Keep the Ban on Uranium Mining in Virginia
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This post originally appears here at www.vasierraclub.org
Virginia has a nearly 30-year ban on uranium mining. Virginia Uranium, Inc, a Canadian owned company is trying to lift the ban so they can mine and process uranium, starting in Southside Virginia. Drinking water, human health, farmland, property values, wildlife and tourism across Virginia are at risk.
Get the Facts on Uranium Mining & Processing
Radioactive and Toxic Waste: If the ban were lifted, processed uranium would be shipped out of state. Left behind for centuries would be huge volumes of radioactive and toxic waste, disposed near farmlands and local waterways. The Coles Hill Site alone would generate at least 28 million tons of waste.
Health Risks: Exposure to uranium waste has been linked to increases in leukemia, kidney disease and other severe health problems.
Downstream Drinking Water Impacts: A recent study predicts a spill at the first proposed mining site could contaminate drinking water for up to two years for Virginia Beach and other Virginia and North Carolina communities.
Virginia’s wet weather makes uranium production a risky experiment: Uranium mining in the United States has primarily occurred in dry, sparsely populated regions of the arid Southwest. Severe weather events – like Tropical Storm Gaston, which dumped 14 inches of rain on Richmond – could overwhelm uranium operations.
Uranium has been found statewide: The uranium industry held leases throughout the state in the 1980s, including Occoquan River and Rappahannock River watersheds. If the ban is lifted, numerous communities could be at risk.
I Am Concerned, What Can I Do?
Contact your state legislators: It is important to let your state senator and delegate know you care about this issue. Schedule a meeting, write a letter, or call your legislators today and tell them you support the existing ban on uranium mining in VA.
Host an awareness event in your community: Knowledge is power. Inform your neighbors, coworkers, friends, family, and church about this issue by hosting a meeting at your home or other local location.
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