By: Times-Dispatch Staff|Richmond Times-Dispatch Published: June 29, 2012 Updated: June 30, 2012 - 11:50 AM
RICHMOND, Va. --
Thousands of people in Richmond and across a broad swath of Virginia face the
prospect of enduring a weekend of 100-degree heat without electricity after
hurricane-force storms pounded the region overnight. Six deaths are being blamed
on the storm in the state.
Gov Bob McDonnell declared a state of emergency in the aftermath of the
storms.
It was "the largest non-hurricane power outage in Virginia history,"
McDonnell said in a press briefing at the state's Emergency Operations Center in
Chesterfield County. "The next few days in Virginia are going to be very, very
difficult."
McDonnell said there are six confirmed fatalities due to falling trees, but
authorities are investigating reports of other deaths due to the storm.
About 250 secondary and rural roads remained closed at midday due to the
storm, the Virginia department of Transportation reported.
Raleigh, N.C. — Surviving the heat can be as easy as a little planning ahead and common sense. Protect yourself and others
- Be aware of heat exhaustion and serious heat illness, and know the signs, including headaches, excessive sweating, no sweating, rapid pulse, dizziness, nausea, muscle cramps, confusion, fever and fatigue. Seek medical help immediately if you experience any of these symptoms
Those most at risk for heat exhaustion include the very young and the very old, as well as anyone who is obese or on medications, such as antihistamines, diuretics or beta blockers.
- Stay out of the heat, especially between the hours of 10 a.m. and 2 p.m., when it's usually the hottest and the heat is the most intense.
- If you have to be outside, take frequent breaks.
- Stay hydrated by drink plenty of liquids, preferably water or a sports drink with electrolytes. Don't wait until you are thirsty.
- Wear loose clothing, and instead of a baseball hat, which only covers the front of the face, wear a broad-rim hat that also covers the neck and shoulders.
- Don't sit in a parked car or leave a child, elderly person or pet unattended even for a few minutes. Closed vehicles can heat to dangerous levels in as little as 10 minutes.
- Stay cool. If living in a home without air-conditioning, try to spend as much time as possible in air-conditioned places, such as shopping malls, libraries, the movies or friends' homes.
- Check in on your loved ones, elderly neighbors and others who do not have air-conditioning, who spend much of their time alone or who are more likely to be affected by the heat
Air Quality Alert - (know it is to south but there are no EPA monitors in our area)
NCZ004>006-300100-
STOKES-ROCKINGHAM-CASWELL-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...DANBURY...EDEN...YANCEYVILLE
303 PM EDT THU JUN 28 2012
...AIR QUALITY ALERT IN EFFECT FROM 6 AM TO 9 PM EDT FRIDAY...
THE FORSYTH COUNTY OFFICE OF ENVIRONMENTAL ASSISTANCE AND
PROTECTION IN WINSTON SALEM NC HAS ISSUED A CODE ORANGE AIR
QUALITY ACTION DAY FOR THE TRIAD REGION FOR GROUND LEVEL
OZONE...IN EFFECT FROM 6 AM TO 9 PM EDT FRIDAY.
AN AIR QUALITY ACTION DAY MEANS THAT GROUND LEVEL OZONE
CONCENTRATIONS WITHIN THE REGION MAY APPROACH OR EXCEED UNHEALTHY
STANDARDS. FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION...PLEASE VISIT THE FORSYTH
COUNTY OFFICE OF ENVIRONMENTAL ASSISTANCE AND PROTECTION WEB SITE
AT WWW.CO.FORSYTH.NC.US/EAP/.
Heat Advisory
URGENT - WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BLACKSBURG VA
110 PM EDT FRI JUN 29 2012
...HEAT ADVISORY IN EFFECT THIS AFTERNOON...
NCZ004>006-VAZ035-043>047-058-059-300000-
/O.CON.KRNK.HT.Y.0001.120629T1800Z-120630T0000Z/
STOKES-ROCKINGHAM-CASWELL-AMHERST-HENRY-PITTSYLVANIA-CAMPBELL-
APPOMATTOX-BUCKINGHAM-HALIFAX-CHARLOTTE-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...DANBURY...EDEN...YANCEYVILLE...
AMHERST...MARTINSVILLE...DANVILLE...LYNCHBURG...APPOMATTOX...
SOUTH BOSTON...KEYSVILLE
110 PM EDT FRI JUN 29 2012
...HEAT ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 8 PM EDT THIS EVENING...
* LOCATIONS...PORTIONS OF THE CENTRAL PIEDMONT OF VIRGINIA...
SOUTHSIDE VIRGINIA AND THE NORTHERN PIEDMONT OF NORTH
CAROLINA.
* HEAT INDEX VALUES...BETWEEN 105 AND 110 DEGREES DUE TO
TEMPERATURES AROUND 100 DEGREES...AND DEWPOINTS IN THE UPPER
60S TO LOWER 70S.
* TIMING...TEMPERATURES WILL BE HOTTEST AND HEAT INDICIES WILL
BE HIGHEST DURING THE LATE AFTERNOON HOURS.
* IMPACTS...HEAT-RELATED ILLNESSES LIKE HEAT EXHAUSTION OR HEAT
STROKE CAN OCCUR.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
A HEAT ADVISORY MEANS THAT A PROLONGED PERIOD OF DANGEROUSLY HOT
TEMPERATURES WILL OCCUR. THE COMBINATION OF HOT TEMPERATURES AND
HIGH HUMIDITY WILL COMBINE TO CREATE A DANGEROUS SITUATION IN
WHICH HEAT ILLNESSES ARE LIKELY. DRINK PLENTY OF FLUIDS...STAY IN
AN AIR-CONDITIONED ROOM...STAY OUT OF THE SUN...AND CHECK IN ON
RELATIVES AND NEIGHBORS. TAKE EXTRA PRECAUTIONS IF YOU WORK OR
SPEND TIME OUTSIDE. WHEN POSSIBLE...RESCHEDULE STRENUOUS
ACTIVITIES TO EARLY MORNING OR EVENING. KNOW THE SIGNS AND
SYMPTOMS OF HEAT EXHAUSTION AND HEAT STROKE. WEAR LIGHT WEIGHT
AND LOOSE FITTING CLOTHING WHEN POSSIBLE AND DRINK PLENTY OF
WATER. TO REDUCE RISK DURING OUTDOOR WORK...THE OCCUPATIONAL
SAFETY AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATION RECOMMENDS SCHEDULING FREQUENT
REST BREAKS IN SHADED OR AIR CONDITIONED ENVIRONMENTS. ANYONE
OVERCOME BY HEAT SHOULD BE MOVED TO A COOL AND SHADED LOCATION.
