Comment: No to uranium mining and milling!
By TIM DAVIS/Star-Tribune Editor
Tuesday, February 23, 2010 6:36 PM EST
The National Research Council has agreed to conduct a statewide scientific study on uranium mining in Virginia.
William Kearney, a spokesman for the National Research Council in Washington, D.C., said a contract for the long-awaited study has been approved and signed with Virginia Tech.
The university will serve as a conduit for funding from Virginia Uranium Inc., which has agreed to pay for the $1.4 million study.
"Once we have the signed contract and funding is released, we'll begin," Kearney said Tuesday.
The study will take about 18 months. A final report is due Dec. 1, 2011.
According to Kearney, the first step will be for the National Research Council to solicit recommendations for experts to serve on the committee that will conduct the study.
He said the committee will be composed of about a dozen scientists from the National Academies of Science and Engineering as well as the council's own scientific staff, academia and government officials.
"The goal is to pick a committee with the expertise to carry out the objectives of the study and also be balanced from a scientific perspective," said Kearney.
Nominations will be posted on the council's website for a 20-day public comment period.
"The committee remains provisional until every member has complied with our conflict of interest policy," the spokesman said.
Kearney expects the committee to be approved this spring and begin meeting early this summer.
He said one of the group's first public meetings will be in Danville.
Virginia Uranium Inc. announced plans three years ago to explore mining uranium at Coles Hill, about six miles northeast of Chatham.
Discovered in the early 1980s, the uranium deposit is one of the largest in the United States and is worth an estimated $8 billion to $10 billion.
The National Research Council presented its recommendations for a study in May to the Virginia Commission on Coal and Energy's Uranium Mining Subcommittee.
The subcommittee, chaired by Del. Lee Ware of Powhatan, voted 8-2 to approve a framework for the study and made public safety a top priority.
According to the National Research Council's "Statement of Task," the 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 for the purpose of assisting the commonwealth to determine whether uranium mining, milling, and processing can be undertaken in a manner that safeguards the environment, natural and historic resources, agricultural lands, and the health and well-being of its citizens."
In particular, the study will:
_ 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 risks from exposure to "daughter" products of radioactive decay of uranium.
_ Review global and national uranium market trends.
_ Identify and briefly describe the main types of uranium deposits worldwide including, for example, geologic characteristics, mining operations, and best practices.
_ Analyze the impact of uranium mining, milling, processing, and reclamation operations on public health, safety, and the environment at sites with comparable geologic, hydrologic, climatic, and population characteristics to those found in the commonwealth. Such analysis shall describe any available mitigating measures to reduce or eliminate the negative impacts from uranium operations.
_ Review the geologic, environmental, geographic, climatic, and cultural settings and exploration status of uranium resources in Virginia.
_ Review the primary technical options and best practices approaches for uranium mining, milling, processing, and reclamation that might be applicable within Virginia, including discussion of improvements made since 1980 in the design, construction, and monitoring of tailings impoundments ("cells").
_ Review the state and federal regulatory framework for uranium mining, milling, processing, and reclamation.
_ Review federal requirements for secure handling of uranium materials, including personnel, transportation, site security, and material control and accountability.
_ 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.
_ Assess the potential ecosystem issues for uranium mining, milling, processing, and reclamation.
_ Identify baseline data and approaches necessary to monitor environmental and human impacts associated with uranium mining, milling, processing, and reclamation.
_ Provide a non-technical summary of the report for public education purposes (for example, health and safety issues, inspection and enforcement, community right-to-know, emergency planning).
The National Research Council, however, will not offer recommendations on whether uranium mining should be permitted, and the study will not include "site-specific" assessments.
That decision will be left to the General Assembly, which placed a moratorium on uranium mining in 1982.
Coal and Energy Commission chairman Del. Terry Kilgore said the state also plans to conduct a study of the socioeconomic impact of uranium mining.
