In a resounding victory for opponents of uranium mining, state Sen. John Watkins (R-Chesterfield) killed a proposed bill Thursday that would have paved the way for regulations and an eventual end to Virginia’s 31-year moratorium.
Watkins pulled his bill, SB 1353, from the Senate Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee, where it faced almost certain doom.
“This legislature is not ready to vote up or down on lifting the moratorium,” he said. “I have heard that from many members. They say they want to see the process continue to move forward, but they have heard from opponents that there are still too many unanswered questions.”
Watkins, co-chairman of the Virginia Commission on Coal and Energy’s Uranium Mining Subcommittee, said it was frustrating that he couldn’t convince fellow lawmakers that uranium could be mined safely.
“The emotion and fear that some have inspired on this subject have, for now at least, overcome the science and the engineering that we have worked so hard in Virginia to elevate in our educational systems and in our research facilities,” the senator said.
Watkins said uranium mining would be the “beginning of an entirely new era in Virginia” in terms of research and development.
“Undeniably, nuclear power production is the cleanest system that we have developed to date that is capable of producing energy at a scale that not only is needed in Virginia but certainly across our nation,” he said.
Watkins said uranium mining is not going away, noting that the Coles Hill uranium deposit in Pittsylvania County is a “unique asset and great blessing” for the people of the commonwealth.
Virginia Uranium Inc. wants to mine the deposit, which is worth an estimated $7 billion.
Company spokesman Patrick Wales said Virginia Uranium is committed to educating the public and lawmakers about safe uranium mining, and added that the Coles Hill deposit offers an “unprecedented opportunity” for jobs and economic prosperity.
“While the Coles Hill deposit has been around for millions years, uranium mining as an industry is a new idea to Virginia,” Wales said. “The need for good jobs and investment in Southside Virginia and the need for domestic sources of fuel to power clean reliable nuclear power are compelling reasons why we will continue to make our case to the people and the legislature for as long as it takes to succeed.”
Southside legislators Sen. Frank Ruff, Sen. Bill Stanley, Del. Don Merricks, Del. Danny Marshall, Del. James Edmunds, and Del. Tommy Wright said Watkins’ decision to withdraw the bill was great news for the region.
“The cloud of uncertainty which has hung over the region’s business climate as this issue was being debated in the General Assembly was lifted today,” the lawmakers said in a joint statement.
“With the resolution of this issue at hand, business site selectors who are considering our region can now take any misgivings about an operating uranium mine off their list of concerns.”
Marshall, who represents Danville and the southern part of Pittsylvania County, warned that uranium is not dead.
“It’ not over yet and it still could happen,” he said. “It could happen on the House side. It could happen in the budget. It could happen with an amendment to a bill that is sent to us. It's not over. ”
Del. Jackson Miller (R-Manassas) has an identical uranium bill in the House of Delegates.
“This is a World Series and we're still in the ninth inning,” added Merricks, who represents most of Pittsylvania County
Marshall agreed.
“This is going to go for a long time,” he said. “We know that Virginia Uranium is going to come back next year. But I think that they also have to think that a lot of air was just let out of their bubble.”
Cale Jaffe, a senior attorney with the Southern Environmental Law Center in Charlottesville, said today’s decision was a victory for uranium mining opponents.
“This is a resounding victory for our side,” Jaffe said. “And it’s not just the environmental people. It’s farmers, it’s small business owners in Southside, it’s families. All these different constituencies have said loud and clearly, we do not want to put our drinking water, our environment and our economy at risk.”
Capital News Service reporter Brennan Long contributed to this story.