Va. county home to uranium deposit backs ban

Posted: Thursday, January 24, 2013 6:34 am | Updated: 11:12 am, Thu Jan 24, 2013.

CHATHAM, Va. (AP) — The Board of Supervisors in Pittsylvania County is asking Virginia lawmakers to keep in place a moratorium on uranium mining.
 The Danville Register & Bee (http://bit.ly/10StlzJl) says supervisors approved the resolution Wednesday.

The General Assembly is considering legislation in Richmond that would end the 1982 ban on uranium mining, which would clear the way for a mining company to tap a 119-million-pound deposit outside of Chatham.

The legislation proposed in the General Assembly would limit uranium mining to the Pittsylvania County deposit and the company proposing to mine it, Virginia Uranium Inc.

Many in the Roanoke Valley, including civic groups, chambers, local governments and elected leaders, have come out against lifting the mining ban.
 

Many cities that draw their water supplies from Lake Gaston fear the contamination of drinking water, adding Virginia would face formidable challenges to ensure the safe mining and milling of uranium, something that has never been done on the East Coast.
 

Locally, state Rep. Michael Wray, D-Gaston, has already spoken to the Virginia governor in person, saying Bob McDonnell received a letter from the N.C. General Assembly speaking in opposition to lifting the ban on uranium mining.
 

The Roanoke River Basin Association, a leading organization in the fight against lifting the ban on uranium mining in Virginia, is calling on Roanoke Valley residents to take a stand.
 

Concerned residents can visit http://www.commonhealthva.org/  for information on how to contact Virginia legislators.

http://www.rrdailyherald.com/access/va-county-home-to-uranium-deposit-backs-ban/article_0aa97e00-661a-11e2-a782-0019bb2963f4.html