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Senate Oks uranium study bill
By TIM DAVIS/Star-Tribune Editor
Tuesday, February 12, 2008 10:22 PM EST
The Virginia Senate on Tuesday voted 36-4 to approve a bill to study the benefits and risks of uranium mining.
Although the study would be statewide, it would focus primarily on Pittsylvania County, where what is believed to be the largest uranium deposit in the United States was discovered more than 25 years ago.
The Coles Hill deposit is on Coles Road between the Sheva and Sonans communities about six miles northeast of Chatham.
The deposit contains about 110 million pounds of uranium worth an estimated $10 billion.
Most of the land is owned by Walter Coles, who formed Virginia Uranium Inc. two years ago to explore the possibility of mining uranium.
Virginia Uranium has offered to fund the study, which is expected to cost more than $1 million.
The proposed study does not affect Virginia's moratorium or uranium mining, which has been in place since 1982.
Last week, the study bill cleared the Senate Agriculture, Conservation, and Natural Resources Committee 15-0 and the Senate Rules Committee 16-1 before heading to the Senate floor for a final vote.
The bill now goes to the House of Delegates, where it will be assigned to committee and reviewed. The House also must approve the bill before it becomes law.
Senate Bill 525 would create a Virginia Uranium Mining Commission to study whether "uranium mining and milling in Virginia can be undertaken in a manner that will safeguard the commonwealth's environment, natural and historic resources, agricultural lands, and the health and well-being of its citizens."
The commission also would make recommendations for legislation for regulatory controls and safeguards for mining and processing uranium.
The bill's sponsor, Sen. Frank Wagner of Virginia Beach, agreed to amend the bill at the urging of Sen. Robert Hurt of Chatham.
Hurt suggested holding public hearings and including representatives from Pittsylvania County and Halifax County on the commission.
The commission was later expanded from 15 to 17 members to include two representatives each from Pittsylvania and Halifax counties.
Hurt also asked that the commission be required to contract with the National Academy of Sciences or some other "independent entity" for the study.
Hurt, who voted for the bill, said he couldn't have supported the study without the changes.
"I am in agreement with my constituents and feel strongly that citizen input be a centerpiece of this study process," he said.
"I also believe that this study must be conducted by an organization that is universally accepted as an independent and objective authority in matters of science and economics. I would not have been able to support this bill without these critical amendments."
After the session, Wagner said he appreciated Hurt's input on the legislation.
"He made it clear to me that his support of this measure was dependent upon the input of the public and upon the independence of the study," Wagner said.
Although Hurt supports a study, he said he is not in favor of lifting the commonwealth's long-standing moratorium on uranium mining at this time.
"I believe that this issue holds out the possibility of economic prosperity for Southside Virginia as well as the possibility of unacceptable danger to our people and our land," he said.
" I believe, as do the majority of my constituents who have contacted me, that we must determine the facts before we can decide the future of this important issue, and I believe that the creation of this study commission is the best way to determine those facts. We have the highest responsibility to our children and to our grandchildren to make sure we get this right."
Hurt's father, retired Reader's Digest editor Henry Hurt, is an investor in and adviser to Virginia Uranium Inc.
Concerned about a possible conflict of interest, Hurt sought an opinion from the Senate Rules Committee before voting on the uranium study.
The committee determined Hurt has no "personal interest" in the matter. Personal interest is defined as a financial benefit or liability to a legislator or member of his immediate family.
Immediate family means a spouse or any other person living in the same household as the legislator, who is a dependent of the legislator or of whom the legislator is a dependent.
Hurt and his father live across the street from each other in Chatham.
The committee went on to say that, since Hurt has no financial or personal interest in uranium mining, the senator was obligated to vote on the matter.
"The right of members to represent their constituencies is of such major importance that members should be barred from voting on matters of direct personal interest only in clear cases and when the matter is particularly personal," the committee said.
The uranium study commission would include three members of the Senate, five from the House of Delegates, and six citizen members appointed by the governor.
In addition, the directors of the Department of Environmental Quality and Department of Mines, Minerals, and Energy along with the commissioner of the Virginia Department of Health will serve as ex-officio members of the commission without voting privileges.
The commission will hold a public meeting before beginning work to receive comments and suggestions, and at least three public hearings in any area of the commonwealth where uranium mining is proposed.
Its report would be due by Dec. 15, 2009.
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Rodney Younger wrote on Feb 19, 2008 12:46 PM: