On Wednesday evening, de two raw materials companies 80 Mile and Greenland Energy Company have been called to a public meeting in Ittoqqortoormiit’s community hall about their oil project in Jameson land, located approx. 50 kilometers from the city.
According to Sermitsiaq’s information, director of 80 Mile Olga Solovieva and director of Greenland Energy Company Robert Price arrived at 15:00 with a chartered Air Greenland helicopter and left again at 21:30.
On Wednesday evening, de two raw materials companies 80 Mile and Greenland Energy Company have been called to a public meeting in Ittoqqortoormiit’s community hall about their oil project in Jameson land, located approx. 50 kilometers from the city.
According to Sermitsiaq’s information, director of 80 Mile Olga Solovieva and director of Greenland Energy Company Robert Price arrived at 15:00 with a chartered Air Greenland helicopter and left again at 21:30.
Large attendance in the assembly hall
Chairman of the local committee Hans Brønlund tells Sermitsiaq that many locals had turned up at the community hall.
– There were maybe 50 or more of us. In any case, the assembly hall was full, says Hans Brønlund, who experienced that Robert Price mentioned several times that his father worked in Greenland during the Second World War.
– We have a little difficulty believing that. And on the whole he said and promised a lot that we don’t believe, says Hans Brønlund, who calls Robert Prices’ behavior manipulative.
– There were many who tried to contradict him during the meeting, and many questions were asked which he could not answer, says Hans Brønlund.
Local requirements
Prior to the meeting, the local committee had criticized both Naalakkersuisut and the company for lack of involvement, and had also drawn up a number of demands for the company, for example for payment of an expansion of the sports hall and the establishment of prison huts.
Did you tell the company about the demands you have on them?
– No, I didn’t. I don’t believe them. It is Naalakkersuisut that must make demands and maintain dialogue with the companies, otherwise we risk being cheated.
Did you say anything to them?
– Not during the citizens’ meeting itself. But we had a short meeting with them before the citizens’ meeting itself, and there I asked them why they had not brought the mayor and the responsible naalakkersuisoq to Ittoqqortoormiit. But they didn’t answer that, says Hans Brønlund.
Some are concerned that you local citizens are being abused in American propaganda. What do you think about it?
– I feel that the Americans are manipulating the population. There is no support for their oil project here in the city. And they hurried to leave again after the citizens’ meeting. I don’t think they got what they had hoped for, says Hans Brønlund.
