Comment: Ban uranium mining and milling!
January 27, 2010 6:00 AM
A study requested by the General Assembly may offer a clue to the future of uranium mining in Southern Virginia, a divisive issue in the region.
The National Research Council (NRC), an arm of the National Academy of Sciences, has tentatively agreed to conduct a study of the safety and feasibility of uranium mining in the commonwealth.
The study was prompted by a proposal by Virginia Uranium Inc. to mine and mill a 119 million pound deposit of uranium ore near Chatham in Pittsylvania County.
For mining to begin, the legislature would have to overturn a ban imposed in the early 1980s.
Virginia Uranium and its supporters argue that the mining operation would be a boon to the regional economy and the state’s growing nuclear energy industry.
Opponents have raised concerns about pollution to streams and farms. Southern Hampton Roads, for example, draws much of its water from Lake Gaston, which is downstream from the proposed site.
Opponents also worry that uranium mining would damage efforts to attract young professionals to the region.
The NRC study will look at uranium mining operations in places around the world that resemble Virginia in population and weather conditions. (Uranium mining sites in the U.S. are in dry areas, which don’t offer a good comparison.)
The study, which will take 18 months, will not be the final word on the issue. It will only provide information for the legislature to consider in lifting or maintaining the ban.
Read more:
http://www.virginiabusiness.com/index.php/news/article/study-to-examine-uranium-mining/202867/
Showing posts with label All Virginia. Show all posts
Showing posts with label All Virginia. Show all posts
Friday, February 5, 2010
Saturday, January 30, 2010
Green Light (uranium mining)
Comment: Article in Blue Ridge Outdoor Magazine proves other people in our area are paying attention to the proposed uranium mining and milling in our State! No to uranium mining and milling!
July 20, 2009
By Jedd Ferris
Legislators gave the go-ahead for a uranium mining study in the Commonwealth.
Virginia Uranium Inc. wants to unearth 119 million pounds of ore,near Danville.
Uranium mining was banned in Virginia in 1982, and many opponents are hoping to keep it that way, as it has been linked to causing cancer and birth defects in communities in its wake.
The study is expected to take 18 months and cost $1.5 million.
Read more:
http://www.blueridgeoutdoors.com/departments/green-light/
July 20, 2009
By Jedd Ferris
Legislators gave the go-ahead for a uranium mining study in the Commonwealth.
Virginia Uranium Inc. wants to unearth 119 million pounds of ore,near Danville.
Uranium mining was banned in Virginia in 1982, and many opponents are hoping to keep it that way, as it has been linked to causing cancer and birth defects in communities in its wake.
The study is expected to take 18 months and cost $1.5 million.
Read more:
http://www.blueridgeoutdoors.com/departments/green-light/
Saturday, January 9, 2010
Who Are the Big They? (Uranium mining)
Comment: Ace thought this was interesting! Some more information: Coles knew about uranium in the hills in the 1950's according to the article: "Virginia’s SouthsideWalter Coles Sr. still remembers the early 1950s when a Geiger counter ticked up in response to what may be thebiggest untapped source of uranium in the United States: http://www.richmondfed.org/publications/research/region_focus/2009/winter/pdf/feature2.pdf"
No to uranium mining and milling now!
JANUARY 9, 2010 1:11PM
By: Uranium Billionaire
In my prvious blog, I outlined the uranium situation here in Chatham, Virginia as presented in the local newspapers.
•1982 the largest uranium deposit in the United States is discovered on the property of Walter Coles in Coles Hill, Virginia 6 miles form the town of Chatham in Pittsylvania County.
•The deposit is estimated to be worth between 8 and 10 million dollars and could yield approximatly 119 million tons of uranium. The current uranium yield in the United States is 4.5 million tons.
•Also in 1982, the Virginia Assembly responding to complaints from local farmers and environmentalists placed a memoratorium on uranium mining. The ban is still in effect.