The second study, which will address the effects of uranium mining on businesses, schools and the community, will be conducted by another organization and funded separately, the chairman said.
tim.davis@chathamstartribune.com
434-432-2791
Read more:
http://www.wpcva.com/articles/2010/02/24/chatham/news/news50.txt
Showing posts with label NAS. Show all posts
Showing posts with label NAS. Show all posts
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
Monday, February 1, 2010
Uranium study faces premature doubts
Comment: Look at the following statement: "It (local uranium company) should also disclose the source of its money, identifying the investors who are fronting the funds for the study", yes, tell us who is really paying for the uranium mining study, tell us the names of the 32 investors! Either the 32 investors are cowards or part of the uranium mining study, the 32 investors maybe working for the state, county, city of Danville or the federal government! Come on investors, stop being cowards and tell us who you are or the uranium mining study will never be accepted because of the cowards of the local uranium mining company! VA, keep the moratorium on uranium mining and milling!
The Virginian-Pilot
September 30, 2009
The respected National Research Council hasn't yet voted on whether to take on a study of uranium mining in Virginia, but the second-guessing has already started.
Some mining opponents in Pittsylvania County dismiss the results - which won't be available for nearly two years - because the study would be underwritten by Virginia Uranium Inc. The company stands to make billions if state officials allow it to tap the estimated 119 million pounds of ore in the county.
Residents are right to feel protective of their community. That's equally true of Virginia Beach leaders, who are concerned that mining could contaminate the city's water supply in Lake Gaston.
But no one has legitimately questioned the integrity of the NRC, the operating arm of the National Academy of Sciences, or suggested a better alternative.
It would be preferable for the state to pay the $1.2 million to $1.4 million for the study, but that's not a realistic option this year. Gov. Tim Kaine recently announced budget cuts that will cost nearly 600 salaried state workers their jobs. Core public safety and mental health services face funding reductions.
The only way to determine whether uranium can be safely mined in Virginia's rainy climate is to allow Virginia Uranium to pay for that assessment. It's an uncomfortable arrangement but one that can work with appropriate safeguards.
The mining company should be required to pay the full amount for the study up front, eliminating any temptation to retract its support if preliminary findings aren't favorable.
It should also disclose the source of its money, identifying the investors who are fronting the funds for the study. That's important because no scientists should be permitted to participate in the study if they are employed by a mining company with a financial interest in the project.
The details of that contract, particularly its financial provisions, must be made public.
Further, state legislators should hold a meeting to explain the contract and take comments.
They should ensure that the scope of the assessment includes an examination of claims by Pittsylvania residents that exploratory drilling at the site has contaminated local wells. Equally important, the state should guarantee that a separate study on the mine's economic impact does not begin until questions of safety are fully addressed.
But that doesn't negate the fact that many thousands of Virginians who have been less vocal still want and deserve an open, transparent process that puts their health and safety above all other interests.
Read more:
http://hamptonroads.com/2009/09/uranium-study-faces-premature-doubts
The Virginian-Pilot
September 30, 2009
The respected National Research Council hasn't yet voted on whether to take on a study of uranium mining in Virginia, but the second-guessing has already started.
Some mining opponents in Pittsylvania County dismiss the results - which won't be available for nearly two years - because the study would be underwritten by Virginia Uranium Inc. The company stands to make billions if state officials allow it to tap the estimated 119 million pounds of ore in the county.
Residents are right to feel protective of their community. That's equally true of Virginia Beach leaders, who are concerned that mining could contaminate the city's water supply in Lake Gaston.
But no one has legitimately questioned the integrity of the NRC, the operating arm of the National Academy of Sciences, or suggested a better alternative.
It would be preferable for the state to pay the $1.2 million to $1.4 million for the study, but that's not a realistic option this year. Gov. Tim Kaine recently announced budget cuts that will cost nearly 600 salaried state workers their jobs. Core public safety and mental health services face funding reductions.
