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The City Council took a stand against uranium mining Tuesday night, adopting a resolution opposing a mine proposed for south central Virginia. City officials fear uranium mining in Pittsylvania County - about 200 miles away - could contaminate Lake Gaston, the city's water source. "We can't afford to risk appearing we don't oppose an activity that could ruin this water source," said Vice Mayor Louis Jones. Uranium is used to power nuclear plants. The Pittsylvania deposit is estimated to be worth between $7 billion and $10 billion.

The Navajo Nation's top health official told the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that Navajos continue to live with the Cold War legacy of uranium mining, and that a long-term, comprehensive assessment and research program with adequate resources is needed to address it. Anslem Roanhorse Jr., executive director of the Navajo Nation Division of Health, said 520 radioactive uranium mines on the Navajo Nation were abandoned without being cleaned up. The uranium taken from Navajo land from 1944 to 1986 was used to meet the federal government's demand for nuclear weapons material, he said. Testifying Thursday before the bi-annual CDC and Agency for Toxic Substances Disease Registry Tribal Consultation session on the Environmental Public Health in Indian country, Roanhorse said four million tons of uranium ore, known as "yellow cake," were mined from Navajo land for more than 40 years. "There are about 500 abandoned uranimum mine sites throughout the Navajo Nation and only one has been fully assessed,

Uranium mining in the Narsaq area faces stiff opposition from many area residents. A citizens' meeting is being held on Monday in Narsaq to protest possible uranium mining in the nearby mountain region of Kvanefjeldet. The meeting is arranged by NGO 'Earth Charter Narsaq' and called for more information on mining plans before the government decided whether to lift the existing national ban on uranium mining.

The leader of a local group opposing uranium mining in Pittsylvania County disputed several claims made by mining supporters during a forum Thursday night in Danville. Gregg Vickrey, of Southside Concerned Citizens, took statements made by supporters of uranium and held them up to scrutiny for about 60 attendees at the Stratford Inn Conference Center. Uranium mining has been banned in Virginia since the early 1980s, but Virginia Uranium Inc. seeks to mine and mill a uranium deposit at Coles Hill about six miles northeast of Chatham.

Junior uranium explorers plan to begin mining the commodity in Western Australia as early as 2011 after a pro-uranium minority Liberal Government was formed on Sunday. Former premier and state Labor leader Alan Carpenter had proposed a ban on uranium mining, prompting concerns about how this stance would affect the state's reputation as a desirable destination for doing business. The new Government, formed after the Nationals used their seats to support Colin Barnett's Liberal Party, has welcomed uranium mining in WA.

Leaking nuclear waste in a storage facility in Lower Saxony has raised the temperature of the conversation over nuclear power in Germany. Conservatives say nuclear power is safe and clean, but the Left is saying, 'I told you so.' But no one knows what to do about radioactive water leaking from the mine. The Asse II salt mine, in Lower Saxony, is leaking radioactive brine. The trouble with nuclear waste is that it never goes away, German politicians are (re-)learning this week, after a status report on barrels of leaking nuclear waste in a storage facility based at a former salt rock and potash mine called Asse II in Lower Saxony

Gov. Bill Ritter signed a uranium bill into law Tuesday morning that proponents say protects Colorado's groundwater from pollution by uranium mining practices. The bill - HB 1161- was sponsored by Fort Collins legislators Reps. Randy Fischer and John Kefalas, both Democrats and requires assurances from uranium mining companies that they will clean groundwater to pre-mining quality once they finish the mining.

THE Government is now ready to issue uranium mining licences to two of the four investors who applied for them under the new legislation, Mines and Minerals Development Deputy Minister Boniface Nkhata has said. According to online mining news publication Miningmx.com, Mr Nkhata said at the ongoing Mining Indaba conference in Cape Town that the two licences would be granted before the end of the current quarter.

It's time to get back to work, anti-uranium activists say. For the residents across northern Colorado who are opposed to a proposed uranium mine near Wellington, the holidays were a time off. Out of the public eye, and off the radar it may be, but the uranium mine they say threatens their ground water hasn't stopped. Indeed, it may be just beginning. Powertech Uranium Corp. - a Canadian firm - is busy collecting ground, air, water and soil samples from its Centennial site, about seven miles from Wellington, 16 from Greeley and 11 from Fort Collins, in hopes to apply for permits in May to establish an in-situ leach mine, said Richard Clement, president and CEO of Powertech. In-situ mining pumps treated groundwater into the ground to dissolve and collect uranium, which is brought back to the surface. Clement said the permitting process will take about a year but that the site should be ready to go in mid-2011.

The ownership of the Crow Butte Resources uranium mine near Crawford by a Canadian mining company is a legitimate issue for argument in deciding whether the mine should be allowed to expand its operation to a nearby site, a three-member panel of Nuclear Regulatory Commission judges has ruled. In a decision issued Jan. 27, the NRC judges also said that questions of the impact of low levels of arsenic in water returned to aquifers during mining operations, the relationship between arsenic exposure and diabetes and information about an alleged cluster of pancreatic cancer in the Chadron area can also be raised during hearings on the mine's proposed North Trend expansion.

