Does Virginia have the staff to ensure that uranium is mined safely in the state?
The question arose today during a downtown Richmond meeting of a panel studying the safety of the mining of uranium, a radioactive material that fuels nuclear power plants.
State officials requested the study because a company called Virginia Uranium Inc. wants to mine uranium in Pittsylvania County in south-central Virginia.
Robert Burnley, a former director of the state Department of Environmental Quality, said Virginia doesn't have the staff or money to properly oversee the mining.
"Our concern is that the regulation of this won't be as strong as it should be because of budgetary restraints," Burnley said outside the meeting room.
Burnley is working as a consultant for the Southern Environmental Law Center, an environmental group.
To properly oversee the mining, the state would probably have to spend millions on staff, training and equipment, Burnley said.
The uranium mine would be subject to state and federal regulations.
Speaking to the study panel, current DEQ Director David Paylor said, "No agency head worth his salt would tell you he has enough people... But I can tell you we do our job, and we set priorities."
"The things of the highest importance continue to get done... It would be our serious duty" to ensure that uranium is mined in a way that protects people and the environment, Paylor said.
Opponents fear that the mining could cause water and air pollution. Virginia Uranium says the mining will follow all rules and will be done safely.
The study is being conducted by the National Research Council, the operating arm of the National Academy of Sciences, a respected institute that advises government agencies.
Virginia has banned uranium mining since 1982. Virginia Uranium wants the ban lifted.
Virginia Uranium says about 119 million pounds of uranium ore, worth about $8 billion, lies underground at the Pittsylvania site.
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