The only way to determine whether uranium can be safely mined in Virginia's rainy climate is to allow Virginia Uranium to pay for that assessment. It's an uncomfortable arrangement but one that can work with appropriate safeguards.
The mining company should be required to pay the full amount for the study up front, eliminating any temptation to retract its support if preliminary findings aren't favorable.
It should also disclose the source of its money, identifying the investors who are fronting the funds for the study. That's important because no scientists should be permitted to participate in the study if they are employed by a mining company with a financial interest in the project.
The details of that contract, particularly its financial provisions, must be made public.
Further, state legislators should hold a meeting to explain the contract and take comments.
They should ensure that the scope of the assessment includes an examination of claims by Pittsylvania residents that exploratory drilling at the site has contaminated local wells. Equally important, the state should guarantee that a separate study on the mine's economic impact does not begin until questions of safety are fully addressed.
But that doesn't negate the fact that many thousands of Virginians who have been less vocal still want and deserve an open, transparent process that puts their health and safety above all other interests.
Read more:
http://hamptonroads.com/2009/09/uranium-study-faces-premature-doubts
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
Karmis, Virginia Tech, responds to issues in uranium study letter (Virginia)
Comment: Notice the following statement, we all need to send our concerns to the NAS and DEMAND WE SHOULD ATTEND PUBLIC MEETINGS IN VIRGINIA: There will be a 20-day public comment period on the panel selection at http://www.nationalacademies.org/,
Kearney said. Uranium is located all over Virginia, so people of VA, wake up and smell the threat of uranium mining will happen even in the plush fields of the famous horse's areas!
By John Crane
Published: December 8, 2009
The $1.4 million study to determine whether uranium can be mined and milled safely in the commonwealth will likely be paid for in installments, says the head of the Virginia Center for Coal and Energy Research.
Michael Karmis, director of the center at Virginia Tech, said Tuesday the center would probably fund the study by the National Research Council in payments based on the study’s progress.
Virginia has had a moratorium on uranium mining since 1982.
VUI, through Virginia Tech’s Center for Coal and Energy Research, would pay for the study’s first phase focusing on the technical and public-safety aspects of mining.
Virginia Tech’s Virginia Center for Coal and Energy Research would handle the money and contract with the NAS/NRC for the study. The Virginia Coal and Energy Commission would be the study’s sponsor.
The NRC expressed concerns in a Nov. 23 letter to Karmis about VUI’s proposal to provide “incremental funding” for the study to determine whether uranium can be mined and milled safely in the commonwealth.
The NRC said several issues must be addressed before the study proceeds, including “the requirement for independence of the NRC in carrying out the study” and “full transparency regarding the study’s funding.”
Karmis has not responded to the NRC’s letter, said NRC spokesman William Kearney.
“We’re waiting for a response to clarify these outstanding issues (before the study can be approved),” Kearney said Tuesday.
Karmis said officials from Virginia Tech, VUI and the NRC will meet to discuss the contract and a guarantee of funding before the study is approved.
Once the contract is drawn up and the study approved, the NRC will select a panel to perform the study.
There will be a 20-day public comment period on the panel selection at http://www.nationalacademies.org/,
Kearney said.
Karmis said one issue brought up in the NRC’s letter was resolved at a meeting of the Virginia Coal and Energy Commission last week.
The word “outreach” was eliminated from an item in the proposed study’s statement of task because it pre-judged the study’s outcome, Karmis said
Read more at:
http://www2.godanriver.com/gdr/news/local/danville_news/article/karmis_responds_to_issues_in_uranium_study_letter/16172/
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
Uranium study on hold (Virginia, NAS)
Comment: People of Virginia, notice the following comment: "proposed statewide scientific study on uranium mining", uranium mining will take place all over Virginia!!! Demand our leaders to ban uranium mining now! Also, NAS, do not take monies from the funneled money through Virginia Tech which comes from a for profit uranium corporation: Virginia Uranium Inc!