The proposed uranium mining and milling project planned for the Chatham area could take more than three billion gallons of water per year from the Roanoke River Basin. Speaking before the Roanoke River Bi-State Commission at its meeting in Henderson, N.C., last week, Anne Cockrell of Danville reported the figures to the group. (See related letter to the editor on today's opinion page) According to Cockrell's figures, if the mine and mill are opened and operated 365 days a year, 3,181,952,360 gallons of water will be used each year. She pointed out Virginia Uranium has projected a 30 to 40-year lifespan for the proposed mining operation. Water sources close to the site, she said, include the Banister and Roanoke Rivers.

As work begins on a study of uranium mining in Virginia, it's becoming clearer what that study will do and what it won't. It will answer some questions about the effect similar mining operations have on health and safety. It will likely generate new questions that require additional research. But it will not be the definitive word on whether uranium can be mined safely in Pittsylvania County or any other corner of the state. Supporters say there are billions of dollars of uranium ore in the ground near Chatham. Many nearby residents tried to block the study, fearing lawmakers will use it as political cover to approve a venture that would churn out new tax revenues. Virginia Beach leaders pressed for a sophisticated, comprehensive and expensive analysis on the potential risks to Lake Gaston, which lies downstream from the proposed site and provides drinking water to nearly 900,000 residents of Hampton Roads.

nlike oil and gas extraction, pulling hard-rock minerals like uranium, gold and copper out of the ground is a royalty-free proposition in the United States, despite the often enormous costs of cleaning up public lands after the fact. The Environmental Protection Agency in a filing on Monday noted that hard-rock mining has impacted 40 percent of all western watersheds and that nationwide 28 percent of the toxic pollution generated in the United States comes from the mining industry -- the most of any sector. The EPA also concluded mining represents a major taxpayer burden because of cleanup costs.

Australian junior, White Canyon Uranium, has succeeded in gaining a permit to mine uranium from its Daneros project in Utah and is commencing site construction immediately. Junior emerging uranium miner White Canyon Uranium (ASX: WCU) has now received a permit to mine uranium from its 100 per cent owned Daneros Mine in the State of Utah, USA. Believed to be the first permit bestowed by the state in 30 years, WCU was granted approval from the Bureau of Land Management in Utah - just 15 months from the company's listing on the Australian Stock Exchange in March 2008. WCU will start site preparation immediately with construction of surface facilities and placement of the mine's decline portals. Its US operations Manager Mike Shumway is well known in uranium circles, particularly in Utah and provides experienced operational ballast for this Aussie based company.

The four members of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission have overruled a panel of the agency's administrative judges on several key issues raised by opponents of the Crow Butte uranium mine, including a challenge to the legality of licensing a foreign owned company to extract radioactive material in the U.S. * Related Articles * Most Popular * Middle school students protest to show teacher support * NRC says Crow Butte's foreign ownership not an issue * Park vandalism could lead to nighttime closure * Fairgrounds safe for horses, Alliance vet says * Dr. Harry Holmberg dies at age 92 * Middle school students protest to show teacher support (726) * Park vandalism could lead to nighttime closure (417) * Local construction company owner charged with thefts (279) * Suspect ID'd, auto seized in Chadron armed robbery (251) * Activist says assault charge shows racism (223) * Chadron residents among those stung by Medicare snafu (202) * Maintenance code boards appointed (187) Ads by Yahoo! Top Whole House Arsenic Removal System Whole house arsenic water filtter system. Free Ship. On Sale 30% Off. www.equinox-products.com Trace Arsenic Analysis and Speciation Fast TAT and competitive prices for trace Arsenic Analysis and Arsenic Speciation in various matrices. www.appliedspeciation.com Cheap Flights To Chadron Get Cheap Flight Deals To Chadron. Compare Airfare & SAVE. www.TripMama.com In its May 18 ruling on issues raised regarding renewal of the license for the Crow Butte In Situ Leach (ISL) mining operation near Crawford, the NRC also dismissed an argument that the mine releases low levels of arsenic into drinking water supplies, thereby contributing to increased diabetes and pancreatic cancer on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation, some 30 miles away. The NRC called that argument "speculative' and based on a study that doesn't show the mine causes any arsenic contamination. "There is nothing in the Arsenic Study

Quebec's Liberal government must stop uranium exploration near Sept Îles and declare a moratorium on uranium mining activities across the province to avoid the mass resignation of 20 doctors in the Lower North Shore town, a Sept Îles doctor said yesterday. "I want to work in a place where the government listens to citizens and where medical opinions are respected," said Bruno Imbeault, one of 20 doctors at the the Centre hospitalier et des services sociaux de Sept Îles who signed an open letter to Health Minister Yves Bolduc pledging to resign unless uranium exploration activities in the area are stopped. The hospital employs 60 physicians. The doctors oppose a proposed uranium mine at Kachiwiss Lake, about 13 kilometres from Sept Îles, because they believe it will harm the environment and the health of area residents.

