Nova Scotia’s attempt to spark uranium exploration has drawn no proposals, according to Premier Tim Houston.
The province issued a request for proposals as an early step to gauge interest and encourage a fact-driven discussion about resource development.
“In the case of uranium specifically, there were no bids,” Houston said.
He emphasized that while applications for other natural resource licenses surged by about 70 per cent in the first quarter compared to last year, uranium exploration attracted no interest.
Houston maintained that the province must approach natural resource projects with facts rather than fear.
“It’s really important to me and a really important discussion because the voices that push fear get a lot of the airtime,” he said.
Despite the lack of proposals, Houston said he believes uranium has potential in Nova Scotia.
“But it’s gotta be done safely. It’s gotta be done sustainably,” he added.
The premier stressed that any future uranium projects would only proceed if they meet strict environmental and safety standards.
Nova Scotia lifted a decades-long moratorium on uranium mining earlier this year, but the decision has drawn concern from municipalities, Indigenous leaders, and health experts who want further study on potential impacts.
Houston did not indicate what the next steps would be but suggested the government could conduct aerial surveillance itself.
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