By TIM DAVIS/Star-Tribune Editor
Wednesday, November 11, 2009 9:24 AM EST
The National Research Council's governing board wants more time to set up a proposed statewide scientific study on uranium mining.
The council's executive committee met Tuesday afternoon in Washington, D.C., but delayed approving a contract for the study.
"Given the complexity with several institutions involved, our staff is continuing to work on how we will go about doing the study," said Jennifer Walsh, a spokesman for the National Research Council. "So, our standard statement of task and approval process is not yet complete."
The National Research Council, which includes the National Academy of Sciences, presented its recommendations for a study in May to the Virginia Commission on Coal and Energy's Uranium Mining Subcommittee.
Commission Chairman Del. Terry Kilgore of Scott County still expects a contract with the National Academy of Sciences to be signed soon.
The study, which is expected to take about 18 months and cost an estimated $1.2 million, will be funded through Virginia Tech, with Virginia Uranium Inc. picking up the tab.
Kilgore said the state also plans to conduct a study of the socioeconomic impact of uranium mining.
Virginia has had a moratorium on uranium mining since 1982.
tim.davis@chathamstartribune.com
434-432-2791
Click Title or Link to whole post:
http://www.wpcva.com/articles/2009/11/11/chatham/news/news50.txt
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
Funding the study (Virginia uranium study)
Comment: Thanks for the following statement from Ms. Maute: The R&B seems fond of editing letters. Please note that this paragraph (below) was cut from the original submitted editorial. The paragraph highlights an important aspect of this issue. It is unfortunate that the R & B chose to omit it.
"Without mining the first shovel of uranium Virginia Uranium, Inc. is already tearing at the fabric of Virginia and polluting our government institutions and causing deep divisions in the citzenry. If for no other reason than to protect the Commonwealth's integrity, uranium mining should be banned."
Funding the study
By Published by The Editorial Board
Published: October 6, 2009
To the editor:
OK, let’s get this straight. Virginia Uranium Inc. wants studies that might indicate uranium mining and milling is good business and is safe for Virginia’s citizens. It also wants the National Academy of Sciences to conduct at least one of the studies.
The Virginia General Assembly voted not to fund such a study two years ago. Virginia Uranium Inc. persisted and apparently convinced the Virginia Coal and Energy Commission to do its bidding. The VCEC formed a uranium mining subpanel.
With the aid of Michael Karmis of Virginia Tech’s Mining and Minerals Engineering Department/Director of Virginia Center for Coal and Energy Research Center, a study’s scope was determined and Karmis began communication with the National Academy of Sciences/National Research Council. At present, no one can or will fund the NAS study but VUI.
The National Academy of Sciences will not accept VUI’s offer to pay because it does not perform its services for private industry. So Virginia Tech will take VUI’s money and give it to the NAS. The National Academy of Sciences will do the study for private industry as long as the industry does not pass the money directly to them? A “blind eye” kind of thing, I suppose.
Does this seem akin to money laundering? If NAS gets “besmirched,” they will have done it to themselves. Virginia Tech appears to be an accomplice. At this point, if the state offers to pay for a study, it looks like a disingenuous offer with those supporting it seemingly subjects of tampering. If citizens question the process, the get called “silly!” VUI has managed to make everyone look bad.
Without mining the first shovel of uranium Virginia Uranium, Inc. is already tearing at the fabric of Virginia and polluting our government institutions and causing deep divisions in the citzenry. If for no other reason than to protect the Commonwealth's integrity, uranium mining should be banned.
Unfortunately, we stand to lose more if we mine and mill uranium. Why risk Virginians’ health, heritage, agricultural and tourism industry, future economic opportunities, clean air and water for a boom-bust uranium mine? To allow this, as Karmis might opine, would be “silly.”