Quebec's Liberal government must stop uranium exploration near Sept Îles and declare a moratorium on uranium mining activities across the province to avoid the mass resignation of 20 doctors in the Lower North Shore town, a Sept Îles doctor said yesterday. "I want to work in a place where the government listens to citizens and where medical opinions are respected," said Bruno Imbeault, one of 20 doctors at the the Centre hospitalier et des services sociaux de Sept Îles who signed an open letter to Health Minister Yves Bolduc pledging to resign unless uranium exploration activities in the area are stopped. The hospital employs 60 physicians. The doctors oppose a proposed uranium mine at Kachiwiss Lake, about 13 kilometres from Sept Îles, because they believe it will harm the environment and the health of area residents.

"New Mexico's House delegation has identified a potential way to free up funds for cleaning up abandoned uranium mine sites in New Mexico. Congressmen Harry Teague, Ben Ray Luján, and Martin Heinrich introduced legislation Friday that would make available Surface Mine and Reclamation Act (SMCRA) funds that currently can't be used for uranium mine remediation until the state has certified that all coal remediation has been completed. The measure could bring $14.5 million to help clean up 137 uranium sites across the site. In a statement, the three explained why freeing up the funds is important. "Cleaning up the legacy of the uranium mines and mills is something we owe to our land, our people, and our water," said Harry Teague, who represents all of Cibola county and part of McKinley County where many of the sites in need of remediation are located. "Making these funds available for uranium site remediation would create jobs in areas where people need to be put back to work, and we would be able to do it using existing funds.""

"The uranium industry apparently saw this windfall coming and has quietly been dealing with one irony of U.S. nuclear power: the nation imports nearly 90 percent of its nuclear fuel. Ironically, most mining and milling proposals of recent years are from foreign-owned companies and some of the fuel is potentially destined to be shipped to Belgium, Japan, and South Korea. Even the newest enrichment plant to convert uranium to reactor fuel is wholly foreign owned. And, at a time when the government is still cleaning up1980's-era uranium mine and mills at a cost of many billions of dollars, some companies responsible for contaminated sites continue to receive leases on public land, including a Canadian company which tried to skirt clean-up laws under the terms of NAFTA. Complicating the matter is the federal mining law of 1872 - unchanged since it was signed by Ulysses S. Grant - that allows mining claims for as little as $1 an acre on federal land and no royalties to taxpayers despite the fact that some companies routinely leave behind multimillion-dollar cleanup sites."

In 2003, there were a mere 100 mining claims in the million or so acres of public land surrounding Grand Canyon National Park. Now there are more than 8,500 - mostly for uranium - with more than 1,100 claims less than five miles from arguably America's most iconic national park. Late last week, Interior Secretary Ken Salazar received nearly 100,000 public comments supporting a permanent ban on new mining claims on the 1 million acres of national forest and Bureau of Land Management land surrounding the park. ken salazar And H.R. 644, floated by House National Parks, Forests and Public Lands Subcommittee chairman Rep. Raul Grijalva (D-Arizona) and cosponsored by 40 House members - including Colorado Rep. Jared Polis (D-Boulder) - would make permanent a temporary moratorium Salazar imposed in July.

In 2003, there were a mere 100 mining claims in the million or so acres of public land surrounding Grand Canyon National Park. Now there are more than 8,500 - mostly for uranium - with more than 1,100 claims less than five miles from arguably America's most iconic national park. Late last week, Interior Secretary Ken Salazar received nearly 100,000 public comments supporting a permanent ban on new mining claims on the 1 million acres of national forest and Bureau of Land Management land surrounding the park. ken salazar And H.R. 644, floated by House National Parks, Forests and Public Lands Subcommittee chairman Rep. Raul Grijalva (D-Arizona) and cosponsored by 40 House members - including Colorado Rep. Jared Polis (D-Boulder) - would make permanent a temporary moratorium Salazar imposed in July.

"The U.S. Department of Labor today announced that it soon will release to the public a large portion of a greatly enhanced version of its Site Exposure Matrices website. The new version will contain more data and provide additional ways to look for information regarding toxic substances at U.S. Department of Energy nuclear weapons facilities covered under Part E of the Energy Employees Occupational Illness Compensation Program Act. This more robust version of the SEM can be made public as a result of an Energy Department decision to release the more detailed information on 48 of the 116 Energy Department weapons facilities, as well as for all uranium mines, mills and ore buying stations. The enhanced system is expected to be available online at http://www.sem.dol.gov within the next month. The Departments of Labor and Energy are working together to release the remaining 68 Part E sites within the coming year. "I am proud to announce the new and expanded version of the SEM website," said Shelby Hallmark, director of the Labor Department's Office of Workers' Compensation Programs. "We have been working with the Department of Energy to make as much of it available to the public as that department felt could be done without risking national security. For this first group of sites, the public now will be able to access online the same type of data our claims examiners use to evaluate possible exposures and causal links to specific illnesses.""