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7:47 p.m. • 5-23-13

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Published: 2013-01-22 19:22:08
Updated: 2013-01-22 19:22:08

Posted: January 22

Residents oppose lifting Va. ban on uranium mining

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North Carolina residents who oppose a measure in the Virginia's legislature to lift a ban against mining uranium spoke out at North Carolina's legislative building Tuesday about the potential dangers of lifting the ban.

They're concerned waste could get into the water and flow downstream to North Carolina, polluting the water supply.

"This is something that will be bad for our entire region," Leslie James, a Vance County resident, said. "This is something that is not worth the greed of a few. It's just not."

Virginia Uranium, Inc., a private company lobbying for the ban to be lifted, says that, with modern procedures, uranium can be mined safely and that it’s being done all over the world.

Opponents are asking North Carolina residents and lawmakers to get involved. Some elected officials have already said they oppose lifting the ban.

Copyright 2013 by Capitol Broadcasting Company. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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You should do your research on this. Look at other countries and their experience with it. It is not the uranium itself but the byproducts of the mining process that is poison. I live on Kerr Lake and am very concerned. It is at risk as well as the Roanoke River, its tributaries, Gaston Lake, and the Albemarle Sound where it ends. Lots of NC land (ground water contamination) and residents could be adversely affected. Not to mention the municipalities that use these bodies of water for drinking water.
Click to view my profile Raised Down East
January 24, 2013 1:02 p.m.
Not sure that mining Uranium is any more dangerous that mining Coal, or pretty much any other natural resource. Uranium, straight out of the earth isn't the same as what goes into a Nuclear plant, or to power an Aircraft Carrier. It must go through Months of refining, and concentration. From there it becomes Yellow Cake. That is then spun in a centrifuge to make radioactive gas, which is then converted back to a solid. At this point you have the really nasty stuff that emits Gama Rays which are deadly to organic life..... I agree that I wouldn't want it mined in my back yard, but mostly because of the ugly mess it leaves behind. Strip mining is ugly, Period... From a safety standpoint, I'm not sure that it's more dangerous than any of the other chemicals that we breath and drink daily.
trianglerelic
January 23, 2013 3:50 p.m.
Don't kill us make money some other way North Carolina is not the greatest state to live in but we live here.
North Carolina Cutie
January 23, 2013 12:01 p.m.
the electricity used to put this article online came from uranium that had to be mined somewhere, and was processed at Shearon Harris. I'm not saying I'm in favor of the mining in VA either, but it's something to think about.
tightwad
January 23, 2013 11:05 a.m.
Politicians ignore science because it's too confusing.
Ol Forrester
January 23, 2013 9:05 a.m.
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