KAREN B. MAUTE
Mount Cross
Danville, VA
http://www2.godanriver.com/gdr/news/opinion/letters_to_the_editor/danville_letters/article /funding_the_study/14385/
"Without mining the first shovel of uranium Virginia Uranium, Inc. is already tearing at the fabric of Virginia and polluting our government institutions and causing deep divisions in the citzenry. If for no other reason than to protect the Commonwealth's integrity, uranium mining should be banned."
Funding the study
By Published by The Editorial Board
Published: October 6, 2009
To the editor:
OK, let’s get this straight. Virginia Uranium Inc. wants studies that might indicate uranium mining and milling is good business and is safe for Virginia’s citizens. It also wants the National Academy of Sciences to conduct at least one of the studies.
The Virginia General Assembly voted not to fund such a study two years ago. Virginia Uranium Inc. persisted and apparently convinced the Virginia Coal and Energy Commission to do its bidding. The VCEC formed a uranium mining subpanel.
With the aid of Michael Karmis of Virginia Tech’s Mining and Minerals Engineering Department/Director of Virginia Center for Coal and Energy Research Center, a study’s scope was determined and Karmis began communication with the National Academy of Sciences/National Research Council. At present, no one can or will fund the NAS study but VUI.
The National Academy of Sciences will not accept VUI’s offer to pay because it does not perform its services for private industry. So Virginia Tech will take VUI’s money and give it to the NAS. The National Academy of Sciences will do the study for private industry as long as the industry does not pass the money directly to them? A “blind eye” kind of thing, I suppose.
Does this seem akin to money laundering? If NAS gets “besmirched,” they will have done it to themselves. Virginia Tech appears to be an accomplice. At this point, if the state offers to pay for a study, it looks like a disingenuous offer with those supporting it seemingly subjects of tampering. If citizens question the process, the get called “silly!” VUI has managed to make everyone look bad.
Without mining the first shovel of uranium Virginia Uranium, Inc. is already tearing at the fabric of Virginia and polluting our government institutions and causing deep divisions in the citzenry. If for no other reason than to protect the Commonwealth's integrity, uranium mining should be banned.
Unfortunately, we stand to lose more if we mine and mill uranium. Why risk Virginians’ health, heritage, agricultural and tourism industry, future economic opportunities, clean air and water for a boom-bust uranium mine? To allow this, as Karmis might opine, would be “silly.”
KAREN B. MAUTE
Mount Cross
Danville, VA
http://www2.godanriver.com/gdr/news/opinion/letters_to_the_editor/danville_letters/article /funding_the_study/14385/
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
Uranium study faces premature doubts
Comment: Who cares who pays for the study? Only, one comment, if the NAS takes money for the study, which is being funnel thru VA Tech, well...
September 30, 2009
The respected National Research Council hasn't yet voted on whether to take on a study of uranium mining in Virginia, but the second-guessing has already started.
Some mining opponents in Pittsylvania County dismiss the results - which won't be available for nearly two years - because the study would be underwritten by Virginia Uranium Inc. The company stands to make billions if state officials allow it to tap the estimated 119 million pounds of ore in the county.
Residents are right to feel protective of their community. That's equally true of Virginia Beach leaders, who are concerned that mining could contaminate the city's water supply in Lake Gaston.
But no one has legitimately questioned the integrity of the NRC, the operating arm of the National Academy of Sciences, or suggested a better alternative.
It would be preferable for the state to pay the $1.2 million to $1.4 million for the study, but that's not a realistic option this year. Gov. Tim Kaine recently announced budget cuts that will cost nearly 600 salaried state workers their jobs. Core public safety and mental health services face funding reductions.
The only way to determine whether uranium can be safely mined in Virginia's rainy climate is to allow Virginia Uranium to pay for that assessment. It's an uncomfortable arrangement but one that can work with appropriate safeguards.
