Key lawmakers in Va. uranium debate to meet
Posted on December 10, 2012
CHATHAM, Va. (AP) — Virginia lawmakers who will play a critical role in whether Virginia ends a 30-year ban on uranium mining are meeting Tuesday within miles of a deposit of the radioactive ore that has fueled the intense debate.
The Coal and Energy Commission is traveling to Chatham to receive the Uranium Working Group's report. On Nov. 30, the multi-agency group submitted to Gov. Bob McDonnell its assessment on a range of issues — regulatory to environmental — that Virginia will need to address if the state allows uranium mining. The report did not include a recommendation on whether the ban should be lifted.
In a release on the Chatham meeting, the commission said it will not take any action on the report Tuesday and a future meeting will be held in Richmond prior to the start of the 2013 General Assembly, presumably to issue a recommendation on uranium mining.
Sen. John Watkins, R-Powhatan and a member of the commission, has already requested development of legislation to end the 1982 moratorium and a regulatory framework to oversee uranium mining.
Virginia Uranium Inc. is lobbying for an end to the moratorium so it can mine a 119-milllion pound deposit of the ore in Pittsylvania County. It is the largest known uranium deposit in the U.S. and among the largest in the world.
The proposed mining, however, has stirred opposition among those who fear mining and the milling of the ore for use as fuel in nuclear power plants pose a threat to public water supplies and local residents. Opponents argue that Virginia is susceptible to torrential rains and destructive storms that could scatter tailings, or waste from the separation of the ore from rock.
McDonnell, who has said he has not formed an opinion on whether uranium mining should occur, is reviewing public comments received by the working group during its 10-month period of study, a spokesman said. The governor has said he will meet with representatives on both sides of the issue before taking a public stand on uranium mining.
http://www.businessweek.com/ap/2012-12-10/key-lawmakers-in-va-dot-uranium-debate-to-meet
RICHMOND — The state delegate who represents the site of a proposed uranium mining and milling project in Pittsylvania County said Thursday that he remains opposed to lifting Virginia's moratorium on uranium mining, voicing concerns about the project's environmental and economic impacts.
"At this point in time, with so many unanswered questions, I don't think it is the right thing to write regulations or lift the ban on mining and milling uranium," said Del. Don Merricks, R-Chatham, during a panel discussion at the state Capitol.
Merricks' district includes the 3,500-acre Coles Hill site where Virginia Uranium Inc. hopes to mine a 119-million-pound uranium deposit. The debate over the 30-year-old uranium mining moratorium likely will be one of the most contentious issues of the 2013 General Assembly session, which begins Jan. 9.
Merricks reaffirmed his opposition to lifting the ban nearly a week after a multi-agency working group released a report outlining a regulatory framework for mining and milling. The report from Gov. Bob McDonnell's working group contains guidelines for protecting public health and the environment and spells out financial and other permitting requirements that mine operators should have to meet.
Merricks said stringent regulations don't guarantee protection from environmental risks associated with milling uranium. He also raised concerns that the project could stigmatize a region that is struggling to revamp its economy and reduce high unemployment rates.
"There is no question in my mind that mining and milling will provide the potential for health risks and environmental contamination," Merricks said. "Even with the world's best practices in place and the most stringent regulations, the potential for contamination still exists."
Asked later if he expects some deference from his legislative colleagues, Merricks said: "I hope they would at least give an ear."
Merricks outlined his concerns during the annual Associated Press Day at the Capitol program, which previewed issues in the upcoming General Assembly session.
State Sen. John Watkins, R-Powhatan, announced Monday that he will introduce legislation to lift the moratorium. Watkins serves on the Virginia Coal and Energy Commission's uranium mining subcommittee, which will meet Tuesday in Chatham.
Merricks said he remains concerned about the waste product, or tailings, that would be left over from the milling process. The company said it plans to store the tailings in secure, underground containment facilities to mitigate the risk of contamination. But Merricks, echoing concerns raised by environmental groups and other opponents, likened it to maintaining "a Superfund waste site forever."
The uranium panel also included Cale Jaffe of the Southern Environmental Law Center, which wants to keep the mining ban, and scientist Paul Locke, who led a National Academy of Sciences study of uranium mining that was completed last year. The study concluded that Virginia would face "steep hurdles" in protecting public health and the environment if it allows uranium mining and milling, and that strong regulations might mitigate risks.
McDonnell's working group did not make a recommendation about lifting the moratorium.
McDonnell said Thursday that he has only scanned the executive summary of the report, but will receive briefings and meet with various stakeholders before deciding whether to make a recommendation to lawmakers.
"I appreciate Delegate Merricks' input and, honestly, on a lot of these things, you always have to consider the people whose back yard it's in," McDonnell said in a separate appearance at the AP forum.