HEAT STROKE IS AN EMERGENCY - CALL 9 1 1.
&&
$$
Hazardous Weather Outlook
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BLACKSBURG VA
116 PM EDT FRI JUN 29 2012
NCZ004>006-020-VAZ035-043>047-058-059-301730-
STOKES-ROCKINGHAM-CASWELL-YADKIN-AMHERST-HENRY-PITTSYLVANIA-CAMPBELL-
APPOMATTOX-BUCKINGHAM-HALIFAX-CHARLOTTE-
116 PM EDT FRI JUN 29 2012
...HEAT ADVISORY IN EFFECT UNTIL 8 PM EDT THIS EVENING...
THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTH CENTRAL NORTH
CAROLINA...NORTHWEST NORTH CAROLINA...CENTRAL VIRGINIA AND SOUTH
CENTRAL VIRGINIA.
.DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT.
PLEASE LISTEN TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR GO TO WEATHER.GOV ON THE
INTERNET FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE FOLLOWING HAZARDS.
HEAT ADVISORY.
TEMPERATURES AROUND 100 DEGREES AND MODERATE HUMIDITY LEVELS WILL
CREATE HEAT INDEX VALUES FROM 100 TO 105 THIS AFTERNOON.
.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY.
A PROLONGED PERIOD OF HOT TEMPERATURES ARE EXPECTED TO CONTINUE
INTO EARLY NEXT WEEK. TEMPERATURES COULD APPROACH TRIPLE DIGITS
IN THE PIEDMONT EACH AFTERNOON FROM SATURDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY
...WITH HEAT INDEX VALUES APPROACHING 105 DEGREES AT TIMES DURING
THIS PERIOD.
.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...
SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.
$$
This Afternoon:
Sunny and hot, with a high near 101. Heat index values as high as 104.
Northwest wind around 7 mph.
Tonight: Mostly clear, with a low
around 72. West wind around 6 mph becoming calm.
Saturday: Sunny
and hot, with a high near 100. Calm wind becoming west between 5 and 8 mph.
Saturday Night: Isolated showers and thunderstorms. Partly
cloudy, with a low around 73. Light west wind. Chance of precipitation is
20%.
A 9.52 mile-stretch of the Banister River from Banister Lake Dam to its mouth on the Dan River is an impaired waterway, according to the newly released Virginia’s 2012 water quality report. (File photo)
Virginia’s 2012 water quality report, released Monday by the Department of Environmental Quality, indicates a 9.52 mile-stretch of the Banister River from Banister Lake Dam to its mouth on the Dan River is an impaired waterway.
This particular part of the Banister River was among 840 miles of streams and rivers, 100 acres of lakes and two square miles of estuaries the DEQ added to the impaired waters list this year.
Used for recreation, the Banister River was listed on the supplemental list of new impairments in 2012 because of Escherichia coli bacteria found after testing.
According to the report, this is the first time this section of the Banister River has been listed.
Also included in the list of new impairments is a 9.43-mile section of the North Fork Aarons Creek used for recreation. It too was listed because of Escherichia coli bacteria found.
Virginia needs to develop about 1,000 cleanup plans, in addition to an undetermined number of cleanup plans resulting from the 2012 listing, according to DEQ spokesperson Bill Hayden.
Every two years Virginia monitors about one third of the state’s watersheds on a rotating basis, taking six years to complete a full monitoring cycle. The agency has assessed 98 percent – or 1,224 – of 1,247 watersheds since the 2002 report.
The report provides, as in past assessments, the number of stream miles and the area of lakes, reservoirs and estuaries evaluated. Among the information contained in the report:
• About 5,350 miles of rivers and streams, 19,600 acres of lakes and reservoirs, and 140 square miles of estuaries have high water quality that supports some or all designated uses – aquatic life, fish and shellfish consumption, swimming, public water supplies and wildlife. • About 13,140 miles of rivers and streams, 94,000 acres of lakes and reservoirs, and 2,130 square miles of estuaries are impaired. • Sufficient information was not available to assess about 33,700 miles of streams and rivers, 2,700 acres of lakes and reservoirs, and 400 square miles of estuaries.
Roanoke's Fishburn Park Elementary School and Franklin County's Gereau Center for Applied Technology & Career Exploration are the only two Virginia schools to earn federal awards for environmental initiatives.
The U.S. Department of Education this morning announced the winners of the inaugural Green Ribbon Schools awards. A total of 78 schools in the U.S. received the recognition.
“Science and environmental education play a central role in providing children with a well-rounded education that prepares them for the jobs of the future,” U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan stated in a news release. “Green Ribbon Schools demonstrate compelling examples of the ways schools can expand their coursework while also helping children build real world skill sets, cut school costs, and provide healthy learning environments.”
Fishburn Park is an environmental science focus school that accepts applications from students citywide to enroll in preschool through grade 5. Recycling, saving energy and gardening are integral activities at the elementary school. Each grade level is responsible for recycling a product, such as empty juice pouches.
Kevin Bezy, principal of the Gereau Center, said he decided to apply for the award after learning about it last fall. Environmentally friendly initiatives at the career exploration school, include recycling and a green house. The Center for Energy Efficient Design, which is located on the Gereau campus, features solar panels, rainwater recycling and triple glass thermal windows.
The Green Schools program, which began in September, recognizes schools for "reducing environmental impact, promoting health, and ensuring a high-quality environmental and outdoor education to prepare students with the 21st century skills and sustainability concepts needs in the growing global economy," according to a DOE news release.
By: ASSOCIATED PRESS| Richmond Times-Dispatch Published: June 05, 2012 Updated:
June 05, 2012 - 6:37 AM
RICHMOND, Va. --
A leading critic of uranium mining in Virginia says now that a National
Academy of Sciences panel has completed its work on the issue, the General
Assembly has all the information it needs to keep a 30-year ban in place.
Cale Jaffe is a senior attorney with the Southern Environmental Law Center.
He says he sent a letter to every member of the General Assembly expressing that
sentiment.
Jaffe says the NAS ended its work on uranium mining in Virginia when members
met with the public last week in Virginia Beach. He says now that the NAS
contract has been completed, the legislature has "abundant information" to keep
the ban in place.
Issue #24.17 :: 04/24/2012 - 04/30/2012
To mine or not to mine?
