Necessary delay on uranium decision

Virginia's lawmakers were in no position to determine this year whether it's safe or prudent to lift the commonwealth's 30-year ban on uranium mining.

That much was clear in December, when the National Academy of Sciences issued its long-awaited, and highly technical, 302-page report analyzing Virginia's climate and geography, the global uranium market and the risks associated with mining, processing and reclamation.

Gov. Bob McDonnell made the right choice for Virginians last week when he asked legislators to postpone action. Instead, he directed a work group to conduct more research and focus specifically on the site in Pittsylvania County said to hold nearly 120 million pounds of the element used to fuel nuclear power plants.

The decision delays the battle over the ban until next year, but opponents and supporters of uranium mining are sure to continue their long-running campaigns to sway lawmakers.

Environmental groups and others against mining praised the governor's announcement. So did officials with Virginia Uranium Inc., citing the governor's request for state agencies to begin drafting a regulatory framework to oversee uranium mining. It's a process that ultimately will take years.

Multiple studies have confirmed the potential economic impact on Pittsylvania County and the surrounding area. But too many questions remain for policymakers and legislators to know the risks if Virginia becomes the only state in the eastern U.S. to permit uranium mining.

The report done by the academy's National Research Council didn't indicate whether the mining could be done safely, or whether it could contaminate Lake Gaston, which is downstream from the proposed site and provides much of the drinking water for South Hampton Roads.

It did point out that the mine region is susceptible to devastating storms, heavy rainfall, earthquakes and other conditions that could prove disastrous if mining debris contaminates the water supply. It noted that risk could never be eliminated, and state officials would have to set a high bar in establishing a regulatory system to protect the public.

More important, however, the contract with the academy required a five-month period following the publication of the report for the public to review its findings, to hear about the analysis from experts and to discuss the data.

With the governor's action last week, Virginians are assured of at least that opportunity.