•2007, Walter Coles formed Virginia Uranium Inc.
•2008 Virginia Uranium Inc. lobbied the Virginia Assembly to ask for a study to ascertain the safety of uranium mining. The study is a initial step in an effort to lift the ban on uranium mining in Virginia.
•The Assembly agreed to request the study but did not agree to pay for it.
•Virginia Uranium Inc. agreed to pay for the study.
Reviewing the sequence of events, several questions come to mind.
Why did Coles wait twenty-five years to form Virginia Uranium Inc.?
Who owns Virginia Uranium Inc.?
How is Coles funding the uranium study?
I can only answer two out of three. Why he waited to exploit the property currently remains a mystery. Once could guess that it took him all that time to find an investor. Maybe not.
Read more:
http://open.salon.com/blog/uranium_billionaire/2010/01/09/who_are_the_big_they
No to uranium mining and milling now!
JANUARY 9, 2010 1:11PM
By: Uranium Billionaire
In my prvious blog, I outlined the uranium situation here in Chatham, Virginia as presented in the local newspapers.
•1982 the largest uranium deposit in the United States is discovered on the property of Walter Coles in Coles Hill, Virginia 6 miles form the town of Chatham in Pittsylvania County.
•The deposit is estimated to be worth between 8 and 10 million dollars and could yield approximatly 119 million tons of uranium. The current uranium yield in the United States is 4.5 million tons.
•Also in 1982, the Virginia Assembly responding to complaints from local farmers and environmentalists placed a memoratorium on uranium mining. The ban is still in effect.
•2007, Walter Coles formed Virginia Uranium Inc.
•2008 Virginia Uranium Inc. lobbied the Virginia Assembly to ask for a study to ascertain the safety of uranium mining. The study is a initial step in an effort to lift the ban on uranium mining in Virginia.
•The Assembly agreed to request the study but did not agree to pay for it.
•Virginia Uranium Inc. agreed to pay for the study.
Reviewing the sequence of events, several questions come to mind.
Why did Coles wait twenty-five years to form Virginia Uranium Inc.?
Who owns Virginia Uranium Inc.?
How is Coles funding the uranium study?
I can only answer two out of three. Why he waited to exploit the property currently remains a mystery. Once could guess that it took him all that time to find an investor. Maybe not.
Read more:
http://open.salon.com/blog/uranium_billionaire/2010/01/09/who_are_the_big_they
Saturday, December 5, 2009
Sudsy Foam in the James River Not Seen as a Sign of Cleanliness
Puzzling Bubbles Reflect Rising Tide of Pollution, Activists Say
By David A. Fahrenthold
Washington Post Staff Writer
Sunday, August 6, 2006
RICHMOND -- Sometimes the mysterious bubbly stuff on the surface of the James River looks like dirty chunks of Styrofoam or floating dollops of meringue. Sometimes it makes little silver-dollar-sized clusters, and sometimes it forms enormous strings stretching a quarter-mile.
On the most worrisome days, say those who know the river, it forms a carpet of beery-like suds from bank to bank.
"There's a ball of it!" said Chuck Frederickson, an environmental advocate who is the James's riverkeeper. He was on the shoreline just above downtown Richmond, and a white glob was sailing by in the current. "See that -- football-size?"
For weeks, the James's strange foam has been the subject of an environmental whodunit in Richmond, as scientists and state officials have tried to figure out what it is and why it's appearing in one of Virginia's most treasured rivers.
Whatever is causing it, environmentalists think the foam is a striking symbol of water problems across Virginia, where a new state survey has found that "impaired" rivers far outnumber those known to be clean.
"It's an unnatural thing," Frederickson said. "The river's out of balance."
Of the 14,282 miles of rivers and streams surveyed, the state found that nearly two-thirds, or 8,984 miles, were "impaired," a 30 percent increase from the amount found in the 2004 report.
The James was among the dirty rivers on the list. It is impaired by bacteria and PCBs, industrial chemicals that can cause ill health effects.