BY LAURA INGLES
The debate over uranium mining in Virginia came to UVA last week, as Southern Environmental Law Center attorney Cale Jaffe joined Virginia Uranium Inc. project manager Patrick Wales as part of the Batten School’s Energy Policy Forum.
For two hours on Friday, Jaffe and Wales tackled the thorny issue of mining uranium in southern Virginia, and fielded questions from students, faculty, and members of the community.
The SELC is at the forefront of the effort to keep the ban in tact and is one of 16 groups in the statewide Keep the Ban Coalition, but Virginia Uranium announced in 2007 it plans to exploit the deposit.
But the SELC is concerned about the safety of the process, regardless of any regulatory standards or industry best practices—consider, Jaffe said, that the BP oil spill happened two years ago this month, despite stringent regulations on Gulf drilling.
Jaffe said the controversy over uranium is about waste management. In addition to the actual mining, he said, the process would also require milling, with the disposal of 58 billion pounds of toxic, radioactive tailings each year.
According to Jaffe, these tailings retain 85 percent of their radioactive activity, and global studies have shown that those living and working near uranium mines are at risk for cancer, birth defects, weakened immune systems, and kidney and liver damage.
“We need to take these warning signs very seriously before we move forward,” he said.
Despite these statistics, Jaffe said the SELC fears that, right now, the risks are just too great to move the project forward. Because Virginia has not yet been mined for uranium, Jaffe said, there is no way of knowing how the area’s climate, rainfall and natural disasters will factor into the equation.
Uranium is traditionally mined in dryer areas like the western states, and Jaffe fears that, even with “gold standard” regulations, mining in Virginia will present unexpected complications unseen in other uranium deposits.
“Risk is inherent and will always be there,” Jaffe said.
SCC approves Dominion Virginia Power energy-saving programs
By: PETER BACQUÉ | Richmond Times-Dispatch
Published: May 01, 2012
Updated: May 01, 2012 - 9:35 PM
Dominion Virginia Power residential customers will typically pay an estimated 34 cents a month more to cover the cost of new energy conservation programs.
The extra cost could be offset by lower electrical bills for consumers who take advantage of the conservation program, the company said.
The State Corporation Commission authorized company initiatives to reduce its 2.3 million customers' fast-growing demand for electricity and forestall some of the need to build expensive power plants.
In an order released Tuesday, the SCC capped the cost of the power company's residential demand-management program at $90 million over five years, and the commercial program at $45 million for the same period.
Customers will start seeing the new charges, which became effective Tuesday, in their next bills, officials said.
The company will start enrolling customers in the energy-saving programs by July 1:
The approved residential program includes home energy check-ups, duct testing and sealing, heat pump tune-ups, and heat pump upgrades
.
The program for commercial customers consists of energy audits, and duct testing and sealing.
The SCC also approved a commercial distributed generation program to help the Richmond-based utility to hold down costly peaks in electricity demand. Under the program, qualifying commercial customers would receive incentives to curtail electric use for up to 120 hours a year by operating backup generators at the utility's request.
The group of energy-management programs will benefit customers and the environment, said Kenneth D. Barker, vice president of customer solutions and energy conservation for Dominion Virginia Power.
"We are helping customers manage energy use in many ways," Barker
The U.S. Department of Energy is investigating the clean water system installed for a Wind River Indian Reservation area affected by uranium contamination after four homes reportedly exceeded maximum levels.
David Geiser, director of the energy department's Office of Legacy Management, announced the agency's investigation into cleanup efforts around the former Susquehanna uranium processing mill during a meeting Wednesday in Riverton.
Geiser told the more than 100 people at Central Wyoming College that the Northern Arapaho tribal engineering department disclosed testing results to his agency, which oversees cleanup work in the affected St. Stephen's area.
Four of the homes sampled "had elevated uranium in their tap water," Geiser said. "This is a significant concern to us."
Near tailings area
The investigation is the latest concern for residents, scientists and others connected to the region just south of Riverton who have been dealing with the uranium contamination's aftermath resulting from the mill that operated from 1958 to 1963.
Concerns have been raised during the past several months after some monitoring well sites showed a significant spike in contaminant levels coinciding with flooding that hit the Little Wind River south of Riverton in June 2010.
The elevated levels of uranium and other contaminants raised doubt among many in the area about the federal agency's 100-year natural flushing plan to rid groundwater of the harmful substances. A new priority for the agency is conducting tests at the four affected homes and others in the region that use the alternate water system installed in 1998 that serves residences unable to use drinking wells in the contaminated area.
Geiser said drinking water standards established by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency set the maximum contaminant level for uranium at .03 milligrams per liter.
The four identified homes had uranium levels at either .06 or .07 milligrams per liter, Geiser said about results provided by the tribal officials.
"It is above that EPA standard, and therefore we need to take action," he said.
Uranium risks
The Environmental Protection Agency's website warns about the dangers of uranium exposure to the human body.
"Intakes of uranium exceeding EPA standards can lead to increased cancer risk, liver damage, or both. Long term chronic intakes of uranium isotopes in food, water, or air can lead to internal irradiation and/or chemical toxicity," according to the website.
The Office of Legacy Management is providing bottled water to the four identified homes "until we can assure that (their) drinking water meets those standards," Geiser said.
He said representatives of his agency will visit the affected homes May 3 to take samples of their water in an effort to verify the results reached by the Northern Arapaho tribal department.
You can reuse rain gutters to create a lovely herb and salad garden right on the side of your house or garage.
Simply attach gutters to a wall, fill with topsoil, and get planting. These gutter planters are perfect for herbs as well as lettuce, and any other vegetables that have shallow roots and don’t spread out too much.
By SUSAN WORLEY Star-Tribune Staff Writer | Posted: Thursday, May 10, 2012 11:28 am
The Whitethorn Creek Banister River area, which could be impacted by a proposed uranium mining operation, has made Preservation Virginia’s 2012 Most Endangered Historic Sites list for 2012.
The announcement was made Monday by Sonja Ingram, field representative for Preservation Virginia.
“The listing is a very powerful tool that we provide to localities,” said Ingram.
The listing says the area is a picturesque rural landscape which played an essential role in the mid-18th century founding of Pittsylvania County during which plantation based agriculture and local water-powered processing were the principal economic activities.
The nomination indicates the area has standing structures that span almost every era of the region including a Native American fish weir, two gristmills built in the 1700s, mansions from the Revolutionary War era, and the home of J.E.B. Stuart’s grandparents.
