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Halifax goes on record in opposition to uranium
mine
Halifax Town Council on Tuesday night passed a resolution calling on
state officials to retain the moratorium on uranium mining. Councilman
Jack Dunavant offered the resolution which calls on the General
Assembly to continue the moratorium on uranium mining which was
instituted back in the 1980's. Dunavant pointed out that the property
on which the targeted uranium deposit is located on the Coles Hill site
in Pittsylvania County lies in the watershed of the Banister River
which feeds into the Dan, the Staunton (Roanoke) and on through Kerr
Lake and Lake Gaston.
The resolution passed by Halifax Council says 'WHEREAS, in the early
1980's the potential for mining uranium in the Virginia counties of
Pittsylvania and Orange was proposed whereby the Virginia Assembly
issued a moratorium on the mining and milling of uranium until the
industry could prove that it could perform such activities without
hazardous impacts to the natural resources and public health of the
Commonwealth; and
WHEREAS. since that time uranium mining in the United States and
throughout the world has resulted in a host of serious problems,
including toxic and radioactive contamination of groundwater and
surface water in addition to the risk of cancer and othr health
problems for workers and the public and
WHEREAS, the recent increase of energy prices has prompted the
reemergence of interest in the uranium mining and milling industry as
proposed by Virginia Uranium, Inc. at the Coles Hill Deposit near
Pittsylvania County of Sheva located within the Banister River
Watershed approximately twenty miles upriver from the Town of Halifax
and
WHEREAS, the Banister River Reservoir currently serves as the source of
drinking water for the Town of Halifax and is recognized as part of its
strategic regional water supply by the Halifax County Service
Authority; and
WHEREAS, the Roanoke River Basin which is comprised of the Banister,
Dan and Staunton Rivers and their tributaries, provides drinking water
for the City of Virginia Beach and other communities downstream as it
empties into the Albemarle Sound on the coast of North Carolina; and
WHEREAS, there is no precedent of a large-scale uranium mine in a wet
climate such as the Virginia Piedmont where annual precipitation
exceeds evaporation causing uranium tailings ponds to overflow as well
as to leach into the water table; and
WHEREAS, the economic benefits of a uranium mine remain uncertain with
potential negative impacts caused by pollution, public health problems
and decreased productive farmland.
THEEFORE BE IT RESOLVED, the Town Council of Halifax, Virginia hereby
supports the continued moratorium on the mining and milling of uranium
within the Commonwealth of Virginia.
Adopted this 11th day of December, 2007.