Hundreds turn out for uranium mining meeting
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Uranium Subcommittee of the Virginia Commission...
Uranium Subcommittee of the Virginia Commission on Coal and Energy meeting in Chatham
Traci White
Members of Southside Concerned Citizens sit in the audience at a public hearing on uranium mining Tuesday at Chatham High School. More than 400 residents attended the meeting and many presented their questions to members of the Virginia Commission on Coal and Energy.
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CHATHAM – Residents packed the auditorium at Chatham High School on Tuesday night to urge that a study on mining and milling uranium determines its effect on the area’s air and water, public health, economic development and agriculture.
At least 400 people nearly filled the high school auditorium to capacity for the hearing conducted by the Uranium Subcommittee of the Virginia Commission on Coal and Energy. The event’s purpose was to gather questions from area residents to be answered in a state study.
Local representatives also attended and several of the subcommittee members listened to constituents, at times refuting accusations from attendees that they were receiving political contributions from Virginia Uranium Inc. to influence a study’s results.
Virginia Uranium wants to mine and mill a uranium deposit at Coles Hill about six miles northeast of Chatham. In November, the commission approved a study to determine whether uranium can be mined and milled safely in the area. Uranium mining has been banned in Virginia since the early 1980s.
About two hours into the hearing that began at 6 p.m., at least 30 people had aired their concerns to the subcommittee chaired by Delegate Lee Ware, R-Powhatan. Most spoke against mining.
Residents and representatives from Virginia Uranium also said they want the study to focus on the positive impacts it would have, including how many jobs it would provide, how much it would expand the local tax base and reduce U.S. reliance on foreign countries for energy sources, and what would be the consequences of opting against uranium mining.
Gary Fountain, rector at Chatham Hall, said the study needs to answer how mining and milling would affect students’ health at the all-girls boarding school and parents’ decisions whether to let their children attend the school.
“The market for… boarding schools is a highly competitive one,” Fountain said to subcommittee members. “Safety is a major factor in Chatham Hall’s appeal to families.”
Joel Gregory, a petroleum geologist, said the study should address mining-dust management and abatement, movement of local groundwater, and consider underground tailings management. Jennifer-East Cole, VUI geologist, said the study should examine the character of the hydrology at Coles Hill, how the water there moves through soil and rock.
Delegate Danny Marshall, R-Danville, said the study should determine what the area mined and milled would look like 300 years from now, and how tailings would be managed to minimize harm to the environment and public health.
Walter Coles Jr., VUI executive vice president, said the study should analyze what would happen if uranium is not mined at Coles Hill. The U.S. consumed more than 50 million pounds of uranium in 2007 and Russia supplied 34 percent of it, he said.
The U.S. produced less than 5 million pounds of uranium in 2007, less than 10 percent of annual consumption, Coles added.
“What are the risks if this project doesn’t go forward?” Coles said. “Is there the possibility that government comes in and just takes the uranium if the supply situation becomes dire?”
He maintained mining and milling would supply more education funding for the county, and without it, unemployment would be higher.
Mining opponents from Southside Concerned Citizens openly accused subcommittee members of taking contributions from VUI. Two members of the subcommittee, delegates Watkins Abbitt Jr. and Charles W. Carrico Sr., denied taking money from VUI.
Gregg Vickrey, SCC president for the Chatham-Pittsylvania County chapter, pointed out that it was VUI, not the residents of the county, who asked for the study. He also wanted to know who will pay for the study, especially since the state of Virginia is facing a $6 billion shortfall.
• Contact John R. Crane at or (434) 791-7987.
Reader Reactions
Yes, I know this is a sell out.
I remember riding the school bus along Memorial Drive and the Dan River sometimes ranyellow, red, orange or yellow.
The mill was dumping the dyes in the Dan River!
The NRC does not regulate Uranium Mining, it only issues permits.
EPA only goes on site if an accident happens (after the fact).
That leaves the state of VA to regulate the Uranium Mining, they regulate Coal Mining, which mines with Strip Mining (Mountain Top Removal) and it employs few people and the area around the mining a poorer after the mining.
Their land last value and a lot of them lost their wells because Mountain Top Removal changes the water pattern.
People of our County, we can call the uranium mining, Coles Hill Removal, it will be open pit mining or strip mining which changes the water pattern which means the wells will go try.
If Callands is mined, The Bannister River and the Sandy River will not exist!
This is a sell out don’t go for it.What they are not going to tell you is all the proof about the risk of contamination and pollution run-offs are going to be a big possibilty shuck’s think about the small problem of the run off in river’s from animal waste see that product they want to harvest can and will be sold on the open market and their will be danger’s in transporttaion.If it was that easy why did they had to pick this area if you think back was all the chemical Dan River Mills kicked out wasn’t harmful I worked thier and sometimes if it wasn’t for survival I wouldn’t have when you think of uranium think of bomb’s and terroirism this would make your town a site that can be considered as a target for anything yet they are hoping for they know most of you who own the land will have either died off or gave to family member’s who don’t care, if you think digging for coal or big plant’s pumping out gases can be bad let some of this stuff accidentially get lose,plus did see that they thought down in Tennesse that pit they build would hold also some thing’s are meant to be left alone and these new scientist know it yet grant money and lobbying drives ambition we should have a clue now that the earth is getting tired of us poking and prying just think you will never really never know how safe it is until you hear that alarm go off.
I think the Gov. Kaine needs to appoint another subcommittee members and subcommittee members cannot take money from any lobbiest!
Gov. Kaine needs to appoint another college to head the study, a college that has never seen Coles Hill!
Gov. Kaine needs to appoint for science groups: National Academy of Sciences (who works for the EPA a lot) and Union of Concerned Scientists: Citizens and Scientists for Environmental Solutions.
Gov. Kaine needs to appoint people from Southside, not a bunch of Coal People who take mountain tops off and stops the water flow of rivers.
This a bias subcommittee and the VA Coal people are creeps!
Leave the present or future economy out of this…the economy is only as bad as the media makes us believe!! The primary concern should be the health, both present and future, of the citizens this mining will directly impact!!
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