These are surrounded by pristine fields, woods, creeks and rivers says the nomination which was submitted by Ann Rogers of the Blue Ridge Environmental Defense League.
The threat to the region is the potential construction and operation of a uranium mine and mill proposed at Coles Hill.
Threats identified in the listing are loss of the area’s characteristic rural qualities, groundwater contamination, noise pollution, real estate value loss, spoiling of an historic landscape, and hindering future heritage tourism initiatives.
Preservation Virginia also warns that there may be an attempt to bypass compliance with the National Historic Preservation Act that requires documentation of historic sites.
In a news release from “Keep the Ban,” the organization welcomes today’s announcement by Preservation Virginia recognizing a serious threat to the historic landscape along the Banister River.
“Southside Virginia is a special place with a rich heritage and beautiful landscape. Industrial uranium mining and processing, with storage of toxic and radioactive waste for generations, is incompatible with the region’s rural character,” stated the news release.
“A uranium industry would undermine hard work by local leaders to help rebuild Southside’s economy through outdoor and heritage tourism.
“Virginians should visit Southside’s water trails and wineries this spring to see first-hand why locals are fighting to keep these historic landscapes safe from industrial uranium production.”
The Roanoke River Basin Association and the Dan River Basin Association issued a statement indicating they “applaud the designation of Coles Hill and the surrounding area as Preservation Virginia’s Most Endangered Historic Rural Landscape.
“This designation is welcome news for the basin. Heritage tourism is a significant tax revenue generator for numerous counties and localities throughout the Commonwealth.
“It would complement RRBA’s Upper Reach program established to encourage water related tourism in the region, including paddling, camping, boating and fishing,” said Gene Addesso, RRBA’s vice-president.
DRBA Executive Director, Tiffany Haworth, added, “We hope this designation will inspire the region’s citizens to take action to protect Coles Hill and its surroundings.
“Working together, we can ensure that this unique asset will be preserved for future generations.”
This is the eighth year that Preservation Virginia has presented a list of places, buildings and archaeological sites across Virginia that face imminent or sustained threats to their integrity or survival.
The list is issued to raise awareness of Virginia’s historic sites at risk from neglect, deterioration, lack of maintenance, insufficient funds, inappropriate development or insensitive public policy.
It is intended to bring attention to the sites and encourage citizens and organizations to continue to advocate for their protection and preservation.
Long-awaited report finds 'steep hurdles' to mining uranium in Virginia.
By Mary Ann Moxon, Local CorrespondentThu, Jan 05 2012 at 3:00 PM EST
Are the rewards worth the risks?
The long-awaited report (all 290 pages) from the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) about mining uranium in Virginia provides some not-so-surprising news. The bottom line is that Virginia must overcome “steep hurdles” before it can assure that mining uranium in the western part of Virginia, at the Coles Hill site, can be safely done.
The NAS report does not definitively state that extracting as much as 119 million pounds of uranium can be done safely in this area of Spotsylvania County, but defers that question to legislators as a policy decision. THAT is scarier than the largest undeveloped deposit of the radioactive element in the U.S. itself.
Why would they lift a 30-year moratorium on mining uranium? Because Virginia Uranium Inc. wants them to and also funded the $1.4 million study. Hmmm? That company also sponsored a trip to France earlier in the year for a lot of the lawmakers to see how it's done safely in France. Hmmm again.
There are many risks in mining uranium. Yes, it's on that periodic chart of elements you might remember from high school and it occurs naturally in the Earth. (But we saw how BP mitigated the dangers of offshore oil well drilling with its "infallible" blowout preventers.)
Before the report was released, Gov. Bob McDonnell said public safety must trump the potential economic impact and a boost in jobs to Southside Virginia. But campaign contributions could easily sway some legislators.
Virginia also has no uranium monitoring experience, and the U.S. has little experience with modern mines. So the state would need to enact a whole new set of uranium laws for optimal regulation and oversight. The East Coast has never seen full-scale uranium mining, but it has seen hurricanes on a regular basis. At the moment, the only folks who have a real voice in the process are adjacent landowners. But didn't Japan's nuclear disaster extend farther out than a few miles? And do we yet know the extent of radiation exposure in that disaster?
Uranium mining opponents, such as the Southern Environmental Law Center, found the NAS report validated their concerns about potential risks to human health and the environment, but Virginia Uranium Inc. viewed the report as a “clear road map” for moving forward.
By: Amy Trent | The News & Advance Published: May 30, 2012 Updated: May 30, 2012 - 10:10 PM
The Environmental Protection Agency said this week it supports Altavista’s plan to let nature loose upon the toxins deposited into the town’s wastewater treatment pond nearly 40 years ago.
“We support innovative explorations for finding solutions to the problems, like the one that exists in Altavista, as long as it is sound science and it is protective of both the environment and humans,” said Steve Rock, an environmental engineer for the EPA.
“And we think this program is both.”
The fact that the federal agency supports deployment of bioremediation methods marks a fortuitous turning point for a town that has spent more than $160,000 and more than a decade searching for the least-costly method to remove polychlorinated biphenyls, or PCBs, from the pond just 300 feet from the Staunton River.
In March, the state Department of Environmental Quality reiterated its position with town officials that the “green” technology was unproven and Altavista needed to meet the 2014 PCB removal deadline agreed upon in a voluntary remediation program.
State officials favor the traditional “dig-and-haul” method to a PCB-certified landfill, which is estimated to cost about $4.5 million and still leaves the town liable for the contamination.
Rock, along with two other researchers, is expected to publish the scientific backing this summer for at least two of the bioremediation methods Altavista will employ this year —phytoremediation and activated carbon — in the EPA newsletter, “Technology News and Trends,” which addresses remediation technologies.
On Tuesday, scientist Louis Licht, founder of Ecolotree Inc., and town employees began gingerly pushing poplar and willow tree cuttings into the soft soil on four test plots the town created along the edge of the six-acre pond.
While lab tests tell Licht these trees will take root and — over several years — break down the components that make up the PCBs and remove them from the environment, he needs a field study to test the theory.
Researchers said Altavista is the perfect petri dish for several reasons: town leadership supports innovations, the pond is completely contained and the site has no other contaminants.
Typically, PCBs exist in concert with other chemicals. But in this case, the site has been tainted for so long that all other contaminants already have broken down, allowing scientists the rare opportunity to work solely with PCBs.
