Why Uranium Mining is a Bad Idea for Virginia's Environment and Communities

Uranium has never been mined east of the Mississippi River--for good reason. Kay Slaughter, senior attorney with the Southern Environmental Law Center, explains why mining and milling uranium in southern Virginia poses serious threats to the environment and public health.

Comment: Thanks Ms. Slaughter and the Southern Environmental Law Center for the great video!

March 02, 2010

Keep the ban on uranium mining

In 2007, a Virginia company went public with its plans to develop a uranium mining operation in Pittsylvania County, in southern Virginia. The area is believed to contain the largest untapped deposit of uranium in the U.S., valued at today’s prices around $10 billion.

A similar proposal in the 1970s, when the deposit was discovered, resulted in a statewide moratorium on uranium mining (click here for more background). SELC is at the forefront of a citizen effort to keep the ban in place for as long as it takes for the public and elected officials to fully evaluate the issue, including impacts on the environment and public health.

Uranium Mining: A Dangerous Proposal

Uranium occurs naturally in the ground, but when exposed to air and water, radiation is released into the environment. Virtually all uranium mining in the U.S. has occurred in the arid, sparsely populated regions of the West. In these areas and other parts of the world, uranium extraction and processing have caused serious problems, such as the contamination of groundwater and surface water and increased cancer risk for workers and the public.

There is no precedent for large-scale uranium mining in eastern states such as Virginia, where the population density puts more people at risk and where a wetter climate increases the chance of radiation contaminating streams and groundwater.

Virginia has no regulations for uranium mining, and the federal government has virtually no experience regulating the activity in a wet climate.

In an early victory for SELC and other conservation groups, the General Assembly of 2008 rejected an industry-backed proposal for a study that left too many questions unanswered and would have fast-tracked a process leading up to a lifting of the moratorium. Instead, a legislative subcommittee is facilitating a study by the National Academy of Sciences.

SELC will continue to work with the Southside Concerned Citizens and others to educate Virginia’s citizens and lawmakers.

 Until then, the moratorium put in place 25 years ago must remain.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vOGPIfPngSY

Read more:
http://www.southernenvironment.org/cases/uranium_mining_in_virginia