing to the development of innovative and cost-effective solutions for the remediation of mining legacy sites," said Michael Paul, Technical Managing Director at Wismut. In addition, Wismut supports the organization's initiatives, for example in building up expertise and training international experts. A particular focus of future cooperation will be on expanding the activities coordinated by the IAEA for the remediation of contaminated sites in Central Asia and on the African continent.

The Thuringian State Secretary for the Environment, Karin Arndt, emphasized that the federally owned company is now an internationally valued partner. "Especially in the Global South, there is a great need for practicable, affordable and accepted solutions for dealing with contaminated sites - and this is precisely where the experience developed in Thuringia can help." Wismut recently renewed several cooperation agreements with international partners - for example with the Department of Radioactive Waste Management of the US Department of Energy and a Chilean copper producer.

From uranium supplier to environmental remediator

Wismut was once one of the largest industrial companies in the GDR. In Saxony and Thuringia, it mined uranium for nuclear weapons and nuclear power plants in the former Soviet Union. The ruthless mining left behind immense damage. Since reunification, Wismut has been cleaning up the legacy of uranium mining.