Uranium Mining in Virginia

Peter L. deFur, Ph.D ESC, LLC

Environmental Studies at VCU NRC Study Committee member

Summary and

highlights

From the

NRC report

Complex Charge- 12 items

FIGURE 3.6 Distribution of Middle to Late Proterozoic granites

and gneisses of the Blue Ridge belt, together with complexly

deformed mylonites, shear zones, and cataclasites. SOURCE:

modified from Lassetter (2010).

Fig. 6.2 Waste management (tailings) at JEB pit, McClean Lake in Sasketchewan

Virginia Physical and Social Conduct - Findings

1. Diversity

1. Geologically

2. Ecologically

3. Socio-culturally

2. Socioeconomic disparities

3. Extreme weather

World-wide Occurrences- mining

Kazakhstan,

Canada,

Australia,

Namibia,

Niger,

Russia,

Uzbekistan,

United States

Occurrences, Resources, & Markets - Findings

1. Only Coles Hill, Pittsylvania County

2. No in situ

3. 92% Ur from 8 countries

4. Track oil price trends

5. Last 50 years

Mining, Processing, & Reclamation -Findings

1. Techniques depend on land characteristics

2. Hydrometallurgical

3. Mine design- pit or shaft

4. Ur mining = Hard rock mining

5. Life-cycle analysis

Potential Human Health Effects - Findings

1. Mining & Ur risks

2. Radon decay

3. NIOSH

4. Other radionuclides

5. General population at risk

6. Internal/external exposure

7. 230^Th and 226^Ra 8. Epidemiological studies flawed 9. Millennia of radiation 10. Silica dust & diesel exhaust 11. Miners injuries 12. Waste management 13. Cumulative risk

Potential Environmental Effects - Findings

1. Water, air, soil, biota quality/quantity

2. Long-term risks

3. Extreme natural events, management faults

4. Specific site modeling

Regulation - Findings

1. Subject to a variety of federal and state laws

2. Lack of experience in Va and eastern US

3. There is no federal law that specifically applies to uranium mining on non-federally owned lands

4. Gaps in legal and regulatory coverage

5. US federal government has only limited recent experience regulating conventional uranium processing

6. Limited public involvement

Best Practices

Questions?