Similar troubles have long extended across the Chesapeake watershed.
Maryland's list of impaired waters includes sections of the Potomac, Anacostia and Patuxent rivers, among others. And a report released last week by the Natural Resources Defense Council found several contamination problems at beaches on the bay.
Then summer came, bringing more foam than he had ever seen: white, lacy bubbles, dirty brown wads, artistic-looking swirls of foam and slime. On one day, he said, the entire river looked like the runoff from a car wash.
"The foam had covered the entire river, from bank to bank, as far as the eye can see," White said. "It was clearly nothing that would be construed as natural."
The state began an investigation in June and quickly determined that the foam was not harmful to people. Beyond that, answers about what it is and where it comes from have been hard to come by.
State biologists tested the water along 200 miles of the James and found spots with worrisomely high levels of the pollutant phosphorus, which feeds algae blooms that upset life in the river and Chesapeake Bay.
One test upstream from downtown Richmond found a phosphorus level 34 times higher than recommended.
Now, the state is waiting on more tests, trying to learn what the bubbles are made of.
Already, though, many have concluded that the problem is probably man-made. If that's true, the foam's appearance was timed for maximum political impact, since it developed during the summer when the state issued its gloomy report about the human impact on Virginia's rivers.
That survey, released last month, detailed "impairments" in the state's waters: bacteria from human and animal waste, low-oxygen areas where aquatic life struggles to breathe and harmful chemicals such as mercury or PCBs.
Only 5,298 miles of Virginia rivers and streams, or 37 percent of the total studied, were found to be as clean as they should be. The state has 50,357 miles of rivers and streams.
In that context, environmentalists say, they see the foam on the James -- whatever it is -- as a new product of a very old problem.
"It's just an indication that the system is stressed, that there is pollution in the system," said Mike Gerel, staff scientist in the Virginia office of the Chesapeake Bay Foundation. "This is not normal."
By David A. Fahrenthold
Washington Post Staff Writer
Sunday, August 6, 2006
RICHMOND -- Sometimes the mysterious bubbly stuff on the surface of the James River looks like dirty chunks of Styrofoam or floating dollops of meringue. Sometimes it makes little silver-dollar-sized clusters, and sometimes it forms enormous strings stretching a quarter-mile.
On the most worrisome days, say those who know the river, it forms a carpet of beery-like suds from bank to bank.
"There's a ball of it!" said Chuck Frederickson, an environmental advocate who is the James's riverkeeper. He was on the shoreline just above downtown Richmond, and a white glob was sailing by in the current. "See that -- football-size?"
For weeks, the James's strange foam has been the subject of an environmental whodunit in Richmond, as scientists and state officials have tried to figure out what it is and why it's appearing in one of Virginia's most treasured rivers.
Whatever is causing it, environmentalists think the foam is a striking symbol of water problems across Virginia, where a new state survey has found that "impaired" rivers far outnumber those known to be clean.
"It's an unnatural thing," Frederickson said. "The river's out of balance."
Of the 14,282 miles of rivers and streams surveyed, the state found that nearly two-thirds, or 8,984 miles, were "impaired," a 30 percent increase from the amount found in the 2004 report.
The James was among the dirty rivers on the list. It is impaired by bacteria and PCBs, industrial chemicals that can cause ill health effects.
Similar troubles have long extended across the Chesapeake watershed.
Maryland's list of impaired waters includes sections of the Potomac, Anacostia and Patuxent rivers, among others. And a report released last week by the Natural Resources Defense Council found several contamination problems at beaches on the bay.
Then summer came, bringing more foam than he had ever seen: white, lacy bubbles, dirty brown wads, artistic-looking swirls of foam and slime. On one day, he said, the entire river looked like the runoff from a car wash.
"The foam had covered the entire river, from bank to bank, as far as the eye can see," White said. "It was clearly nothing that would be construed as natural."