If Licht’s theory holds true, once the town has capped the pond with soil and planted thousands of trees, the PCBs will literally degrade in place. According to Licht, the cuttings will establish an extensive root system throughout each test plot, which sits on top of the contaminated pond. As the trees grow, fed by the pond water and sunlight, the microbes in the root system will break down the chemical compounds that make up the PCBs, mineralizing them into inert compounds.
Some experts estimate it could take three to five years to break down PCBs in this manner.
CHATHAM, Va. (AP) -- A multi-agency panel studying whether
uranium can be safely mined in Virginia went to the epicenter of the
environmental battle Monday and was met by a torrent of criticism.
Residents and environmentalists opposed to mining questioned
the very existence of the Uranium Working Group, stating the $500,000 it had
spent on consultants could have been better used.
"My question for you," asked Halifax County resident Jesse
Andrews, "is how many qualified history teachers could be hired for $500,000?
Why is uranium mining more important than the proper education of our
children?"
Uranium mining group answers questions at public hearing
June 19, 2012•Work It, Lynchburg
By Ray Reed
Virginia’s uranium mining study group fielded questions, and answered many of them, for about 400 people at a public hearing Monday night that could help decide whether the nuclear fuel can be mined in the state.
Posted on May 30, 2012 at 10:03 am By Kara Capelli and Howard Perlman
The graphic shows various blue spheres representing relative amounts of Earth's water in comparison to the size of the Earth. Are you surprised that these water spheres look so small? They are only small in relation to the size of the Earth. These images attempt to show three dimensions, so each sphere represents "volume." Overall, it shows that in comparison to the volume of the globe the amount of water on the planet is very small - and the oceans are only a "thin film" of water on the surface.
If you took all the water on earth – in oceans, ice caps, lakes, rivers, groundwater, the atmosphere, and living things – and wrapped it into a sphere, it would have a diameter of about 860 miles. That 860-mile-high sphere is represented by the largest bubble in the picture, which stretches from Salt Lake City, Utah to Topeka, Kan. It has a volume of over 332 million cubic miles. If you popped this bubble with a giant pin, the resulting flow would cover the lower 48 states to a depth of about 107 miles.
In reality, most of the largest bubble is stretched over about 70 percent of Earth’s surface, a very thin layer over the land. As we stare out into them, we think of oceans as vast expanses. And in many parts of the world we feel water-rich, even as we hear stories of regions where water is far from abundant. This graphic shows that this amount of water is not nearly as abundant as it may feel.
Furthermore, most of this water is unusable to humans, because we need freshwater to survive, and 98 percent of that large bubble is saline. The much smaller blue sphere over Kentucky – by comparison, about 169.5 miles in diameter – represents the world’s liquid freshwater, including groundwater, lakes, swamp water, and rivers. However, 99 percent of that bubble is groundwater, much of which is not accessible to humans.
Now we can start to answer the question, how much water is available to humans? Do you notice that tiny blue speck over Atlanta, Ga.? That’s the bubble representing freshwater in all the lakes and rivers on the planet. Most of the water that people and ecosystems need every day comes from these surface-water sources. The diameter of this sphere is a mere 34.9 miles, with a volume of a little over 22,000 cubic miles. The sphere looks tiny compared to, say, the Great Lakes region, which is the largest freshwater source on Earth. But keep in mind that tiny dot is about 35 miles high.
In 2005 Americans used about 328 billion gallons of surface water and about 82 billion gallons of groundwater per day. Surface water is used as the primary supply of drinking and irrigation water, but groundwater is used for these purposes too. Groundwater is also vital in keeping rivers and lakes full, and it provides water for people in places where visible water is scarce, such as in the desert towns of the western U.S.
Still – look again at the picture. It doesn’t seem like a lot of water! Certainly, it’s not. It’s important to remember that water is a precious resource. It’s never sitting still; it moves between the air, the land, underground, to the ocean and back again via the water cycle. USGS scientists conduct studies to understand how much water is available now and for the future, including how water flows through the water cycle, how surface water and groundwater interact, and how the quality of our water impacts availability. These studies are important for wise water use, especially as the world becomes increasingly water stressed.
By: The Editorial Board | GoDanRiver Published: June 08, 2012 Updated: June 08, 2012 - 7:00 AM
To the editor:
The thought that uranium mining will enhance the economic welfare of the region is an ill-conceived notion. It will not, except for a fortunate few shareholders. In all likelihood it will cause irreparable harm.
With active uranium mining:
» What business would locate its employees, management and facilities in possible harm’s way?
» What parent would place their children at Hargrave or Chatham Hall with uranium being mined nearby?
» What family would choose to purchase property near a risky mining operation?
In all probability, all the answers are none. Who would locate any loved one, any factory, any business, any home near possible radioactive contamination?
This is risk taking.
Parents, CEOs and decision makers want to avoid risk, not seek it.
Uranium mining will not enhance local economic well-being — sorry to say.
By: Robert G. Burnley| GoDanRiver Published: June 17, 2012 Updated: June 17, 2012 - 7:00 AM
I began my career as a water quality scientist in Virginia 40 years ago — six
years before uranium deposits were discovered beneath farmland in Pittsylvania
County. Since shortly after that discovery, Virginia law has banned uranium
mining.
It is my firm belief, based on review of the highly anticipated
National Academy of Sciences’ report released last December, that the ban needs
to remain in place.
In 2008, after Virginia Uranium Inc. announced plans to develop
the only uranium mine, mill and waste disposal site in the eastern United
States, the Virginia Coal and Energy Commission contracted with the esteemed
National Academy of Sciences to conduct a rigorous, unbiased analysis of the
idea.
The NAS heard testimony from a wide range of stakeholders during
its review, including state agencies. Then, following release of its report, the
Academy conducted public outreach sessions around the state to answer the
questions and explain the report’s conclusions in greater detail. Those sessions
have just concluded.
Here are just three of the report’s key findings:
» "Extreme natural events (e.g.,
hurricanes, earthquakes, intense rainfall events, drought) have the potential to
lead to the release of contaminants if facilities are not designed and
constructed to withstand such an event, or fail to perform as
designed."
» "The decay products of uranium
provide a constant source of radiation in uranium tailings for thousands of
years, substantially outlasting the current U.S. regulations for oversight of
processing facility tailings."
» "Because almost all uranium
mining and processing to date has taken place in parts of the United States that
have a negative water balance (dry climates with low rainfall) federal agencies
have limited experience applying laws and regulations in positive water balance
(wet climates with medium to high rainfall) situations."
