EWG has documented the explosion of uranium mining claims out West, including dozens of claims--and exploratory drilling operations hastily approved by federal authorities--in the vicinity of the Grand Canyon, driven by skyrocketing prices for the metal in anticipation of a nuclear power "renaissance".
But AP is reporting today that the mother lode of uranium in the United States may be a $10 billion deposit located in Virginia.
The existence of the deposit has been known since the 1980s, but a spike in the price of uranium has renewed interest in mining it. That is cause for hope by advocates in a region with an economy crippled by the loss of the textile and tobacco industries and angst among residents who fear radiation contamination.
Opponents of the prospective mine are leery of an offer by the company that owns the mining rights to pay for a study of its potential impacts.
Virginia Uranium's foes don't mind a study, but they don't think the state should conduct one in partnership with a private company. They also think it should be done by health care professionals who are knowledgeable about the effects of radiation, not theoretical scientists."Snake handlers are not afraid of snakes," said Jack Dunavant, chairman of Southside Concerned Citizens, which is leading the opposition.
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