Lawmakers support McDonnell's uranium plan

Gov. Bob McDonnell would like to keep the moratorium on uranium mining this year so a state workgroup can study the issue.

Moreover, McDonnell announced through a news release Thursday that more on-site evaluation of the proposed uranium site is needed before lawmakers take action. He also asked that a multi-agency workgroup draft a regulatory framework for uranium mining and milling to present to lawmakers by December.

The governor directed the workgroup to report progress to the legislative uranium subcommittee and allow “thorough opportunity” for public participation over the year.

“This analysis will arm the commonwealth’s policy makers with more information and data so that they can soundly determine the proper course of action moving forward,” McDonnell said in the release.

The National Academy of Sciences uranium report and a socio-economic impact study released in December raised important questions that need to be addressed, he added. The workgroup would assess whether Virginia’s regulations would need to be more stringent than federal ones, analyze resources and experts needed for programs, how best to protect public and worker health and prevent the release of radioactive contaminants, among other issues.

Local lawmakers agreed with McDonnell’s advised course of action, especially as it gives time for members of the General Assembly and the public to digest several uranium studies. They agreed more information is needed to make a determination on lifting a 30-year uranium mining moratorium as Virginia Uranium Inc. would like to tap a 119-million-pound uranium deposit at Coles Hill in Pittsylvania County.

Sen. Bill Stanley, R-20th District, doesn’t know if he’ll be fully satisfied with the proposed regulations or site-specific study, but would like for lawmakers to have them before making a decision. He called the governor’s plan a “wise move” to keep the uranium ban in place while collecting more information, rather than listening to Virginia Uranium’s call to lift the moratorium to find out what the regulations would be.

Stanley added the workgroup process needs to be open, as the future of the region is at stake.

“It’s a very emotional issue. It’s a very serious issue for a lot of us legislators who are in the area, who represent the area that will be affected by uranium mining,” Stanley said, adding others in Richmond need to understand that and the facts before making a decision that would affect the area.

“I think this is a good step,” said Delegate Danny Marshall, R-Danville, who with other lawmakers asked the governor to put off the uranium decision for a year.

Marshall supported doing a site study before fully drafting regulations, but added he would like the workgroup to study other potential uranium sites in Virginia. He noted that drafting regulations doesn’t mean the moratorium would be lifted.

Delegate Don Merricks, R-Pittsylvania, said the governor’s plan falls in line with his thinking of needing a deliberate, methodical and cautious approach.

This would enable lawmakers to have “all pieces of the puzzle” to make an educated decision, Merricks said, adding the process could take more than a year. Merricks still needs to be convinced to allow uranium mining, as the NAS report, which highlighted potential uranium risks and ways to mitigate some but not all of them, didn’t give him the “warm fuzzies.”