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By Steve Szkotak
RICHMOND
Uranium mining and milling in Southside Virginia could deliver significant economic benefits but could also have a severe environmental impacton air, water and soil, a state-commissioned study concluded Wednesday.
A company proposing to mine one of the world's largest deposits of the radioactive ore embraced the study's positive findings, while opponents said the report was far from definitive. Uranium mining is banned in Virginia but could be considered in the 2012 session of the General Assembly.
The study by Richmond-based Chmura Economics & Analytics identified what it called a more likely scenario involving a moderate environmental impact, "based on extensive federal regulations" and advances in technology. Still, the study adds, "Chmura cannot model or predict the likelihood that these assumptions will hold true for the entire time the Coles Hill site is in existence."
Virginia Uranium Inc. wants to mine the radioactive ore at Coles Hill, which is in Chatham. It is the world's seventh-largest known deposit.
Opponents of mining and milling - the separation of the ore from rock and the radioactive waste it creates - have said Virginia's wet, hurricane-prone climate is not suitable for uranium mining. They say it would threaten water supplies locally and in Hampton Roads.
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for some.....
....reason I'm having visions of "Blinky the Three-Eyed Fish".
It has already started
We have them now with both eyes on one side of their head. That was a shock for this imported Kentuckian. What’s wrong with three eyes?
nothin.....
....I guess. Perfect 20-20-20 vision, be able to see the hook better.
Uranium mining
Sell the county to NC, let them tax it, and lease it back for ten years.
Note the full study is
Note the full study is available for review at http://lis.virginia.gov/111/oth/uranium.120611.pdf.
"Chmura’s analysis
"Chmura’s analysis concludes that under the 1st 2 scenarios, net economic impact for Pittsylvania Cty as well as for VA is clearly substantial & positive. However, risks & rewards are not balanced, & adverse economic impact under the worst-case scenario is nearly twice as great as the corresponding positive impact in our best-case scenario. Under scenario 3, the operation would still provide a positive net economic impact over the long-term so long as the mine & mill operated for roughly 10 years before environmental contamination reached levels assumed in this scenario. Under scenario 4, the site unambiguously has a negative net economic impact no matter how long the site operates before environmental contamination reached assumed levels."
Risks have two basic factors
The cost of something going wrong and the likelyhood of it going wrong. aWhatis the likelyhood of each of the scenarios? The number I heard was in the neighborhood of 1 in 10,000,000.
Where did you hear that number?
According to this report:
“Chmura makes no determination as to the likelihood for each of these scenarios, save noting that Chmura believes that based on the extensive federal regulations within which VUI must operate, some advances in technology, and other reasons expressed in the report that the baseline scenario is more likely to occur than the other scenarios…Chmura’s analysis concludes that under the first two scenarios, the net economic impact for Pittsylvania County as well as for Virginia is clearly substantial and positive. However, the risks and rewards are not balanced, and the adverse economic impact under the worst-case scenario is nearly twice as great as the corresponding positive
impact in our best-case scenario.”
Here
http://www.vancnews.com/articles/2011/07/13/warrenton/news/news60.txt
I don't see how they can conclude risk/reward is not balanced without taking into account the likelyhood of an accident. That is not how risk management and mitigation is done.
how risk management and mitigation is done
Do you really think the green opposition cares? Science and proper engineering has no place in a conversation like this. You can tell by the thumbs.