The state began an investigation in June and quickly determined that the foam was not harmful to people. Beyond that, answers about what it is and where it comes from have been hard to come by.
State biologists tested the water along 200 miles of the James and found spots with worrisomely high levels of the pollutant phosphorus, which feeds algae blooms that upset life in the river and Chesapeake Bay.
One test upstream from downtown Richmond found a phosphorus level 34 times higher than recommended.
Now, the state is waiting on more tests, trying to learn what the bubbles are made of.
Already, though, many have concluded that the problem is probably man-made. If that's true, the foam's appearance was timed for maximum political impact, since it developed during the summer when the state issued its gloomy report about the human impact on Virginia's rivers.
That survey, released last month, detailed "impairments" in the state's waters: bacteria from human and animal waste, low-oxygen areas where aquatic life struggles to breathe and harmful chemicals such as mercury or PCBs.
Only 5,298 miles of Virginia rivers and streams, or 37 percent of the total studied, were found to be as clean as they should be. The state has 50,357 miles of rivers and streams.
In that context, environmentalists say, they see the foam on the James -- whatever it is -- as a new product of a very old problem.
"It's just an indication that the system is stressed, that there is pollution in the system," said Mike Gerel, staff scientist in the Virginia office of the Chesapeake Bay Foundation. "This is not normal."
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
Earthquake hits Central Virginia (areas of Proposed Uranium Mining)
Comment: Virginia has earthquakes; our state should never consider lifting the ban on uranium mining!
WSLS News Staff
news@wsls.com
Published: November 25, 2009
The USGS has changed the earthquake’s epicenter to about 7 miles north of Appomattox.
The USGS still estimates that the earthquake was a 2.7 magnitude quake.
7:10 p.m.
Appomattox County dispatch says it has not received calls about damage in the county.
6:59 p.m.
The U.S. Geological Survey has confirmed that an earthquake hit our area Wednesday evening.
The USGS says a magnitude 2.7 earthquake hit about 5:27 p.m., with an epicenter about two miles east-southeast of Appomattox.
We received some calls to our newsroom from people in Amherst County who felt the earthquake there.
Some residents had reported pictures falling from the walls and one man reported the gutter on his roof had fallen during the tremors.
Roakes says no one has reported any incidents of personal injury.
Click Title or Link to whole:
http://www2.wsls.com/sls/news/local/lynchburg/article/earthquake_hits_near_appomattox/64722/
Thursday, May 7, 2009
Uranium subcommittee releases proposed final study draft
Comment: The uranium study is focusing on MONEY not the Virginia people, look at the list and decide for yourself!!! Demand the Virginia to Ban Uranium Mining & Milling!!! Also, look, it does not say SouthSide Virginia, it says Virginia, Uranium is all over Virginia, "U R Next"
Thursday, May 7, 2009 4:53 PM EDT
The Virginia Coal and Energy Commission's Uranium Mining Subcommittee today released a proposed final draft for a study on the dangers and benefits of uranium mining.
The subcommittee will meet Thursday, May 21, at 2:30 p.m. in Richmond.
The final study draft:
Uranium mining in the Commonwealth of Virginia has been prohibited since 1982 by a state moratorium although approval for restricted uranium exploration in the state was granted in 2007.
A National Research Council study will examine the scientific, technical, environmental, human health and safety, and regulatory aspects of uranium mining, milling, and processing as they relate to the Commonwealth of Virginia.
In particular, the study will:
1) Review global and national uranium market trends.
2) Identify and briefly describe the main types of uranium deposits worldwide including, for example, geologic characteristics, mining operations, and best practices.
3) Review the geologic, environmental, geographic, climatic, and cultural settings and exploration status of uranium resources in the Commonwealth of Virginia.
4) Review the primary technical options and best practices approaches for uranium mining, milling, processing, and reclamation that might be applicable within the Commonwealth of Virginia, including discussion of improvements made since 1980 in the design, construction, and monitoring of tailings impoundments ("cells").
