Uranium mining bad for environment

Comment:  Great Letter!

By Published by The Editorial Board
Published: November 30, 2009
Updated: December 1, 2009

To the editor:

I’m trying to figure out what an environmentally-friendly uranium mine tailings management operation and the environment have in common. Let me guess … how about nothing!

The National Academy of Sciences is considering whether to conduct a study to determine if uranium mining and milling can be done safely, but the scope of this study is still being worked on. I hope this recent little “rainfall” will be considered in their study, along with the damage from hurricanes we’ve had in the past.

I would also like to know where the facilities designed for severe weather are, let alone their distance to populated areas. I’m still trying to find one safe mining operation that hasn’t caused damage in that area. Also, consider how deep the pits will have to be to hold thousands of tons of ore and be covered with water to keep down the dust.

Here we go again — as far as regulations go — comparing farmers’ primitive ponds to a uranium mining operation. The government has more important things to do than be concerned about your fish pond. VUI has stated the amount of rainfall would not increase the amount of radiation already in rock. Well, I’ll be — I guess we’ll all be safe.

But if you take an egg and crack it open, it don’t look like it once did. Do you feel lucky? There also a few years from having a specific finalized design for this mining operation. Nothing like telling people it will be fine and not to worry, not knowing how they’re going to start. I myself don’t care to be a guinea pig in this science project. As the old saying goes, you can put sugar on a pile of manure and it might look sweet, but it’s still a pile of manure.

TIMOTHY F. STUART
Chatham, VA

http://www2.godanriver.com/gdr/news/opinion/letters_to_the_editor/danville_letters/article/uranium_mining_bad_for_environment/15976/