Uranium Mining Subcommittee releases study draft

Friday, March 20, 2009 3:53 PM EDT

The Virginia Coal and Energy Commission's Uranium Mining Subcommittee has released a draft of a proposed study on the dangers and benefits of uranium mining.

The subcommittee will review the proposal Tuesday, March 24, at 2 p.m. in House Room D in the General Assembly Building in Richmond.

The meeting is open to the public.

The group's chairman, Del. Lee Ware Jr. of Powhatan, said the subcommittee expects to hear from Dr. Michael Karmis, a professor in the Department of Mining and Minerals Engineering and director of the Virginia Center for Coal and Energy Research at Virginia Tech in Blacksburg.

Karmis has been reviewing information from two earlier public hearings, including one in Chatham, and is expected to present his recommendations on the scope of the study.According to Ware, Karmis will work directly with the National Academy of Sciences or a similar independent group on the study, which is expected to take about two years.

The chairman also said the subcommittee will receive input from other members on the proposed uranium mining study.According to Ware, the study will include a comprehensive look at the scientific, environmental and economic impact of uranium mining.

The draft includes: THE STUDY WILL REVIEW:

1. URANIUM SUPPLY/DEMAND TRENDS AND PROJECTIONS
a. GLOBAL, NATIONAL AND STATE
b. SHORT-TERM AND LONG-TERM TRENDS
c. COSTS, PRICES AND MARKETS

2. WORLDWIDE URANIUM DEPOSITS AND OPERATIONS
a. DEPOSIT CHARACTERISTICS AND LOCATIONS (GEOLOGY, CLIMATE, ETC.)
b. OPERATION CHARACTERISTICS
c. COSTS AND MARKETS
d. BEST PRACTICES
e. CURRENT ISSUES AND CONCERNS

3. URANIUM DEPOSITS IN VIRGINIA
f. OCCURRENCE
g. GEOLOGIC, ENVIRONMENTAL, CULTURAL, CLIMATIC, AND GEOGRAPHIC SETTINGS
h. PHYSICAL AND CHEMICAL CHARACTERISTICS
i. STATUS OF CURRENT EXPLORATION
j. AVAILABLE BASELINE DATA
k. ECONOMIC FEASIBILITY
l. COMPARISON OF POTENTIAL URANIUM OPERATIONS IN VIRGINIA WITH GLOBAL DEPOSITS AND PRACTICES

4. URANIUM MINING, MILLING AND PROCESSING TECHNOLOGIES
m. REVIEW OF CURRENT TECHNOLOGIES AND POTENTIAL NEW TECHNOLOGIES
n. APPLICATION OF TECHNOLOGIES/PRACTICES TO VIRGINIA DEPOSITS
o. PROBLEMS AND ISSUES
p. AVAILABLE INFORMATION
q. KNOWLEDGE GAPS AND AREAS FOR RESEARCHTHE STUDY WILL ASSESS:

5. OCCUPATIONAL AND PUBLIC HEALTH AND SAFETY
a. RADIOLOGICAL HAZARDS AND RISKS
b. OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH AND SAFETY CONCERNS
c. CONSIDERATIONS FOR LOCAL COMMUNITIESd. SHORT- AND LONG-TERM CONSIDERATIONS

6. SECURITY STANDARDS AND PROCEDURES
a. HAZARDOUS MATERIALS MANAGEMENT
b. PERSONNEL SECURITY
c. MATERIAL CONTROL AND ACCOUNTABILITY
d. TRANSPORTATION SECURITY
e. INFORMATION SECURITYf. SITE SECURITY
7. ENVIRONMENTAL CONSIDERATIONS
a. POTENTIAL IMPACTS ON AIR AND LAND
b. GROUND- AND SURFACE-WATER IMPACTS AND PROTECTION
c. WATER MANAGEMENT INCLUDING NET CONSUMPTION/RECYCLING
d. WASTE MANAGEMENT INCLUDING OVERBURDEN, WASTE ROCK AND TAILINGS
e. ECOSYSTEM EFFECTS
f. OTHER ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH ISSUES
g. RISK MODELING AND IMPACTS OF SEVERE WEATHER EFFECTS OR OTHER STOCHASTIC EVENTS
h. NOISE, AESTHETICS, TRAFFIC AND OTHER LOCAL CONSIDERATIONS

8. CLOSURE AND POST-MINING LAND USE AND MONITORING
a. MINESITE MONITORING
b. MONITORING OF TAILINGS AND OTHER WASTES
c. MONITORING OF LOCAL GROUNDWATER AND SURFACE WATERS
d. SITE RECLAMATIONe. LONG-TERM LAND USE IMPACTS AND RESTRICTIONS
f. OFFSITE ECOLOGICAL MONITORING
g. POST-CLOSURE FINANCIAL RESPONSIBILITY AND LIABILITIES

9. REGULATORY CONSIDERATIONS AND PUBLIC OUTREACH IN VIRGINIA
h. HEALTH AND SAFETY REGULATIONS
i. ENVIRONMENTAL AND MINING LAWS AND REGULATIONS
j. INSPECTION AND ENFORCEMENT
k. COMMUNITY RIGHT-TO-KNOW AND EMERGENCY PLANNING

a. EDUCATION AND OUTREACH

10. FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONSSOCIO-ECONOMIC IMPACTS OF URANIUM MINING IN VIRGINIASTUDY OBJECTIVES:

TO ADDRESS SITE- AND REGION-SPECIFIC SOCIAL, ECONOMIC AND ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS AND SUSTAINABILITY FACTORS SUCH AS QUALITY OF LIFE, INFRASTRUCTURE, LOCAL ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITIES AND PROPERTY AND REAL ESTATE VALUES.STUDY COMPONENTS:

1. SOCIAL IMPACTS

l. AESTHETICS AND OVERALL QUALITY OF LIFE ISSUES
m. AVAILABILITY OF AND IMPACTS ON SOCIAL INFRASTRUCTURE (POLICE, FIRE, ROADS, SCHOOLS, ETC.)
n. EFFECTS ON LOCAL POPULATION AND COMMERCIAL ACTIVITY
o. EFFECTS ON INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL IMAGE OF THE REGION
p. MARKETABILITY OF THE REGION FOR OTHER INDUSTRY AND POPULATION
q. FEAR OF POTENTIAL HEALTH AND ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS
r. SHORT- VS. LONG-TERM EFFECTS AND COMMUNITY SUSTAINABILITY
s. EDUCATATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES
2. ECONOMIC IMPACTS
a. JOB CREATION AND LOCAL INCOME EFFECTS
b. INFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENT
c. EFFECTS OF CHANGES IN INCOME AND LOCAL ECONOMIC ACTIVITY
d. TAX REVENUES OVER LIFE OF MINE AND BEYOND
e. IMPACTS ON GOVERNMENT EXPENDITURES
f. OVERALL ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT EFFECTS, PARALLEL AND SUPPORT BUSINESSES ETC.
g. PROPERTY VALUES VS. DISTANCE FROM MINE OR PROCESSING FACILITY
h. IMPACTS ON REAL ESTATE VALUES IN THE AREA AND ON LOCAL COMMUNITIES
i. LONG-TERM ECONOMIC SUSTAINABILITY

3. ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS
a. INTEGRATION WITH THE TECHNICAL STUDY (I.E., NRC)
b. ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS ON SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC FACTORS
c. MONITORING DURING OPERATIONS/CLOSURE

4. FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS