By TIM DAVIS/Star-Tribune Editor
Wednesday, September 28, 2011 9:13 AM EDT
ROANOKE - Blue Ridge Environmental Defense League released a report Monday documenting frequent and pervasive flooding at Coles Hill, the proposed uranium mine and mill site in Pittsylvania County.
The report, titled "Historic and Potential Flooding at Proposed Uranium Mine and Mill Site: Coles Hill, Pittsylvania County, Virginia," demonstrates not only that pervasive flooding regularly occurs throughout the Coles Hill site, but also that flooding and other hydrological features would increase the risk of radioactive contamination, should the site eventually be used to store uranium mill tailings, the environmental group said.
According to the report, above- and below-ground features at Coles Hill suggest that any uranium mill tailings storage operation would create high risk of chronic and catastrophic release of radioactive contamination into the aquatic environment.
"The industry is unable to concretely demonstrate that uranium mining, milling and waste storage can be done in a manner that safeguards human health and the environment," said Karen Maute, president of Piedmont Residents in Defense of the Environment, a chapter of Blue Ridge Environmental Defense League.
"Any studies that attempt to address these and socioeconomic issues are hypothetical. Virginia puts itself and North Carolina at great risk if legislators lift the ban on uranium mining," Maute said.
Read more:
http://www.wpcva.com/articles/2011/09/28/chatham/news/news46.txt
Wednesday, September 28, 2011 9:13 AM EDT
ROANOKE - Blue Ridge Environmental Defense League released a report Monday documenting frequent and pervasive flooding at Coles Hill, the proposed uranium mine and mill site in Pittsylvania County.
The report, titled "Historic and Potential Flooding at Proposed Uranium Mine and Mill Site: Coles Hill, Pittsylvania County, Virginia," demonstrates not only that pervasive flooding regularly occurs throughout the Coles Hill site, but also that flooding and other hydrological features would increase the risk of radioactive contamination, should the site eventually be used to store uranium mill tailings, the environmental group said.
According to the report, above- and below-ground features at Coles Hill suggest that any uranium mill tailings storage operation would create high risk of chronic and catastrophic release of radioactive contamination into the aquatic environment.
"The industry is unable to concretely demonstrate that uranium mining, milling and waste storage can be done in a manner that safeguards human health and the environment," said Karen Maute, president of Piedmont Residents in Defense of the Environment, a chapter of Blue Ridge Environmental Defense League.
"Any studies that attempt to address these and socioeconomic issues are hypothetical. Virginia puts itself and North Carolina at great risk if legislators lift the ban on uranium mining," Maute said.
Read more:
http://www.wpcva.com/articles/2011/09/28/chatham/news/news46.txt