This last point is critical. Federal regulations have been
developed with an eye toward the arid conditions of the Southwest. For example,
the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency generally requires "no discharge of
process wastewater" from uranium milling sites, but allows for controlled,
contaminated releases in the rare event of a wet-weather year. Here in
Virginia, of course, every year is a wet-weather year, making the "no
discharge" requirement meaningless.
We might look to Virginia regulations to close these federal
loopholes, but Virginia lacks the experience and expertise to oversee such a
technically complex and potentially dangerous new industry. To be candid, I
doubt whether state agencies would ever have the funding and political support
necessary to do the job as rigorously as this threat demands.
Here’s why: Virginia consistently spends less than 1 percent of
its total annual budget on environmental protection. That includes programs
administered by the Department of Environmental Quality, the Department of
Conservation and Recreation, the Virginia Marine Resources Commission and the
Department of Game and Inland Fisheries. A fair conclusion to be drawn from this
statistic is that the environment has not been a high priority for the
legislature.
When I served as director of DEQ, I witnessed the very real
effects of budget cuts on multiple occasions. Twice, I was compelled to borrow
money from the treasury to meet payroll. Twice, permit fees had to be raised
just to meet minimum standards for administering federally-delegated
programs.
Staffing and operational budget cuts often come at the expense of
data collection and inspection frequency. The forced triage of regulatory duties
means that agencies must often rely on industry self-reporting — a prospect that
should be unthinkable for an industry as risky as uranium mining and waste
disposal.
I have seen wells contaminated by regulated industrial activities
in Pittsylvania County and elsewhere. These are difficult problems to manage.
Toxic and radioactive materials from uranium operations would only make these
problems harder.
For legislators who said last year they wanted to "wait for the
study," that wait is now over. The Academy’s approach was open and transparent.
All sides — mining companies, downstream localities, environmental groups,
regulators, international experts — participated in and had "buy-in" to the
Academy’s process. The final report was then independently peer-reviewed.
Meanwhile, Gov. Bob McDonnell has assembled a group within his
administration to consider the issue. The governor should be encouraged to
deliberate carefully, but his administration’s review should not be confused
with an independent study.
The National Academy of Sciences report represents the gold
standard here. That is why I am advising the governor’s internal uranium group
to heed the Academy’s stern warnings.
Burnley served as director of the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality from 2002-06. He is president of Robert G. Burnley LLC, a firm that advises clients on environmental issues. He is consulting for the Southern Environmental Law Center on uranium mining.
Virginia Coal and Energy Commission – Uranium Working Group Public Meeting Monday June 18th
When: June 18th 6:00 PM
Where: Chatham High School, 100 Cavalier Circle, Chatham, VA
Virginia has a nearly 30-year ban on uranium mining. The uranium industry is making a well-financed push to repeal the ban so they can mine and process uranium, starting in Southside Virginia. Drinking water, human health, farmland, property values, wildlife and tourism across Virginia are at risk.
The Keep the Ban Coalition is a group of local and state organizations working to maintain the existing ban on uranium mining in Virginia. Scores of public interest groups and localities (see the list here) and over 10,000 citizens have stated their support to the General Assembly for keeping the ban on uranium mining in Virginia. http://keeptheban.org/
Keep the Ban coalition
This past year the Sierra Club, working with the Keep the Ban coalition collected more than 10,000 signatures in opposition to uranium mining in Virginia.
Of course, we didn't fly state legislators to Paris like Virginia Uranium, Inc. And if we had the money, we'd take them to an Indian reservation in the Southwestern United States where the water and land have been contaminated by uranium mining, not to Paris.
It's people power vs. polluters' money in this Virginia uranium mining fight, and people power won the 1st round when public opposition to mining convinced the General Assembly that the issue was too radioactive to consider in 2012.
Studies by the National Academy of Sciences and the City of Virginia Beach raised serious concerns about the safety of mining uranium in such a wet climate up river from more than a million people in Hampton Roads. Sadly, that did not keep Governor McDonnell from riding to the rescue of Virginia Uranium, Inc. When it was obvious that the General Assembly would not take up a bill to repeal the ban, McDonnell established his own Work Group to move forward with development of a regulatory framework for mining.
The Gang that Don't Shoot Straight
The good news is that the Work Group has been discredited through the McDonnell Administration's own ineptitude. At the announcement of the Work Force, a spokesperson announced that the proceedings would be closed to the public. When that approach generated heat from the public and the press, the Governor held a hastily called meeting for critics, so hastily called that many of us could not make it. Then McDonnell's people advised the press that they could attend but not ask questions.
One of the key public communication mechanisms from the Work Group was supposed to be a website that for several months did not have a functioning comment page. The failings of the Work Group continue to mount with defective meeting notices, prompting one observer to refer to the group as "the Gang that don't shot straight."
Stop the End Run
As we go to press, we are preparing for a public meeting by the Governor Work Group in Chatham, VA where the mining is proposed. Sierra Club and the Keep the Ban coalition are working to turn out at least 100 opponents at this June 18 meeting.
Thank you for continued support on this very serious issue,
Glen Besa
Director, Virginia Chapter Sierra Club
P.S. For additional ways you can help keep the ban visit our website at www.vasierraclub.org/uranium.
Virginia Chapter
422 East Franklin St., Suite 302 - Richmond, VA 23219 | 804-225-9113
Drinking water sources are vulnerable to contamination that can cause a community significant expense and threaten public health. Water is a shared resource, and individuals, citizen groups, and local communities can participate in many activities to help protect their drinking water sources.
This page provides information on how to learn about source water protection in your area, things you can do to protect your drinking water and steps you can take in source water planning at the community level.
The links to fact sheets, guides and other resources below can help citizens take an active role in source water protection.
Participate in Source Water Planning at the Community Level
You can work within your community, watershed or neighborhood to protect your drinking water. Water is a shared resource, and many partners are involved in implementing ground water protection through wellhead protection and surface water protection programs that use watershed management strategies. Both programs involve assessing the problems in the protection area, prioritizing
management measures to address those problems and then implementing the management measures.
Use your assessment to identify and prioritize needed actions
BY The Gazette-Virginian The Uranium Mining Work Group, a state panel appointed to study regulations and safeguards necessary before a 1982 ban on uranium mining can be lifted, will meet Monday at 6 pm at Chatham High School, 100 Cavalier Circle in ...
BY The Gazette-Virginian Hosting the press conference will be Karen Maute, a PRIDE representative; Mike Pucci of the Roanoke River Basin Association North Carolina Coalition Against Uranium Mining; and Paul Robinson of the Southwest Research and ...
