The Pittsylvania County Board of Supervisors took a stronger stand on uranium mining Tuesday night, voting unanimously in favor of a resolution stating that a study determine "no damage or harm" will be done to the county.
The county's resolution will be sent to the Virginia Coal and Energy Commission's Uranium Mining Subcommittee, which is conducting a comprehensive study on the dangers and benefits of mining uranium.
Pittsylvania County is home to what is believed to be one of the largest uranium deposits in the United States.
Marline Uranium Corp. discovered the Coles Hill deposit in the early 1980s, but later abandoned the project when the price of uranium dropped.
Two years ago, Walter Coles, who owns the land and a majority of the ore, formed Virginia Uranium Inc. to explore the possibility of eventually mining the deposit.
The deposit, about six miles northeast of Chatham, is worth between $8 billion and $10 billion.
Tuesday night's resolution was offered by Chatham -Blairs District Supervisor Henry "Hank" Davis Jr.
"I think there's much more to mining than just safety," said Davis, a Chatham lawyer who once did legal work and mineral leases for Marline. "This is my idea of at least a starting point on a statement to the commission."
In his one-page resolution, Davis repeated the board's position in 2007, which called for a "neutral, comprehensive legislative study" on uranium mining, but added language strengthening the county's stand on the controversial issue.
"Be it hereby resolved that the state mining study commission determine by its study and report that no damage or harm will be done to Pittsylvania County, its business, institutions, environment and its citizens by uranium mining," the resolution states.
It goes on to oppose a "cost-benefit approach" to uranium mining or "simply accepting minimal damages."
"It goes a little bit further and a little bit deeper," said Davis.
http://www.wpcva.com/articles/2009/02/17/chatham/news/news23.txt
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