"There's only one factor that matters to me and that is: Can we create a high degree of certainty that regulations that might be put in place to regulate uranium mining and milling can provide for a high degree of public safety?" McDonnell said.
http://www.roanoke.com/politics/wb/317673
The Coal and Energy Commission is traveling to Chatham to receive the Uranium Working Group's report. On Nov. 30, the multi-agency group submitted to Gov. Bob McDonnell its assessment on a range of issues — regulatory to environmental — that Virginia will need to address if the state allows uranium mining. The report did not include a recommendation on whether the ban should be lifted.
In a release on the Chatham meeting, the commission said it will not take any action on the report Tuesday and a future meeting will be held in Richmond prior to the start of the 2013 General Assembly, presumably to issue a recommendation on uranium mining.
Sen. John Watkins, R-Powhatan and a member of the commission, has already requested development of legislation to end the 1982 moratorium and a regulatory framework to oversee uranium mining.
Virginia Uranium Inc. is lobbying for an end to the moratorium so it can mine a 119-milllion pound deposit of the ore in Pittsylvania County. It is the largest known uranium deposit in the U.S. and among the largest in the world.
The proposed mining, however, has stirred opposition among those who fear mining and the milling of the ore for use as fuel in nuclear power plants pose a threat to public water supplies and local residents. Opponents argue that Virginia is susceptible to torrential rains and destructive storms that could scatter tailings, or waste from the separation of the ore from rock.
McDonnell, who has said he has not formed an opinion on whether uranium mining should occur, is reviewing public comments received by the working group during its 10-month period of study, a spokesman said. The governor has said he will meet with representatives on both sides of the issue before taking a public stand on uranium mining.
http://www.businessweek.com/ap/2012-12-10/key-lawmakers-in-va-dot-uranium-debate-to-meet
Del. Don Merricks opposed to mining uranium
Merricks of Chatham said there are too many unanswered questions on the issue.
By Michael Sluss981-3373
"At this point in time, with so many unanswered questions, I don't think it is the right thing to write regulations or lift the ban on mining and milling uranium," said Del. Don Merricks, R-Chatham, during a panel discussion at the state Capitol.
Merricks' district includes the 3,500-acre Coles Hill site where Virginia Uranium Inc. hopes to mine a 119-million-pound uranium deposit. The debate over the 30-year-old uranium mining moratorium likely will be one of the most contentious issues of the 2013 General Assembly session, which begins Jan. 9.
Merricks reaffirmed his opposition to lifting the ban nearly a week after a multi-agency working group released a report outlining a regulatory framework for mining and milling. The report from Gov. Bob McDonnell's working group contains guidelines for protecting public health and the environment and spells out financial and other permitting requirements that mine operators should have to meet.
Merricks said stringent regulations don't guarantee protection from environmental risks associated with milling uranium. He also raised concerns that the project could stigmatize a region that is struggling to revamp its economy and reduce high unemployment rates.
"There is no question in my mind that mining and milling will provide the potential for health risks and environmental contamination," Merricks said. "Even with the world's best practices in place and the most stringent regulations, the potential for contamination still exists."
Asked later if he expects some deference from his legislative colleagues, Merricks said: "I hope they would at least give an ear."
Merricks outlined his concerns during the annual Associated Press Day at the Capitol program, which previewed issues in the upcoming General Assembly session.
State Sen. John Watkins, R-Powhatan, announced Monday that he will introduce legislation to lift the moratorium. Watkins serves on the Virginia Coal and Energy Commission's uranium mining subcommittee, which will meet Tuesday in Chatham.
Merricks said he remains concerned about the waste product, or tailings, that would be left over from the milling process. The company said it plans to store the tailings in secure, underground containment facilities to mitigate the risk of contamination. But Merricks, echoing concerns raised by environmental groups and other opponents, likened it to maintaining "a Superfund waste site forever."
The uranium panel also included Cale Jaffe of the Southern Environmental Law Center, which wants to keep the mining ban, and scientist Paul Locke, who led a National Academy of Sciences study of uranium mining that was completed last year. The study concluded that Virginia would face "steep hurdles" in protecting public health and the environment if it allows uranium mining and milling, and that strong regulations might mitigate risks.
McDonnell's working group did not make a recommendation about lifting the moratorium.
McDonnell said Thursday that he has only scanned the executive summary of the report, but will receive briefings and meet with various stakeholders before deciding whether to make a recommendation to lawmakers.
"I appreciate Delegate Merricks' input and, honestly, on a lot of these things, you always have to consider the people whose back yard it's in," McDonnell said in a separate appearance at the AP forum.
"There's only one factor that matters to me and that is: Can we create a high degree of certainty that regulations that might be put in place to regulate uranium mining and milling can provide for a high degree of public safety?" McDonnell said.
http://www.roanoke.com/politics/wb/317673
