Uranium foe outlines flaws

The leader of a local group opposing uranium mining in Pittsylvania County disputed several claims made by mining supporters during a forum Thursday night in Danville.

Gregg Vickrey, of Southside Concerned Citizens, took statements made by supporters of uranium and held them up to scrutiny for about 60 attendees at the Stratford Inn Conference Center. 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.

Vickrey took issue with a recent statement made by Virginia Uranium investor Henry Hurt that radioactive dust would be contained during exploratory drilling at Coles Hill.

Vickrey showed a video of explosions at a mining operation in Australia to the tune of AC/DC’s “T.N.T.”

As dust flew in the video, Vickrey ridiculed Hurt’s statement that state-required water-containment would alleviate radioactive dust during exploratory drilling and that blasting would occur once or twice a day. He said the explosion would go on for 30 years and dust from blasting would not be contained, but would spread around the environment, affecting cattle, water streams and crops.

In addition, large rocks would fly far from the site, Vickrey said.

“I wouldn’t want to be driving down Chalk Level Road when this is happening,” he said.

However, at least one Virginia Uranium official who attended the seminar was unimpressed with the presentation.

“The video is an exaggeration of the mining process,” said Patrick Wales, geologist and project manager with the company.

Wales said claims in the video are “untrue.”

A movie about the mine in Australia showed deformed fetuses and children that the narrator said was the result of uranium mining.

Wales presented statements to the Register & Bee from the World Health Organization and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that say depleted and natural uranium are not known to cause cancer.

Vickrey said during his presentation that a mine at Coles Hill would be about 55 blocks wide. Wales said no one can speculate on the mine’s size until a study is conducted.

Vickrey also showed photos taken on a road near Coles Hill on Sept. 6, after the heavy rains, of water along the road and the side of the road. He questioned how rainwater would be contained and said it would seep through tailing piles and contaminate water sources.

Vickrey noted that mining would take place only about a mile from Banister River. Water supply from here to Albemarle Sound would be contaminated, affecting millions of people, he said.

While Delegate Clarke Hogan, R-South Boston, has asked for local chambers of commerce to gather public questions about a study on the mining, Vickrey contends the effort will yield minimal results.

Contact John R. Crane at jcrane@registerbee.com or (434) 791-7987.