Uranium mining, milling threatens water, report claims, By TIM DAVIS/Star-Tribune , November 22, 2011 “………Moran’s study is one of the few reports on the potential impact of uranium mining not funded by the mining industry,…
Moran’s site-specific findings include:
Virginia Uranium has failed to present any sort of detailed project proposal in writing.
The verbally described plans have changed constantly, depending on the audience.
Hence, the public has no way of reliably knowing the details of the proposed mining and mineral processing methods or the related impacts.
The project as proposed may generate at least 28 million tons of solid uranium mill tailings and roughly the same amount of liquid waste.
The solid wastes would remain on site forever, requiring maintenance forever.
Uranium mill tailings would contain radionuclides, heavy metals, and other toxic elements.
Undiluted tailings liquids may contain 1,160 to 1,460 times the existing Safe Drinking Water Act standard for uranium.
The confirmed presence of sulfides in the Coles Hill rock raises the possibility that long-term, active water treatment may be required, in perpetuity.
Numerous factors combine to provide long-term pathways for the migration of contaminants into local waters.
As proposed, the Coles Hill project would require over 5 billion gallons of water. During the start-up period, the project would use at least 525.6 million gallons per year.
It has been estimated that at least 136 million gallons of groundwater would flow into the open pit per year.
This water would become contaminated with numerous radioactive and non-radioactive contaminants.
To allow mining, this contaminated water must be pumped out of the open pit and discharged to some undefined location.
The Coles Hill project may use over 2,030 tons of explosives per year, releasing potentially toxic concentrations of nitrate, ammonia, and other organic compounds into the environment.
Such a project would cause long-term, chronic degradation of water quality and increase wate competition in the region.
Statistically adequate baseline data (water quality, quantity, etc.) have never been collected, compiled, and interpreted, or released to the public.
Thus, the public has no reliable “yardstick” against which to demonstrate that changes have occurred or not.
There is no credible evidence to indicate that either the federal or state regulatory agencies have sufficient staff, budgets, or political clout to adequately oversee and enforce the appropriate regulations…. http://www.wpcva.com/articles/2011/11/23/chatham/news/news43.txt
