Loose Leaf Notes

~ The following was published in The Floyd Press on January 5, 2012.

It’s been nearly a year since a group of Pittsylvania County residents traveled to Floyd County to give a power point presentation, alerting local residents about Virginia Uranium Inc.’s intent to mine and mill uranium in Virginia for use in the production of nuclear power. A reported 119 million pounds of uranium – worth as much as $10 billion is at stake for the company, which consists of Virginia investors, Canadian partners and land owners of the property in Pittsylvania County where the mining site is proposed.

Concerned about the radioactive waste associated with uranium mining and its risk to drinking water, human health, farmland, property values and tourism, a group of Floyd citizens formed UBAN, a grassroots organization named for the goal of keeping a 30 year statewide ban on uranium mining in place.

Throughout the year UBAN members have partnered with other Virginia groups to educate people on the issue. Members have staffed educational booths at festivals, hosted benefits, collected petition signatures, attended local and regional meetings and voiced their concerns to their representatives.

“Other countries are pulling away from nuclear power,” said UBAN member Anne Armistead. Since the nuclear power plant disaster in Japan the price of uranium in the global market has fallen, she reports. “Studies have shown that solar is already cheaper than nuclear.”

Armistead’s fear is that if the ban is lifted and uranium mining is allowed, it will ruin Virginia’s economy. “How many companies will leave if this happens? Who’s going to want to relocate here other than another dirty mining company?” she asked. “Clean water is our biggest asset to future jobs. Even the perception of such a dirty industry around dairy farms will have a negative effect.”

“Property values near the proposed site have already gone down,” said UBAN member Michael Kovick. Kovick recently contacted his insurance agent to ask about coverage for water contamination. There is none, he was told.

UBAN member Cheri Chalfant pointed out that Pittsylvania County is only 50 miles as the crow flies from Floyd. “We need to reach out to every person we know in this state. They need to let their delegates know that our water is more important than uranium.” She noted that full scale uranium mining has never been done in the east where floods and hurricanes would make the spread of toxic materials more likely.

Uranium mining and milling has been known to increase birth defects and cancer, particularly in those who live near the mines. The mining industry’s safety record in the past has not been good, Armistead said. “Church Rock in New Mexico is the biggest radioactive release disaster in this country. It was worse than Three Mile Island, but you don’t hear much about it.” A waste water storage system in Church Rock failed and radioactive water was released in 1979.

The National Academy of Science recently released its highly anticipated 22-month review on uranium mining. The report did not make any recommendations on the ban but pointed to “steep hurdles” that mining prospectors would have to overcome. It also highlighted the difficulty of storing radioactive waste for thousands of years, considering Virginia’s climate, geology and population.

UBAN members agree that, because the problem of permanent storage of the radioactive waste has not been solved, uranium mining can not be considered safe even if it is heavily regulated. “When they dredge up this low grade ore it will take 2,000 pounds to get 4 pounds of yellowcake. That leaves 1,996 pounds of toxic waste on the ground,” Kovick explained. “Some of it is released as particles into the air and it’s processed with water. That toxic water has to be stored. Everyone’s asking can you mine safely, but the real question is ‘how are you going to store the radioactive waste for 100,000 years?’ There is no way. Every facility breaks down in 50 years or so and is vulnerable to storms.”

UBAN members are unanimously concerned that Virginia Uranium, Inc., a well-financed and politically connected company that currently employs 14 lobbyists, will drown out the public voice and push for a General Assembly vote on lifting the ban before it can be thoroughly reviewed. Another concern is that if the ban is lifted land throughout the Appalachian Mountain chain, where uranium deposits are believed to be, will be open to mining.

Kovick refers to the rush to mine and mill uranium in Virginia as “irresponsible and irrational.” “On the one hand they are pushing this by talking about putting regulations in place. On the other hand they have lobbyists in D.C. trying to shut down any regulations that are here to protect the public right now. They’re speaking out of both sides of their mouth.”

A by-donation “Keep the Ban” benefit dance concert is planned for Thursday, January 12 at 7:30 p.m. at Dogtown Roadhouse. Along with the scheduled music entertainment, Mighty Shakey and the RockuPyers, organizers plan to host an information table and have a guest speaker. They hope to inspire others to attend a Keep the Ban Lobby Day, hosted by the conservation community in Richmond on January 23rd. Mary Rafferty, a Sierra Club organizer and UBAN resource from Richmond, says the event will involve a morning workshop on lobbying, followed by a trip to the capitol to meet with legislators.

“This is our one chance. If people take one day out of their life to do this one thing and we make enough of a showing, we can have an impact and stop this.” Kovick urged.    ~ Colleen Redman

Post notes: UBAN members Michael Kovick, Anne Armistead and Cheri Chalfant are pictured at a meet-up at the upcoming benefit dance concert venue, Dogtown Roadhouse. Read the article I wrote for Natural Awakenings magazine on how the “Risks Outweigh the Benefits” HERE and a more recent excellent commentary in the Roanoke Times HERE. More information can be found at keeptheban.org.