Myth vs. Fact
It’s no surprise that many of Virginia’s prominent, well-funded environmental advocacy organizations oppose uranium mining at Coles Hill. In the Richmond Times-Dispatch, representatives of the three leading opponents of uranium mining in Virginia – the Southern Environmental Law Center, the Piedmont Environmental Council and the Virginia League of Conservation Voters – went so far as to dismiss the ongoing National Academy of Sciences study of uranium mining in Virginia, saying that they “did not want the study in the first place.” Their promotion of myths in this important public policy debate obscures the issues and misleads the public. See the examples below from many of these groups...and the rebuttals. VUI’s position is clear: If the National Academy of Sciences’ findings indicate that it is feasible for uranium mining to proceed in Virginia, we hope the Legislature will move forthwith on promulgating regulations.
THE PIEDMONT ENVIRONMENTAL COUNCIL HAS CIRCULATED A MAP OF VIRGINIA ENTITLED "WATER SUPPLIES POTENTIALLY IMPACTED BY URANIUM MINING" THAT INCLUDES FAIRFAX, TOWN OF ORANGE, FREDERICKSBURG AND SPOTSYLVANIA, AS WELL AS HALIFAX, CLARKSVILLE, AND MECKLENBURG.
– Piedmont Environmental Council website, February 21, 2011
These water supplies are not threatened by Coles Hill or any other uranium deposit. As the National Academy of Sciences has testified, "Of the sites explored in Virginia so far, only the deposit at Coles Hill is large enough, and of a high enough grade, to be potentially economically viable."
- National Academy of Sciences State-Sponsored Report.
"URANIUM MINING IN VIRGINIA WOULD BE THE FIRST TO TAKE PLACE EAST OF THE MISSISSIPPI. HISTORICALLY, URANIUM HAS BEEN MINED IN DRY, ARID CLIMATES."
- Kay Slaughter, Southern Environmental Law Center video, You Tube
DUE TO URANIUM’S VOLATILE MARKET PRICE, "THE COMPANY MAY SUSPEND OPERATIONS FOR AN EXTENDED PERIOD OF TIME OR EVEN GO OUT OF BUSINESS ALTOGETHER, PUTTING PEOPLE OUT OF WORK AND A COMMUNITY LEFT TO CLEAN UP THE MESS."
– Keep the Ban Economic Fact Sheet, 2011
"URANIUM MINING CAN LEAD TO RADIOACTIVE CONTAMINATION OF AIR AND GROUND WATER, CAUSING CANCER AND BIRTH DEFECTS."
– Virginia League of Conservation Voters Press Release on Congressman Robert Hurt campaign ads, October 13, 2010
"Seven mines operated on the Arizona Strip, an area north of the Grand Canyon known for its high-grade uranium ore, between 1980 and 1991, producing more than 19 million pounds of uranium without any recorded damage to the environment, wildlife or the health of workers and neighboring communities."
– Dr. Madan Singh, director of the Arizona Department of Mines and Mineral Resources, Associated Press reports, April 2010
"THERE WILL BE A DEAD ZONE WITHIN A 30 MILE RADIUS OF THE MINE. NOTHING WILL GROW. ANIMALS WILL DIE. THE RADIATION GENETICALLY ALTERS TISSUE. ANIMALS WILL NOT BE ABLE TO REPRODUCE. WE'LL SEE MALFORMED FETUSES."
– Jack Dunavant, Southside Concerned Citizens
"The proposed mining endeavors can be carried out with minimal impact on the environmental quality of the surrounding areas while simultaneously stimulating the economy of Southside Virginia, filling a vacancy in our country's energy needs, and reducing the United State’s dependency on foreign sources of energy."
– Carter Ficklen, President of the Virginia Health Physics Society
Based on NRC, EPA and other regulatory standards and the characteristics of the Coles Hill site, the probability of a tailings release from the Coles Hill site is effectively zero, or 1-in-10,000,000.
– Kleinfelder, May 2011
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