Roanoke conservation group says proposed uranium mining site would harm water quality, increase water competition.
Date published: 11/18/2011
By RUSTY DENNEN
The mining of uranium in Pittsylvania County would harm water quality and increase competition for water in southern Virginia, according to a report released yesterday by the Roanoke River Basin Association.
The report, prepared by environmental consultant Robert Moran, says that mining the 3,000-acre Coles Hill property "would cause long-term, chronic degradation of water quality and increase water competition" in the Roanoke River watershed. The association opposes the mining project.
The Virginia General Assembly in its upcoming session is expected to consider Virginia Uranium Inc.'s request to lift a 29-year moratorium on mining the mineral in the commonwealth.
That's a concern in the Fredericksburg area, because in the 1970s Marline Uranium Corp. secured leases on thousands of acres in Orange, Culpeper, Madison and Fauquier counties with a plan to mine and mill the radioactive mineral. Those leases ended in the early 1980s, and no mining was done.
Olga Kolotushkina, an adviser for the RRBA, said, "Unfortunately, [Virginia Uranium] so far failed to present any sort of detailed project proposal in writing." The plans, she said "have changed constantly, depending upon the audience. Hence we felt that an independent evaluation of the proposed project is needed."
The report identifies waste rock, uranium mill tailings, mine dewatering and the use of explosives as potential sources of significant water contamination.
It says the mine would generate at least 28 million tons of uranium mill tailings, and about the same amount of liquid waste. The solid wastes, the RRBA says, "would remain on site forever, requiring maintenance forever."
The RRBA says more than 5 billion gallons of water would be used over the life of the project, limiting water availability to other potential users. In addition, it said groundwater could be affected by seepage of acidic water and other chemicals.
Rusty Dennen: 540/374-5431
Email: rdennen@freelancestar.com
Read more at:
http://fredericksburg.com/News/FLS/2011/112011/11182011/665686