BY The Gazette-Virginian Two environmental groups opposed to lifting the moratorium on uranium mining in Virginia still have not received a satisfactory response from Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell concerning their letter raising concerns about the lack ...
The Virginia Coal and Energy Commission's Uranium Mining Subcommittee and Gov. Bob McDonnell's Uranium Working Group will hold the first of five public meetings Monday, June 18, in Chatham Va. The meeting is scheduled to begin at 6 pm at Chatham High ...
I don't remember a great deal from my Science classes in school although I can tell you I didn't do too well with my studies. I am fond of telling people that "the only 'A' I ever got on my report card was in my name-JAMES." But one thing I actually DO ...
In lieu of a substantive response from Governor McDonnell following their February 29 letter, the Piedmont Environmental Council (PED)[1] and the Virginia League of Conservation Voters (VALCV)[2] recently sent another letter to Gov.
Attend the Governor’s public hearing on uranium mining on Monday June 18, 6:00pm at Chatham High School, 100 Cavalier Circle, Chatham, VA.
The National Academy of Sciences’ report on uranium mining confirms that Virginia’s wet climate and vulnerability to extreme natural events presents steep challenges to uranium mining, milling, and disposal of radioactive wastes. Tell Governor McDonnell’s Uranium Working Group we need to heed the report’s warnings and KEEP THE BAN!
Virginia has a nearly 30-year ban on uranium mining. The uranium industry is making a well-financed push to repeal the ban so they can mine and process uranium, starting in Southside Virginia. Drinking water, human health, farmland, property values, wildlife and tourism across Virginia are at risk.
For more information and the latest updates to Keep the Ban, please visit http://keeptheban.org/.
8:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m., Friday, July 27
Whitman Theater, Business Science Building
Virginia Western Community College, Roanoke
Sponsored by the Cabell Brand Center
For Global Poverty and Resource Sustainability Studies, Salem
8:30 a.m. Registration, coffee
9:00-9:10 a.m. Introduction—Dr. Tamim Younos, Executive Vice President, The Cabell Brand Center
Moderator—Dr. Rupert Cutler, member, Advisory Board, The Cabell Brand Center
9:10-9:20 a.m. Welcome—Robert H. Sandel, President, Virginia Western Community College
9:20—9:30 a.m. Local Perspectives--Roanoke City Councilman Sherman Lea
9:30-10:00 a.m. Summary of National Research Council Report on Uranium Mining in Virginia and Personal Evaluation—Dr. Peter L. DeFur, Member, NRC Committee; Research Associate Professor, Center for Environmental Studies, Virginia Commonwealth University
10:00-10:30 a.m. Reasons to Support the Mining of Uranium in Virginia—Dr. Robert Bodnar, C. C. Garvin Professor of Geochemistry and University Distinguished Professor of Geosciences, Virginia Tech
10:30-10:50 a.m. Coffee Break
10:50-11:20 a.m. Public Health Issues—Dr. Cynda Ann Johnson, President and Founding Dean, Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine
11:20-11:50 p.m Ecological Impacts and Food Supply Concerns—Dr. Renee Goddard, Professor of Biology and Director of Environmental Studies, Hollins University
11:50 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Box Lunch
12:30-12:50 p.m. Weather, Water, and Remediation Issues—Broaddus Fitzpatrick, J.D., Consultant to Chmura Economics & Analytics, authors of The Socioeconomic Impact of Uranium Mining and Milling in the Chatham Labor Shed, Virginia
12:50-1:10 p.m. Benefits and Risks—Freeda Cathcart, FLMI, Formerly Reinsurance Claims Processor, Skandia Reinsurance; Reinsurance Broker, C.E. Heath in Lloyd's of London; Reinsurance Specialist, Shenandoah Life Insurance Co.
1:10-1:30 p.m. Summary of Concerns Regarding Environmental Impacts—Cale Jaffe, Senior Attorney, Southern Environmental Law Center
1:30-1:45 p.m. Coffee Break
1:45-2:15 p.m. How Will Virginia Regulate Uranium Mining?-- Robert G. “Bob” Burnley, President, Robert G.Burnley LLC; Director, Virginia Department of Environmental Quality, 2002-2006
2:15-3:00 p.m. Legislative Perspectives—John S. Edwards, Member of the Senate of Virginia representing the 21st District
Come meet others in your region that want to protect our water, land and air. Receive campaign updates, educational materials and learn about ways to get involved.
Workshop Dates and Locations:(Click a link below to RSVP)
Want to make a difference?
Attend this workshop and learn the benfits of joining a Legislative Contact Team. Together with hundreds of volunteers throughout the Commonwealth, our legislative contact team members have grabbed the attention of delegates and senators with numerous letters, phone calls, e-mails, and meetings. Thanks to the work of these volunteers, Virginia’s legislators are giving unprecedented consideration to natural resource protection.
We need strong Legislative Contact Teams to build on this historic momentum and to make sure our elected leaders fulfill the Commonwealth’s constitutional mandate to protect our land, air, and water. That is why your involvement is so crucial.
Thanks again for your interest and support. We look forward to seeing you at a summer workshop!
What do you feed 4 million pounds of tilapia to keep them healthy?
That was just one of the many questions researched by the engineers at Blue Ridge Aquaculture in Martinsville.
Blue Ridge Aquaculture is the largest producer of tilapia in the U.S. Tilapia is now the fifth most popular seafood consumed in the United States behind shrimp, tuna, salmon and whitefish.
“We provide the ideal environment for the fish, everything is controlled, temperature, water quality, oxygen, food. Everything they are exposed to is provided by us and never changes,” explains Jim Franklin, vice president of Blue Ridge Aquaculture.
Blue Ridge utilizes a state-of-the-art re-circulating aquaculture system that filters the water in the 42 tanks continuously, keeping it clean and providing a healthy environment for the fish. Each tank holds approximately 23,000 pounds of tilapia at different stages of growth. The company is environmentally sustainable and socially responsible, using water resources very wisely. Blue Ridge Aquaculture doesn’t discharge any waste into the environment.
From the egg to harvest weight is about a nine-month process. Because there are no outside elements to contaminate the fish, the tilapia raised at the farm are free of the pollutants found in some seafood.
“If you want your fish to have heavy metals, antibiotics, hormones and steroids you will have to add that yourself. We don’t put any of that in ours,” said Franklin. “We believe that you can grow it responsibly and economically and provide a healthy product.”
