Virginia Unanimously Opposed to Uranium Mining

The Street reported that Virginia’s uranium mining opponents voted to block a legislation that would ultimately end a decades-old state-wide moratorium. The decision, wildly supported by the Senate.

Virginia Uranium Inc, is hoping the General Assembly will but an end to the 30-year mining ban so it can tap into a 119-million pound uranium deposit in Pittsylvania County valued at roughly $7 billion. However, despite the prospect of creating more than 300 jobs, VUI faces strong opposition from an wide array of  opponents, including farm groups, civil rights organizations, municipal groups and business associations.

Bill Axselle Jr. of the anti-mining Alliance for Progress in Southern Virginia commented:

These entities don’t normally agree with each other but they’re all unanimous in opposition […] It’s not consistent with the good statewide approach balancing the risks and rewards. I think everybody who’s looked at this have said the rewards are few, the risks are many.

Also in agreement, Cale Jaffe, director of the Virginia office of the Southern Environment Law Center stated:

Folks have read the studies and the legislation and they’ve concluded this is a bad idea and this is a bad bill.

To read the full report, click here.