Uranium mining study begins this spring; report due by end of 2011
The long-awaited study of the health, safety and environmental impact of uranium mining in Virginia is finally underway. The Chatham Star-Tribune reports that a contract has been signed between Virginia Tech’s Coal and Energy Research Center and the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) to undertake the study. The National Research Council – the National Academy’s chief operating arm – will conduct the study, while Virginia Tech will serve as a liason for the Virginia Coal and Energy Commission, the study’s sponsor, and Virginia Uranium, Inc., the study’s funder.
After more than a year of misinformation and baseless scare tactics from mining opponents, finally objective, unbiased experts from the nation’s most prestigious scientific research institution will determine if the tremendous energy and economic resources found in Pittsylvania County, Virginia can be developed in a way that protects the environment, health and safety of the region.
The Coles Hill uranium deposit is the largest untapped nuclear fuel deposit in the United States. Developing the deposit will not only significantly reduce America’s dependence on foreign sources of nuclear fuel, it will also be an engine for long-term job creation and economic development across Southside Virginia. The Coles Hill project is expected to create as many as 500 new jobs with an average annual salary of $68,000. At current estimates, it will also generate about $13 million in local tax revenue each year. The project will also stimulate hundreds of additional jobs and millions of dollars of additional economic development in local supporting industries. For a region struggling with chronically high unemployment and low average salary and wages, this potential economic boom is no small drop in the bucket.
The study committee, which will consist of 12 or so academic and professional experts in the field, will be selected this spring following a 20-day period of public comment. The committee is expected to hold a series of public meetings throughout Virginia in the summer and fall to hear input from the general public with a final report due by December 2011.
The Virginia Energy Independence Alliance supports this important scientific study that will help shape the future of economic development in Southside Virginia and the future of energy independence in America.
For more information about the study, visit the National Academy of Sciences’ Web site, www.NationalAcademies.org.
