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Not far beneath the surface of a relatively small patch of land in Pittsylvania County in southern Virginia lies the front line over a battle for Virginia's future and its sense of identity. Searching Virginia's past, back as far as the first days of the Jamestown settlement, Virginian's found ways to live in relative harmony with their environment. They respected the natural world and in later periods numerous Virginia landowners would become rich from the soils of Virginia. The Founding Fathers, landowners whose wealth was owed primarily to rich tobacco crops, repeatedly stressed "mans" relationship to nature.
But the years, it seems, have swept away any vestiges of that symbiotic relationship that was once an ideal of many Virginians. Today, Virginians face the real threat of uranium mining. If the ban were to be lifted, another blow to the relationship between Virginians and their natural environment would result, a consequence whose value cannot be monetized.
More and more, some Virginian's appear to look at the natural world principally as a place to make a profit and not a symbol of what it means to be a Virginian. Making a profit through nature and revering nature are not, I should emphasize, mutually exclusive. But making a profit through nature by extracting radioactive elements from beneath the soil to be used in a nuclear reactor that produces waste with no foreseeable home for storage is, by any definition, a dispirited and unhealthy relationship.
Whether or not the uranium being pulled from the ground is as radioactive as some claim is almost beside the point. The issue of uranium mining has to do with the entire extraction, production, and waste chain. That is, to thoroughly understand the full implications of uranium mining, one has to look at the extraction process, the production process, as well as where all of the spent nuclear fuel is likely to wind up.
Despite the claims made about the safety of this process, there is no certainty in any affair in life. The example of Fukushima is a tragic picture of what overconfidence can result in when we deal with such powerful substances like nuclear energy. There are risks and not all of them are satisfactorily minimized for a host of different reasons.
The issue of uranium mining is truly an issue of mining for Virginia's soul. Instead of investing more profoundly in advanced energy technologies and looking towards the future, we continue to invest "in the moment," breaking our bonds with nature while ultimately hurting human individuals in the process. I am fully aware of the difficult choices we have to make on the energy policy front. But we are making energy choices off the cuff, without an eye towards the long-term, without an eye towards the safety of Virginians, without an eye towards how much we truly value the environment. Today it is uranium in Pittsylvania, tomorrow it is another energy resource somewhere else in Virginia. What will the consequences be and how will we think of ourselves when we call ourselves Virginians?
Over a dozen of Virginia's legislators were coddled by Virginia Uranium Inc. during a three day paid vacation in France.
In between site-seeing missions in Paris, our elected representatives found time to survey AREVA's facilities, home to what is supposedly a successful example of a uranium mining operation.
What you probably won't hear about AREVA and its facilities are the less-than-stellar details that are usually withheld from the public eye.
According to a report by CRIIRAD in France (a nonprofit research commission on radioactivity in France), what was once COGEMA (now AREVA) used no radiation limit for scrap metal recycling prior to 1999. This appears to be one of many lapses in safety procedures by AREVA.
The report, called the "Radiological Hazards of Uranium Mining," also found that "all the French uranium mines where it made radiological surveys, the CRIIRAD laboratory discovered situations of environmental contamination and a lack of proper protection of the inhabitants against health risks due to ionizing radiation."
If this makes you think twice about uranium mining in southern Virginia, you're not alone.
Virtually every claim made by Virginia Uranium Inc. (VUI) about the safety of uranium mining has been debunked and until VUI can produce objective and verifiable evidence to prove their claims, it would be no less than an absolutely immoral endeavor to move forward with uranium mining in southern Virginia.
Besides the effects to human and environmental health, the issue is also one of political power. If uranium mining succeeds in Virginia it will be the Republican Party of Virginia that ultimately comes out with a new powerful political ally and campaign contributor, a political ally and campaign contributor whose interests are not in line with those of the rest of Virginia.
Virginians of every political persuasion, therefore, must be on the side of "Keep the Ban." The consequences of lifting the ban on uranium mining could quite possibly lead to one of the biggest disasters in Virginia's storied history.
In what amounts to a paid vacation for 14 of Virginia's state legislators, Virginia Uranium Inc. has reportedly financed a trip for the 5 legislators to visit a closed mine in western France.
According to the Washington Post, the closed mine in western France was mined for 50 years until the late 1990s.
The 5 legislators arrived in Paris on Wednesday and will soon be followed by 9 more this coming Tuesday.
The Post reports that the 5-day trip is expected to cost $10,000 per person, including a number of days in Paris.
