Uranium Mining and Milling: Risks to Virginia’s Health and Safety

The following information was graciously supplied by the Virginia Conservation Network:

History

• 1980-81: Land is leased for uranium mining in multiple sites of the Virginia Piedmont.
• 1982: The General Assembly passes a moratorium on uranium mining and milling (processing) pending completion of a study.
• 1983: The General Assembly extends the moratorium indefinitely.
• 1982-85: The Uranium Subcommittee and Uranium Administrative Group conduct a study of proposed mining plans and hold hearings.
• 1985: The General Assembly declines to lift the moratorium, citing concerns about the experimental nature of uranium mining in Virginia’s wet climate and concerns over river and groundwater contamination.
• 2007: Investors operating as Virginia Uranium, Inc. propose to mine a large uranium deposit in Pittsylvania Co.
• 2008: SB 525, a flawed bill seeking a new study of uranium mining, is defeated. The City of Virginia Beach passes a resolution supporting the moratorium because the proposed mine threatens its water supply.
• 2009: The Virginia Coal and Energy Commission votes to seek assistance from the National Research Council of the National Academy of Sciences to conduct an independent study, estimated to cost $1 million dollars.

Methods

• Above-ground (open pit) and underground mining. Both these conventional mining methods require on-site milling. Mined rock is ground and uranium is leached out using acid or alkaline chemicals. The ratio of usable uranium to mined rock can be as low as ½ pound per ton, leaving huge amounts of waste to be stored near the mine. Open-air storage lagoons called “tailings ponds” contain radioactive elements, heavy metals (e.g. manganese and molybdenum) and other pollutants. The #1 risk of mining in Virginia is that dangerous pollutants might contaminate groundwater and streams, even decades after mining is completed.
• In situ leaching (ISL). In ISL, acid chemicals are injected underground to leach uranium from rock without mining and the mixture is pumped out to extract the uranium. Although the affected aquifers are supposed to be flushed to dilute pollution, this process has never actually restored the aquifers to original conditions. For geological reasons, it is unlikely ISL would be used in Virginia.

Dangers

• Uranium isotopes are radioactive and emit ionizing radiation that will damage or destroy living cells.
• Inhaling the products of uranium decay can cause lung cancer.
• Radioactive materials and heavy metals can leach into groundwater; water samples near existing mines show contaminants at hundreds of times the acceptable level for drinking.
• Exposed tailings emit radon gas, presenting short and long term hazards.
• Radon gas also deposits radioactive materials on vegetation, soil and water that end up in the food chain and ultimately in humans.
• In Virginia, frequent heavy rains increase the risk that mine tailings will be washed into waterways.

What Can You Do?

• Ask the Coal and Energy Commission to make certain that public safety is the only focus of their study.
• Write a letter to the editor of your local newspaper.
• Ask your local government or civic association to pass a resolution in support of the uranium mining moratorium.
• Talk to your friends and neighbors about this serious issue and ask them to get involved.
• Visit www.vcnva.org to learn more.