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A study of uranium mining in Virginia is expected to be adopted during a Nov. 6 meeting of the Coal and Energy Commission in Richmond.
Delegate Terry Kilgore, R-Scott County, announced the meeting Tuesday.
“The parameters of the proposed study will include close examination of all important aspects of uranium development as they would be applied in Virginia,” according to a news release from Kilgore’s office.
Kilgore said America needs independent sources of energy as a matter of national security and economic prosperity.
“We know that Virginia has a significant, high-quality uranium deposit and as Virginians and Americans, we have a responsibility to study the feasibility of mining it safely,” Kilgore, who also is chairman of the Coal and Energy Commission, said in a written statement. “The Coal and Energy Commission conducted a similar study in the (’80s) and deals regularly with mining issues; it is the Commonwealth’s repository of mining expertise and the right entity to conduct this study.
“The Commission will work the affected locality and surrounding areas to develop parameters to the study.”
Uranium mining has been banned in Virginia since the early 1980s, but Virginia Uranium Inc. seeks to mine and mill a uranium deposit at Coles Hill about six miles northeast of Chatham. A proposed study to determine whether uranium can be mined safely in the commonwealth was tabled by a legislative committee in the General Assembly earlier this year.
Shireen Parsons, Virginia community organizer for the Community Environmental Legal Defense Fund, said the real issue is people’s consumption of everything, not energy.
“If we reduced our consumption of everything, energy would no longer be a problem,” Parsons said. “We need to be citizens rather than consumers.”
She said if people would drastically alter their lifestyle, including energy needs, uranium mining would not be a factor.
Parsons said the Coal and Energy Commission is going to give the study the widest leeway possible. She said the study, and the results, are a done deal.
“This is not an independent, unbiased group to do this study,” Parsons said.
She said opponents won’t accept a study because they would have to live with the results of the study, which she called irrelevant.
“The people didn’t consent to be uranium mined,” Parsons said.
Virginia Uranium welcomed the announcement from Kilgore and the Coal and Energy Commission.
“We are encouraged by Delegate Kilgore’s announcement that the Coal and Energy Commission plans to adopt procedures for a study of uranium mining in Virginia,” Virginia Uranium said in a written statement. “With the growing importance of energy independence for America, as well as the presence of Virginia’s world-class uranium deposit, the time is right to conduct an independent and thorough study of the issue.
“Virginia Uranium stands ready to provide any pertinent data to ensure a study of the highest quality.”
• Contact Bernard Baker at or at (434) 791-7986.
Reader Reactions
Comment from last Person: Bring on the study and then let us decide.
Define Us - everyone on Virginia Coal and Energy Commission are not county residents!!!
Looks like US is them and the Southside citizens do not have input in the uranium study!!
Your comment: I would like to hear how Ms. Parsons would like us to “drastically alter our lifestyle”.
This summer, we all “drastically alter our lifestyle” and we drove less because the price of gas went so high.
What happen, the gas prices came down!!!
Another way we can “drastically alter our lifestyle” are small houses and smaller cars, turn your heat down, drive less (plan you’re shopping)!
Another way we can “drastically alter our lifestyle” is recycle all cans, plastic, etc.
Therefore, the statement “drastically alter our lifestyle” makes sense to most people.
I don’t think that reducing our “consumption of everything,“ as Ms. Parsons wishes, is a realistic goal for America to end its need for energy. And is she the one who was trying to convince everyone at the one Southside Concerned Citizens meeting I attended that she wasn’t a Communist? What does that have to do with anything? Let’s have a calm, rational study of the uranium mining issue and decide on the basis of reason and education, rather than pure emotion. I would like to hear how Ms. Parsons would like us to “drastically alter our lifestyle”. Reducing our dependence on foreign energy and producing our own clean energy seems to fit into that category. Bring on the study and then let us decide.
Perhaps, Whitt Clement and his family will move to Coles Hill since he is so involved as a lobbyist for VUI. He was our native son and now all he cares about is money and destroying Mother Earth.
Isn’t it nice how people who don’t live near a potential open pit uranium mine get to decide for those of us that do live here? Maybe they’ll buy our homes and live here themselves if it does come to pass. If the moratorium is lifted (God forbid) the rest of Virginia will see how it feels because Chatham isn’t the only place in Virginia that has uranium. Let’s just keep destroying the environment and then we won’t have anywhere to live. I wonder how important this uranium mine would be if no money were involved. Would destroying the environment for 2 years worth of nuclear energy or maybe enough uranium to make a few nuclear weapons be worth it then??? I don’t think so.
If uranium is so good for us, why give it to Southside to be the sacrificial lamb. We have the rain, rivers, and cropland to feed the Commonwealth but it will be destroyed if uranium is mined. Who is going to pay to build nuclear power plants when the Federal government is financially broke from the thieves of subprime lending? Uranium is everywhere in VA so why doesn’t Scott County offer to be the FIRST uranium mine? See if Delegate Kilgore will be welcomed home with this offering to his constitutents! Southside says NO to this dangerous development.
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