For the past five years, the Dan River Region has been debating whether we want the 119-million-pound uranium ore deposit outside Chatham mined.
tailings dams failures : South Africa
During that time, this newspaper has carefully listened to officials from Virginia Uranium Inc., the business community, environmentalists and other interested citizens. We’ve read the reports, waded through the details and pondered our future both with and without the project.
Decantation pond failure on March 20, 2004, Comurhex Malvési, France
During that time, we have heard a lot about how much uranium mining has changed for the better since the last time this community was told that a company wanted to mine uranium at Coles Hill. No doubt in another 30 years uranium mining methods will continue to improve.
Los Frailes lead-zinc tailings dam failure from ground failure, Aznalcóllar, Spain, April 25, 1998
But the issue before our community at this time is whether to allow Virginia Uranium to proceed.
The company has not made its case that uranium can be mined safely as we and most people in this community understand that word.
UNC Church Rock uranium mill tailings dam failure, New Mexico, USA, July 16, 1979
We’re asking the Virginia General Assembly to continue the 1982 moratorium on uranium mining.
Once the mining and milling is complete, Virginia Uranium Inc. would leave behind most of the rock it mines. Those waste rocks, called tailings, would remain radioactive and dangerous to the local environment.
On July 19, 1985, a fluorite tailings dam of Prealpi Mineraia failed at Stava, Trento, Italy. 200,000 m3 of tailings flowed 4.2 km downstream at a speed of up to 90 km/h, killing 268 people and destroying 62 buildings. The total surface area affected was 43.5 hectares
Tailings would have to be watched and monitored long after every dollar earned by Virginia Uranium has been spent on profits, expenses, salaries and taxes.
Ranger Mine Overflows (Open Pit)
It would be a toxic, radioactive gift to future generations — and if the tailings got into the environment, they would spoil Pittsylvania County’s prized land, air and water.
Talvivaara mine area: Hundreds of thousands of cubic metres of waste water have leaked since Sunday, some flowing out of the mine area into the surrounding nature
The problem with uranium mining is that it doesn’t leave any room for error.
The red sludge spill in Ajka, Hungary was clearly visible from space.
The regulations for uranium mining in Virginia would have to be thorough. The regulators would have to be extraordinarily vigilant to catch violations before they become serious problems. The workers would have to be well-trained and conscientious.
In short, a lot of things would have to go right for uranium to be mined safely in our community.
Is any human endeavor fool proof? Of course not.
The uranium question asks us to put our faith in men and methods to extract one of the most dangerous elements known to man so that a handful of people can make a lot of money.
It is a risk the Dan River Region can’t afford to take, because we plan to live here long after Virginia Uranium has taken what it wants from our community.
http://www.newsadvance.com/go_dan_river/opinion/editorials/article_80060ca8-5130-11e2-a59a-0019bb30f31a.html
http://www.wise-uranium.org/mdafst.html
http://www.wise-uranium.org/stk.html?src=stkd01e&show=m
http://www.wise-uranium.org/umopaura.html#RANGER
http://yle.fi/uutiset/ministry_chief_talvivaara_mine_should_be_shut_down/6367983
http://e360.yale.edu/feature/hungarys_red_sludge_spill_the_media_and_the_eco-disaster/2330/
