Uranium Mining in Virginia
- Filed under: Healthy Air & Clean Energy
- Meet the attorneys on this case: Cale Jaffe Kay Slaughter
Keep the ban
In 2007, a Virginia company went public with its plans to develop a uranium mine 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. 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.
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.
Recent Action
In a major 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.
SELC will continue to work with the Southside Concerned Citizens and others to educate Virginia’s citizens and lawmakers about the need to proceed with utmost caution in deciding whether mining uranium in Virginia can be done safely. Until then, the moratorium put in place 25 years ago must remain.
Partner groups in this case: