Help Keep the Roanoke River Free of Uranium!

January 19, 2012

Jessie Thomas-Blate
Coordinator, Most Endangered Rivers

Earlier this year, American Rivers listed the Roanoke River as one of America’s Most Endangered Rivers® because it was threatened with a uranium mine. Recently, the National Academy of Sciences released a study on the potential impacts of uranium mining in Virginia.

Now, the fight is heading to the state legislature.

Our partners, the Keep the Ban Coalition, are trying to save the Roanoke River and preserve the health of area residents. They ask you to show your support through signing their petition in the note below:

“Radioactive waste dump of the East?

Last year, American Rivers listed the Roanoke River in Virginia as #3 on its list of America’s Most Endangered Rivers®. The reason? A proposal to mine what is thought to be the largest undeveloped uranium deposit in North America, in a rural area north of Danville, Virginia. It would be the first uranium mine, mill, and waste site in the eastern United States.

For 30 years, Virginia has banned uranium mining, but now, Virginia Uranium, Inc. is bankrolling a major push in the General Assembly to lift the ban this year. It concedes only 0.06% of the deposit could be milled into “yellowcake” for fuel. The remaining 58 billion pounds of waste would have to managed in perpetuity.

We need your help today! Please sign a citizen petition by January 23 to KEEP THE BAN:   http://keeptheban.org/?page_id=237

Read more:
http://www.americanrivers.org/newsroom/blog/jthomas-2012118-help-keep-the-roanoke-river-free-of-uranium.html