5) Review the state and federal regulatory framework for uranium mining, milling, processing, and reclamation.
6) Review federal requirements for secure handling of uranium materials, including personnel, transportation, site security, and material control and accountability.
7) Assess the potential short- and long-term occupational and public health and safety considerations from uranium mining, milling, processing, and reclamation, including the potential human health effects from exposure to "daughter" products of radioactive decay of uranium.
8) Identify the issues that may need to be considered regarding the quality and quantity of groundwater and surface water, and the quality of soil and air from uranium mining, milling, processing, and reclamation. As relevant, water and waste management and severe weather effects or other stochastic events may also be considered.
9) Assess the potential ecosystem issues for uranium mining, milling, processing, and reclamation.
11) Identify baseline data and approaches necessary to monitor environmental and human impacts associated with uranium mining, milling, processing, and reclamation.
12) Briefly characterize a potential public education and outreach program in the Commonwealth of Virginia for a uranium mining operation (for example, health and safety issues, inspection and enforcement, community right-to-know, emergency planning).
By addressing these questions, the study will provide independent, expert advice that can be used to inform decisions about the future of uranium mining in the Commonwealth of Virginia; however, the study will not make recommendations about whether or not uranium mining should be permitted nor will the study include site-specific assessments.
http://www.wpcva.com/articles/2009/05/07/chatham/news/news38.txt
The Virginia Coal and Energy Commission's Uranium Mining Subcommittee today released a proposed final draft for a study on the dangers and benefits of uranium mining.
The subcommittee will meet Thursday, May 21, at 2:30 p.m. in Richmond.
The final study draft:
Uranium mining in the Commonwealth of Virginia has been prohibited since 1982 by a state moratorium although approval for restricted uranium exploration in the state was granted in 2007.
A National Research Council study will examine the scientific, technical, environmental, human health and safety, and regulatory aspects of uranium mining, milling, and processing as they relate to the Commonwealth of Virginia.
In particular, the study will:
1) Review global and national uranium market trends.
2) Identify and briefly describe the main types of uranium deposits worldwide including, for example, geologic characteristics, mining operations, and best practices.
3) Review the geologic, environmental, geographic, climatic, and cultural settings and exploration status of uranium resources in the Commonwealth of Virginia.
4) Review the primary technical options and best practices approaches for uranium mining, milling, processing, and reclamation that might be applicable within the Commonwealth of Virginia, including discussion of improvements made since 1980 in the design, construction, and monitoring of tailings impoundments ("cells").
5) Review the state and federal regulatory framework for uranium mining, milling, processing, and reclamation.
6) Review federal requirements for secure handling of uranium materials, including personnel, transportation, site security, and material control and accountability.
7) Assess the potential short- and long-term occupational and public health and safety considerations from uranium mining, milling, processing, and reclamation, including the potential human health effects from exposure to "daughter" products of radioactive decay of uranium.
8) Identify the issues that may need to be considered regarding the quality and quantity of groundwater and surface water, and the quality of soil and air from uranium mining, milling, processing, and reclamation. As relevant, water and waste management and severe weather effects or other stochastic events may also be considered.
9) Assess the potential ecosystem issues for uranium mining, milling, processing, and reclamation.
11) Identify baseline data and approaches necessary to monitor environmental and human impacts associated with uranium mining, milling, processing, and reclamation.
12) Briefly characterize a potential public education and outreach program in the Commonwealth of Virginia for a uranium mining operation (for example, health and safety issues, inspection and enforcement, community right-to-know, emergency planning).
By addressing these questions, the study will provide independent, expert advice that can be used to inform decisions about the future of uranium mining in the Commonwealth of Virginia; however, the study will not make recommendations about whether or not uranium mining should be permitted nor will the study include site-specific assessments.
http://www.wpcva.com/articles/2009/05/07/chatham/news/news38.txt
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