Will Uranium Get a Glowing Welcome in Virginia?
By Katherine E. Slaughter
INTRODUCTION
Driving along U.S. Route 29 in “Southside” Virginia near the exit for the town of Chatham in Pittsylvania County, one would not think anything out of the ordinary is happening. As you leave the highway and drive into the outskirts of Chatham on a typical spring day, grasses and mustards are sprouting in the gently sloping fields, dogwood trees, oaks, and maples budding along streams. In the town (population 1,338), signs indicate the location of two private boarding schools, Chatham Hall for Girls, a manor sitting amid 362 carefully tended acres serving 135 girls, and Hargrave Military Academy, a military preparatory school for 430 students in a small town setting.1 But sprouting occasionally in town yards and country fields are white signs with a circle surrounding the words, “Uranium Mining,” crossed out with a thick diagonal red line.
Chatham, the county seat of Pittsylvania County, has based its economy largely on agriculture and also hosts small manufacturing operations, retail businesses, and the two private schools.2 Pittsylvania County itself has a population of approximately 61,000,3with its largest city Danville (population 44,660 in 2008), 16.5 miles south of Chatham, at the Virginia/North Carolina border.
The controversy, which has reached the State Capitol, is whether to allow a private corporation, Virginia Uranium, Inc. (VUI), to mine uranium on a local farm, “Coles Hill,” where uranium was discovered thirty years ago. Then, as now, uranium was touted as a potential cash crop to replace the dwindling tobacco economy, formerly king of agriculture in Southside Virginia.
When President Obama endorsed the construction of more nuclear plants in his 2010 State of the Union address, followed by an offer of federal loan guarantees for nuclear reactors, many saw this as a signal for the U.S. to turn aggressively to nuclear energy. With uranium prices rising, other countries also seek to open new mines to meet the demand. VUI says that increasing the domestic production of uranium will not only advance energy security in the U.S. but also benefit the local economy. Pointing to the deep community roots of its founders, the company states it is “fully committed to leaving the land, water and other natural resources in as good or better condition than they are today,” and says it will support the county's agricultural base and contribute economically to protect its historic resources; VUI believes a scientific study will prove it can mine and mill safely. Opponents point to the abysmal record of the uranium industry in the U.S. and worldwide, leaving in its wake communities plagued by tainted drinking water, high incidences of cancer and other diseases, and a landscape that is environmentally degraded. Local citizens worry about economic impacts to private and public schools, farms and nearby residences, as well as the negative impacts on other existing businesses and tourism. Communities downstream from the Coles Hill site, including Halifax, Virginia Beach and Norfolk, are concerned about potential impacts on public drinking water.
In this article, I will discuss the history of the uranium controversy in Virginia, including the current moratorium on mining and milling in the Commonwealth, the environmental and health issues related to uranium mining and milling, as well as the bifurcated state-federal regulatory program. In Part I, I will recount the discovery of uranium in Virginia in the 1970s, the subsequent citizen involvement, legislative moratorium, and the evolution of the current VUI proposal. In Part II, I will discuss the potential environmental and health impacts of mining and milling. In Part III, I will outline the state role and federal programs related to mining and milling, including the Uranium Mill Tailings Radiation Control Act, the Clean Water Act, and National Environmental Policy Act. In Part IV, I will address the decommissioning, reclamation and eventual federal or state ownership of uranium mill sites. Finally, in Part V, I will summarize the potential impacts for Virginia and the next steps in the public policy process.
Driving along U.S. Route 29 in “Southside” Virginia near the exit for the town of Chatham in Pittsylvania County, one would not think anything out of the ordinary is happening. As you leave the highway and drive into the outskirts of Chatham on a typical spring day, grasses and mustards are sprouting in the gently sloping fields, dogwood trees, oaks, and maples budding along streams. In the town (population 1,338), signs indicate the location of two private boarding schools, Chatham Hall for Girls, a manor sitting amid 362 carefully tended acres serving 135 girls, and Hargrave Military Academy, a military preparatory school for 430 students in a small town setting.1 But sprouting occasionally in town yards and country fields are white signs with a circle surrounding the words, “Uranium Mining,” crossed out with a thick diagonal red line.
Chatham, the county seat of Pittsylvania County, has based its economy largely on agriculture and also hosts small manufacturing operations, retail businesses, and the two private schools.2 Pittsylvania County itself has a population of approximately 61,000,3with its largest city Danville (population 44,660 in 2008), 16.5 miles south of Chatham, at the Virginia/North Carolina border.
The controversy, which has reached the State Capitol, is whether to allow a private corporation, Virginia Uranium, Inc. (VUI), to mine uranium on a local farm, “Coles Hill,” where uranium was discovered thirty years ago. Then, as now, uranium was touted as a potential cash crop to replace the dwindling tobacco economy, formerly king of agriculture in Southside Virginia.
When President Obama endorsed the construction of more nuclear plants in his 2010 State of the Union address, followed by an offer of federal loan guarantees for nuclear reactors, many saw this as a signal for the U.S. to turn aggressively to nuclear energy. With uranium prices rising, other countries also seek to open new mines to meet the demand. VUI says that increasing the domestic production of uranium will not only advance energy security in the U.S. but also benefit the local economy. Pointing to the deep community roots of its founders, the company states it is “fully committed to leaving the land, water and other natural resources in as good or better condition than they are today,” and says it will support the county's agricultural base and contribute economically to protect its historic resources; VUI believes a scientific study will prove it can mine and mill safely. Opponents point to the abysmal record of the uranium industry in the U.S. and worldwide, leaving in its wake communities plagued by tainted drinking water, high incidences of cancer and other diseases, and a landscape that is environmentally degraded. Local citizens worry about economic impacts to private and public schools, farms and nearby residences, as well as the negative impacts on other existing businesses and tourism. Communities downstream from the Coles Hill site, including Halifax, Virginia Beach and Norfolk, are concerned about potential impacts on public drinking water.
In this article, I will discuss the history of the uranium controversy in Virginia, including the current moratorium on mining and milling in the Commonwealth, the environmental and health issues related to uranium mining and milling, as well as the bifurcated state-federal regulatory program. In Part I, I will recount the discovery of uranium in Virginia in the 1970s, the subsequent citizen involvement, legislative moratorium, and the evolution of the current VUI proposal. In Part II, I will discuss the potential environmental and health impacts of mining and milling. In Part III, I will outline the state role and federal programs related to mining and milling, including the Uranium Mill Tailings Radiation Control Act, the Clean Water Act, and National Environmental Policy Act. In Part IV, I will address the decommissioning, reclamation and eventual federal or state ownership of uranium mill sites. Finally, in Part V, I will summarize the potential impacts for Virginia and the next steps in the public policy process.