The mining company should be required to pay the full amount for the study up front, eliminating any temptation to retract its support if preliminary findings aren't favorable. It should also disclose the source of its money, identifying the investors who are fronting the funds for the study. That's important because no scientists should be permitted to participate in the study if they are employed by a mining company with a financial interest in the project.
William Kearney, a spokesman for the National Academy of Sciences, noted that the organization has a strict conflict-of-interest policy for participating scientists. But state officials must be full partners in preserving the integrity of the study, and they should require VUI to publicly identify its investors before work begins.
The governing board of the NRC is expected to vote on the study proposal in October or November. If it agrees to the project, it will then begin contract negotiations with Virginia Tech's Center for Coal and Energy Research, chosen by state lawmakers to coordinate the study.
The details of that contract, particularly its financial provisions, must be made public. Further, state legislators should hold a meeting to explain the contract and take comments. They should ensure that the scope of the assessment includes an examination of claims by Pittsylvania residents that exploratory drilling at the site has contaminated local wells. Equally important, the state should guarantee that a separate study on the mine's economic impact does not begin until questions of safety are fully addressed.
Opponents who repudiate a study before it even exists risk marginalizing themselves before the real debate begins. But that doesn't negate the fact that many thousands of Virginians who have been less vocal still want and deserve an open, transparent process that puts their health and safety above all other interests.
http://hamptonroads.com/2009/09/uranium-study-faces-premature-doubts#comment-783066
September 30, 2009
The respected National Research Council hasn't yet voted on whether to take on a study of uranium mining in Virginia, but the second-guessing has already started.
Some mining opponents in Pittsylvania County dismiss the results - which won't be available for nearly two years - because the study would be underwritten by Virginia Uranium Inc. The company stands to make billions if state officials allow it to tap the estimated 119 million pounds of ore in the county.
Residents are right to feel protective of their community. That's equally true of Virginia Beach leaders, who are concerned that mining could contaminate the city's water supply in Lake Gaston.
But no one has legitimately questioned the integrity of the NRC, the operating arm of the National Academy of Sciences, or suggested a better alternative.
It would be preferable for the state to pay the $1.2 million to $1.4 million for the study, but that's not a realistic option this year. Gov. Tim Kaine recently announced budget cuts that will cost nearly 600 salaried state workers their jobs. Core public safety and mental health services face funding reductions.
The only way to determine whether uranium can be safely mined in Virginia's rainy climate is to allow Virginia Uranium to pay for that assessment. It's an uncomfortable arrangement but one that can work with appropriate safeguards.
The mining company should be required to pay the full amount for the study up front, eliminating any temptation to retract its support if preliminary findings aren't favorable. It should also disclose the source of its money, identifying the investors who are fronting the funds for the study. That's important because no scientists should be permitted to participate in the study if they are employed by a mining company with a financial interest in the project.
William Kearney, a spokesman for the National Academy of Sciences, noted that the organization has a strict conflict-of-interest policy for participating scientists. But state officials must be full partners in preserving the integrity of the study, and they should require VUI to publicly identify its investors before work begins.
The governing board of the NRC is expected to vote on the study proposal in October or November. If it agrees to the project, it will then begin contract negotiations with Virginia Tech's Center for Coal and Energy Research, chosen by state lawmakers to coordinate the study.
The details of that contract, particularly its financial provisions, must be made public. Further, state legislators should hold a meeting to explain the contract and take comments. They should ensure that the scope of the assessment includes an examination of claims by Pittsylvania residents that exploratory drilling at the site has contaminated local wells. Equally important, the state should guarantee that a separate study on the mine's economic impact does not begin until questions of safety are fully addressed.
Opponents who repudiate a study before it even exists risk marginalizing themselves before the real debate begins. But that doesn't negate the fact that many thousands of Virginians who have been less vocal still want and deserve an open, transparent process that puts their health and safety above all other interests.
http://hamptonroads.com/2009/09/uranium-study-faces-premature-doubts#comment-783066
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