Daniel Carawan
Richmond Progressive Examiner
December 27, 2011
Del. R. Lee Ware Jr. (R-Powhatan) recently stated that mining for uranium in Southside VA will be a “marquee issue” during the next session of the General Assembly starting on January 11.
If it already wasn’t clear that uranium mining could shape up to be one of the most divisive and important issues in VA politics since the issue of slavery, you just heard from one of the horse’s mouths.
The recent release of the National Academy of Sciences report on uranium mining in VA appeared to both vindicate those in favor of uranium mining as well as those opposed.
The NAS pointed out that there are substantial risks involved in the mining of uranium, especially in VA’s case, but that these risks could be reduced through the use of “modern mining techniques.”
But notice also that risk cannot be eliminated, merely reduced. Reduced to what, you may ask? Unfortunately, the risks involved with uranium mining and milling are ubiquitous and difficult to quantify for the purposes of measurement and ultimate reduction.
If you really want to know why so many Virginians fear and oppose uranium mining and milling in our state, one only needs to look at the human and environmental health track record of mining and milling efforts across the country over the past 30 years. The results are as grim as the lungs of coal miners.
No amount of economic development and energy independence can give back the lives that are cut short due to mining and milling uranium ore.
Would you want one of your family members
Continue reading on Examiner.com Uranium mining will be the crème de la crème of the 2012 GA Session - Richmond Progressive | Examiner.com http://www.examiner.com/progressive-in-richmond/uranium-mining-will-be-the-cr-me-de-la-cr-me-of-the-2012-ga-session#ixzz1hlajj3wC
