Uranium Mining in Virginia
Keep the ban
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 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 experience with regulating uranium mining.
The Pittsylvania County deposit is a particularly rich and accessible source of uranium. In 1982, the state issued a moratorium and spent several years studying the impacts of a proposal to mine the deposit. In the meantime, the uranium market fell and the industry dropped its plans. The moratorium on mining remains in effect, although exploration is still allowed. The nuclear energy industry is now making a comeback as the U.S. seeks to diversify its sources of energy, and the Pittsylvania County deposit is once again a target of potential development.
Studies done by a special Virginia commission in the 1980s raised serious questions that were never answered. Many questions remain today, including where the uranium would be processed, how the mine waste or “tailings” would be disposed of, what safeguards would be in place to protect the environment and public health, how would the facility be secured from earthquakes and floods, and many more.
- Virginia should keep the ban on uranium mining and not lift it unless the appropriate state and federal agencies can ensure citizens that the natural resources and public health of the Commonwealth will be fully and forever protected.
- We know that uranium mining in the U.S. and around the world has resulted in a host of serious problems, including toxic and radioactive contamination of groundwater and surface water, and risk of cancer and other health problems for workers and the public.
- Very little is known about the uranium mining operation being discussed for Pittsylvania County, including what type of mining would be involved, what natural and cultural resources would be affected, or where the uranium ore would be processed.
- There is no U.S. precedent for a large-scale uranium mine in a wet climate such as the Virginia Piedmont, where annual precipitation exceeds evaporation.
- Virginia has no regulations for uranium mining, and the federal government has virtually no experience regulating the activity in a wet climate.
- Detailed, comprehensive analysis of environmental and health impacts must be completed, and must demonstrate that uranium mining can be done safely, before the legislature considers lifting the moratorium.
Discussion
As a naturally occurring radioactive mineral, uranium is relatively
stable in the ground where it is bound with ore. When separated
from rock and exposed to air and water, radiation is released into
the environment. Processed uranium is used to fuel nuclear power
plants. The half life of uranium is 4.5 billion years.
Open-pit and deep-shaft uranium mining yield massive amounts of waste soil and rock, some of which is mildly radioactive. This material can contaminate groundwater and surface water and soils, posing risks to the public as well as to livestock and wildlife. Underground mining poses a particular hazard of lung cancer in miners who are exposed to contaminated air in confined spaces.
In addition, the “milling” process, in which ore brought to the surface is pulverized to separate the uranium, generates large amounts of dust that can be radioactive, putting workers and nearby communities at risk. The ratio of usable uranium to mined rock is very low – as low as 1:4,000. As a result, processing the uranium would create vast amounts of waste, called “tailings.” This waste often contains harmful chemicals and remains mildly radioactive for tens of thousands of years. The tailings are usually stored in massive piles, which can generate contaminated dust, and in vast holding ponds which can leak into groundwater; worse, the dams can fail from hurricanes, heavy rain, earthquake or other disaster.
In another type of mining, called in situ leaching (ISL), a chemical solution is injected underground to dissolve the ore, and the resulting solution is extracted and processed above ground to separate the uranium. This poses tremendous risk for contamination of groundwater and surface water.
In the U.S., virtually all uranium mining has occurred in the relatively
dry and sparsely populated regions of the Rockies and the Southwest.
Mining uranium in the wetter conditions of the more populous Virginia
Piedmont would present significantly different environmental challenges.
For example, the levels of radiation-tainted dust would likely be
lower, but the risk of contaminating water sources – and human contact
with those sources – would likely be higher.
Virginia has no regulations specifically for uranium mining
and reclamation. But, as catastrophic events like the 1996 Lone Mountain
coal slurry spill in Lee County remind us, the dangers of mining
remain even when industry is regulated by an experienced agency.
At the federal level, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission requires a permit for uranium mills, triggering an “environmental impact statement” to review cumulative impacts and alternatives. The NRC also has little experience regulating uranium operations in a wet climate – it is currently issuing a general permit for ISL mining but only out West – and has been criticized for lax enforcement.
The economic benefits of a uranium mine remain uncertain. While construction of the facility would create a significant number of jobs, ongoing operations would require relatively few jobs. Additionally, mining often has negative indirect economic impacts caused by pollution, public health problems, and decreased productive farmland.
Lastly, the economics of mining, particularly uranium mining, are
volatile. Start-up and operational costs are enormous, while market
prices can fluctuate dramatically. This creates pressure to minimize
worker and environmental protection costs, as well as the potential
for temporary shutdowns, which affect jobs. Most uranium mines in
the U.S. closed for part or all of the 1990s, for example. Once a
mine closes permanently, reclamation costs – especially for uranium
mines – are extensive.
History
The Piedmont region from Pennsylvania to Georgia contains the
right geologic conditions for uranium to occur. A particularly
rich and accessible deposit, known as the Coles Hill Deposit,
is found in Pittsylvania County, Va. In the early 1980s,
the mining industry sought to develop this deposit, and at least
one other, in Orange County. The Pittsylvania County mine
would have covered 1,265 acres, with the mine pit on 135
acres, the mill on 25 acres, and the waste rock and tailings
disposal area on 930 acres.
The proposal prompted the General Assembly in 1981 to direct the Virginia Coal and Energy Commission to study the issue and determine whether to allow uranium mining in Virginia. In 1982, a moratorium on uranium mining went into effect while the issue was studied. The commission ultimately favored mining in its 1985 report to the legislature, but a number of factors led to the demise of the efforts to mine the deposits, including rapid decline of the price of uranium. The moratorium still exists today, although uranium exploration is allowed.
Over the last several years, as the U.S. government and electric utilities have taken more meaningful steps to diversify energy sources to reduce fossil fuel use, nuclear power has made a comeback. Since 2003, the number of uranium mines in the U.S. has nearly tripled, reaching 11, according to the Department of Energy, with production more than doubling to almost 4.7 million pounds.
In 2005, Congress passed the National Energy Policy Act, which provided incentives for the nuclear energy industry to build new reactors. Experts expect roughly 30 applications for new reactors in the next several years, and skyrocketing prices for uranium have helped rekindle interest in mining in Virginia.