Virginia Uranium is interested in ending the 1982 ban in Virginia on uranium mining and the General Assembly can do just that.
Aside from the fact that western France does not share the same ecological conditions as southern Virginia and cannot therefore be fruitfully compared with a high degree of validity, the trip appears to be more than a fact-finding mission by Virginia's state legislators.
Indeed, the days spent in Paris appear to be an unethical way for Virginia Uranium to court the favor of the legislators in question, regardless of the similarities and supposed safety of the uranium mine in western France.
If Virginia's legislators truly care about the interests of Virginians and the perceptions of their constituents, they will reject the offer to stay in Paris on the dime of a special interest whose goals are not in line with those of the rest of Virginia.
Many of these legislators will no doubt take the offer, however, rejecting all principles of ethical governance in the process.
But we're only talking about the welfare of thousands of Virginians, right? No big deal.
Today the Roanoke River was included in American Rivers' 26th annual list of the 10 most endangered waterways in America. American Rivers says lifting the ban on uranium mining would threaten the Roanoke River as well as drinking water supplies in the region with radioactive pollution and toxic chemicals.
The river flows from the Blue Ridge Mountains in Virginia to North Carolina's Outer Banks. It provides drinking water to more than one million people in Virginia Beach, Norfolk and other communities. Raleigh, North Carolina has also expressed need to use water from the basin.
The River is also a center of tourism and cultural heritage for the region. Once a passageway for the Native Americans and early European settlers, it is now enjoyed by local and visitors who enjoy trout fishing, kayaking, swimming and so much more.
As Virginia moves through another month of 2011, the issue of uranium mining continues to rage on between opponents and proponents of lifting a 1982 moratorium on uranium mining.
Representatives of the Southern Environmental Law Center alongside activists from the Southside of Virginia will discuss their intentions Thursday on keeping the uranium ban in place. They have dubbed themselves the "Keep the Ban Coalition."
Pittsylvania County sits on a sizable deposit of uranium, a deposit that Virginia Uranium Inc., a Canadian owned company, would like to mine. Before they can begin their operations, however, they'll have to convince the General Assembly that ending a ban almost 30 years old for uranium mining is a smart choice.
Opponents of uranium mining insist that it would endanger water sources and could lead to the opening up of other parts of the state to mining.
By the end of the year, the National Academy of Sciences is expected to deliver a report on uranium mining.
But since mining for uranium in a climate like Virginia's is unprecedented, it should go without saying that the risks are far too high.
While Virginia Uranium Inc. will attempt to sidestep this issue and focus on "job creation," this too seems like a dubious claim. That is, it's not clear how many jobs will even be created for the mining operation, were it to occur.
Another argument against uranium mining is this: continuing our focus on nuclear power is simply irresponsible and detracts from Virginia's ultimate goal of a clean energy future.
It's past time to get serious about clean and renewable energy. But first things first, let's finally put the issue of uranium mining in Virginia to rest once and for all.
Question: What's worse than lifting the ban on a radioactive industry in Virginia?
Answer: Lifting the ban on the radioactive industry if they have no plan to contain the radioactive waste their industry produces.
I know it may seem crazy but, that's the scenario that could play out if Virginia were to lift a near 30-year ban on uranium mining during the 2012 legislative session. According to Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests which uncovered emails between Walter Coles, Sr of Virginia Uranium, Inc. and Peter Pommerenk, Ph.D who works for the city of Virginia Beach.
Virginia Uranium, Inc. is pushing to have Virginia's existing ban on uranium mining lifted and has a 2012 legislative session target date for achieving this goal. In the meantime, the National Academies of Sciences, Danville Regional Foundation, Chmura Analytics and the city of Virginia Beach are studying the effects uranium mining would have on portions of the state.
The key word here is "portions." The Virginia Beach study is looking at downstream impacts of uranium mining on the water supply while the other studies are all studying the impacts on Southside Virginia. It's from Virginia Beach's efforts to study the safety of uranium mining that these emails originated.
When I was growing up I had a neighbor who used to always say "don't count your chickens before they hatch." She'd tell me this because I was a cocky little kid who thought I'd get anything I wanted. Sometimes you run across people in politics that like to count their chickens before they've hatched.
One such example is the CEO of Virginia Uranium, Inc., Walter Coles. I do not know Mr. Coles personally so I'm not going to comment on whether or not he is cocky, but his recent comments before potential investors in VUI were certainly brash if nothing else. Here's what he had to say in response to a question about having a bill in the 2012 legislative session:
Coles: "In January of 2012, we will have a bill in the state legislature that directs the [Department of Mines, Minerals, and Energy] to develop the regulations on uranium mining."
