On August 28, 2012, in Virginia Beach, the Virginia Uranium Working Group met to receive information from the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality on air and water monitoring and to receive public comments. According to the Virginian-Pilot, about 150 people attended the meeting. The Working Group was established by Virginia Gov. Robert McDonnell in January 2012 to investigate regulations that would be needed if the Virginia General Assembly were to remove its moratorium on uranium mining in the Commonwealth. In a news conference prior the Working Group’s meeting, Patrick Wales—the project manager for Virginia Uranium, Inc., which has proposed a uranium mine in Pittsylvania County—pledged that his company would use underground storage for radioactive waste as a way to prevent water contamination. He also asserted that, should contamination happen, contaminants could be removed to standard levels by water-treatment systems in the Hampton Roads area. Opponents of the proposed mining operation challenged Mr. Wales’ assertions. The Virginia Uranium Working Group’s Web page is http://www.uwg.vi.virginia.gov/. For a detailed article on the background of the Uranium Working Group’s and its activities as of mid-June 2012, see Uranium Working Group holds meeting in Chatham, Chatham Star-Tribune, 6/20/12.
Sources: VUI says uranium mining no risk to Va. waters, Danville Register & Bee, 8/28/12; and Company that wants to mine uranium vows safety, Norfolk Virginian-Pilot, 8/29/12.