Currently all of the tilapia are shipped live to fresh seafood markets. They haven’t found a local business to process the fish and provide filets to area restaurants. The trucks marked with LIVE FISH on the side head north each day to Washington, New York, Boston and Toronto.
“All of our products will still be alive when they reach those markets. They are there for the people that value the freshest product you can get,” added Franklin.
In business since 1993, Blue Ridge Aquaculture currently has 38 employees including aquiculture technicians, researchers, managers and office staff. Franklin says that BRA is a good fit for this area. “A lot of area employees have been laid off and their skills fit real well for this type of work.”
The company’s products are sold out at this time. They are hoping to expand their production over the next few years. They are looking at doubling the size of the existing facility.
Dick Ephgrave, Director of the Martinsville Small Business Development Center, commented that it is wonderful news for the area. “We have had our share of business that have closed because of a lack of demand for their product or because the jobs were sent overseas. This is a business that we feel very comfortable will be here tomorrow and the day after tomorrow.”
Franklin explained that Bill Martin, founder and president of Blue Ridge Aquaculture, understood that the world’s ever-increasing seafood demands are depleting the oceans’ resources and facilities such as BRA offer viable solutions to this problem.
“With today’s modern fishing techniques and contamination, the oceans’ fish population is shrinking. This provides a means to grow clean fish,” said Franklin.
Blue Ridge Aquaculture is continuing its research and is now studying new species. According to Franklin, each species would need a different type of system, unique tanks and distinctive water quality parameters. Blue Ridge Aquaculture has been working since 2007 to develop the right process for producing shrimp in a recirculation aquaculture. They are in the process of identifying and designing a system that provides that optimal environment at all times.
By Steve Porter Northern Colorado Business Report November 9,
2007. Doctors have a sworn duty to do no harm, and in Larimer County
that's extending to trying to ...
Canadian doctors make a stand againsturaniummining. Residents have expressed concern that tailings
from uraniummining and exploration could affect the quality of
...
Rachael Embler. Doctors around the world are coming out
againsturaniummining saying it can cause cancer and one
local activist urges KOTA Territory doctors join the ...
Gingras was one of more than 20 doctors who threatened
to resign in December 2009 unless the provincial government instituted a
moratorium againsturaniummining in Quebec.
Medical Doctors, Physicians Address Public Health
Threats in Upper Peninsula ... threat to residential wells and aquifers from
metallic sulfide and uraniummining ...
[Nov 23, 2009] DOCTORS
at the only Aboriginal medical service in Alice Springs have threatened to leave
if the Northern Territory allows an international company to mineuranium ...
Doctors slam uranium miner Toro Energy for
promoting junk ... signed by 45 medical doctors calling on uraniummining ... Online Petition - against the proposed national
...
The Community Coalition AgainstMiningUranium (CCAMU) is outraged that Frontenac Ventures ... in New Brunswick
ought to be the response from the Health Canada doctor who ...
In early May, the Department of Energy announced that uranium at nearly twice the legal limit had been found in the tap water of four households on the Wind River Reservation in Wyoming. The event marks another incident in a long and troubled history in the area, and new data showing that uranium in tap water has dissipated, does little to assuage fears in the community.
In 1963 the Susquehanna-Western uranium mill ceased operation on the Wind River Reservation. When it closed, it left behind nearly two million cubic yards of contaminated material—known as tailings—unlined, in the open, and subject to rain and snowfall for over 20 years. In 1988 the Department of Energy moved the contaminants to the gas hills and announced that the site would clean itself up after 100 years.
But in 1998, the Department returned to the reservation telling residents that they shouldn’t drink from their water wells for fear of contamination.
“That’s where we used to get all our water: well water,” says Yufna Soldier Wolf, an Arapaho tribal member living about a mile away from the old, Susquehanna tailings site.
She points to the now abandoned pump house on her family’s property. “This little house, we used to play in it. Like, that little ditch right there, when we were little kids, we used to play in all that water right there.”
Soldier Wolfs family was told not to drink their water around 1998, and the DOE eventually brought an alternative water supply to the area—plastic piping that runs from a clean source of water, through the contaminated uranium plume, to the Soldier Wolf’s house and around 40 others.
On May 2nd the Department of Energy announced that fall 2011 testing results showed levels of uranium in four household taps on the alternative water supply at nearly twice the legal limit.
On May 11, new test results were released showing those same taps, plus two more, had well below the legal limit.
However, the find does little to assuage fears in the community. Yufna Soldier Wolf says there is a problem in the area, especially with the DOE’s pipe, and especially when it most of the time, the only way for residents to know there may be a problem is when they see workers out fixing or flushing the system.
DOE officials would not speak on record.
But last year, after test results showed that uranium spikes had appeared in the area nearly 100 times the legal limit as a result of the 2010 floods, the DOE’s April Gil, manager of the site, addressed whether breaks could allow contaminated groundwater and sediment to get into the pipe and eventually, into people’s taps.
League of Individuals for the Environment, Inc. Mission Statement:
L.I.F.E., Inc. supports educating yourself on the potential uranium mining and uranium milling in Virginia.
Donations for Our Fight to Protect the Environment!
We are a nonprofit! Your Donations will help us with our protection of land, air and water! Mail to: L.I.F.E, Inc. P. O. Box 622 Gretna, VA 24557 Thanks for all your Help!
Potential Uranium Deposit in Orange County Virginia. Full Documentary part 1.
Potential Uranium Deposit in Orange County Virginia. Full Documentary part 2
Uranium Mining in Virginia: A Risky Experiment
Uranium Mining I
Uranium Mining II
Dangers of Uranium mining in Pittsylvania County VA. - Part 2
Provisional Committee Appointments for the NAS Study of Uranium Mining
The following provisional committee for the National Academies of Science study of uranium mining in Virginia (funded by Virginia Uranium Inc., the company seeking to lift Virginia's 1982 uranium mining moratorium) has been approved.
People may communicate with the National Academies at any time over the project's duration.
SUBSCRIBE to League of Individuals for the Environment, Inc Blog!
Uranium Mining: Flooding at Coles Hill
1996 Hurricane Fran Flood at Coles Hill (TS Ida is causing flooding in same areas)
Raw home video of the flood in the Coles Hill area.
Virginia Offshore wind turbines
Offshore wind turbines can replace fossil fuel as the major electric power source for the Atlantic coast states. Ivy Main, Renewable Energy Chair for the Virginia Chapter of the Sierra Club, narrates.
Hazards of Uranium Mining in Pittsylvainia County Virginia