QUESTION: "Who is introducing that bill?"
Coles: "We have had a number of legislators who have offered to do such. I don't think we'll know who is going to introduce the bill until we get very close to the beginning of the legislative session. We have a team of lobbyists in the state capitol. We've got a public relations firm in the state capitol. We are taking legislators on trips to see reclaimed uranium mines in France and up in Canada. We have a grassroots educational effort underway in the local community. So we're not sitting still while the NAS study is going on. We are doing everything we can to make sure legislators thoroughly understand this issue and are able to be supportive of what we're trying to do in the next session."
Virginia Conservation Network will present the 2010 Virginia Environmental Assembly conference, Sept. 17-18 at the Virginia Beach Convention Center. This is the first time in almost decade that the annual gathering of conservationists, educators and activists has been held in Hampton Roads. View the full agenda at http://bit.ly/VEA2010
The weekend event will showcase some of the areas environmental achievements, including the energy efficient LEED renovation of Virginia Beach Convention Center, oyster restoration in the Lynnhaven River and research at the Virginia Aquarium and Marine Science Center.
Environmental leaders will also examine some of the major environmental puzzles confronting Hampton Roads, including how to bring offshore wind power-and related manufacturing jobs-to the region.
A panel discussion on the future of the Chesapeake Bay will feature Anthony Moore, Gov. McDonnell's point man on Chesapeake restoration, as well as staff to Environmental Protection Agency and the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, both of which have accused McDonnell's administration of foot-dragging on the issue.
Thomas Leahy, Director of Virginia Beach Public Utilities, will discuss the possible risk uranium mining poses to the region's water supply. Skip Stiles, director of Wetlands Watch, will discuss the increasing rate of sea-level rise and what can be done to minimize the risk of storm surges and flooding.
Registration is available online at www.vcnva.org or by calling 804-644-0283. Admission, which includes meals is $30 in advance, $40 day-of, $10 students. Scholarships are available; call to inquire.
Norfolk blogger Vivian Paige had the opportunity to talk one-on-one with Creigh Deeds yesterday. At the request of a friend, she was able to ask Sen. Deeds about the issue of uranium mining. Here's her notes from the exchange:
I asked about uranium mining, a topic that I'm not too familiar with. Fortunately for me, Deeds is.
He mentioned that he practiced law in Danville in the early to mid 1980s and became quite knowledgeable about the issue during that time. Deeds said that energy independence is a part of our national security so he believes in a comprehensive approach, and nothing should be taken off the table. He said, though, that he is not convinced that we have the technology to make such mining safe.
Deeds said, when the issue came up in committee, he asked two questions, one he knew the answer to and the other he didn't. The questions were:
1. What about the terrain in Pittslyvania County has changed?
2. What about the science has changed?
The answer to question #1, which Deeds already knew, was nothing. The terrain is such that the mining may very well contaminate the groundwater and not just in Pittsylvania County. The problem could very well extend beyond, down to Hampton Roads.
As for #2, he would like to see a study done by the National Academy of Sciences. Such a study has been authorized but so far, the NAS has balked at doing it. They want the state to pay for it - as of now, the private sector would pay for it - and they want the request to come from the Commonwealth, as opposed to a General Assembly committee.
The other issue is that of radioactive waste. Deeds was quite concerned about this, saying that radioactivity lasts forever, and even if the technology exists to clean it up - which he was very skeptical of this being the case - the stigma of having radioactive waste in an area may be too much to overcome.
Unless the technology exists to make uranium mining safe, I think I understood Deeds' position to be that he would not support it.
The federal government plans to spend up to $3 million a year to demolish and rebuild uranium-contaminated structures across the Navajo Nation, where Cold War-era mining of the radioactive substance left a legacy of disease and death.
$3 million a year is just the tip of the iceberg of what would be needed to even begin to repair the damage that has been done in dry, sparsely populated areas in the southwest United States. Policymakers and others should take a long hard look at the legacy and aftermath of uranium mining in the U.S. before deciding that this is the future we want for Virginia families and taxpayers.
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Virginia Conservation Network will present the 2010 Virginia Environmental Assembly conference, Sept. 17-18 at the Virginia Beach Convention Center. This is the first time in almost decade that the annual gathering of conservationists, educators and activists has been held in Hampton Roads. View the full agenda at 
