Uranium mining in our territory after 1945. With focus on the export to USSR, balance and possible compensation
Abstract
This paper focuses on the uranium mining in the territory of current Czech Republic after the year 1945 and its export to USSR. The main focus is on the possible compensation for the environmental loss.
There is no evidence of any compensation of these losses from the USSR or later from the successor state of Russian Federation. To understand better the agreement between Czechoslovakia and USSR it is described the history of uranium mining and its export to USSR.
The core of the paper is the legal analysis of the agreement of the governments of Czechoslovakia and USSR and its protocol from 23rd of November 1945 about the uranium mining and export to USSR and its amendments. From this analysis, the price paid by USSR and the costs of the mining it is clear that the mining was not profitable for Czechoslovakia and the Czechoslovakia had to pay not only for the environmental losses.
It is necessary to understand that the uranium was not worldwide competitive and it is also bear in mind the political situation of that time. These two aspects are in the paper described.
Finally, the paper also describes the environmental losses. It is necessary to understand that the environmental loss was not the only negative factor of this project - work deployment of prisoners, health impacts, work injuries, etc.
These aspects were not deeply described in the paper but it is important to bear them in mind.