Comment: Now look at this comment: "told lawmakers he cannot defend the 99 violations the mill received for contaminating the environment over the past 10 years, but he insisted the company has changed", does a tiger change their stripes, do not think so, NO to uranium mining and milling! This dude is really telling us that you cannot run a uranium mill without ruining the environment, so shut them down and Virginia, take notice of this article, uranium mills and mines will ruin our water, air and land!
Associated Press,
Thursday, March 18, 2010
DENVER — State lawmakers approved legislation on Thursday that would require Colorado uranium mines and mills to clean up nuclear wastes while they continue producing nuclear fuel.
State lawmakers worry a new national focus on nuclear energy will allow uranium mines to postpone cleanup of radioactive wastes while they ramp up production. Under the current law, mines and mills are allowed to postpone cleanup until they finish production and decommission their production facilities.
John Hamrick, vice president of milling for Cotter Corp., which owns a uranium mill in Canon City, told lawmakers he cannot defend the 99 violations the mill received for contaminating the environment over the past 10 years, but he insisted the company has changed.
He said the bill would force Cotter out of business, and impact other uranium mining operations planned for Weld County and Montrose because it requires cleanup of the mining site as well as offsite contamination, which he said is impossible while production is under way.
“That for sure is a poison pill for uranium mills,” he said.
Sharyn Cunningham said she moved to Canon City in 1994 and she wasn't told her water was contaminated with radioactive wastes. She said her family suffered medical problems that she blames on the radioactive water.
“It's time for some responsibility. Citizens shouldn't be forced to pay the price of uranium pollution with their health,” said Cunningham.
The Cotter mill site located next to the Lincoln Park community has been listed since 1984 as an EPA Superfund site, a priority list for hazardous waste cleanup.
The Cotter mill has been in standby mode, but last year, officials said they hope to refurbish it to process ore from a mine near Grants, N.M., possibly as soon as 2014. Cotter would have to receive regulatory approval before operations could begin, and the mine, which is now flooded, would have to be rehabilitated before mining operations can resume.
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http://www.greeleytribune.com/article/20100318/NEWS/100319672/-1/RSS
