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Uranium Mining in Virginia

This summary highlights the distribution of uranium in Virginia, waste management challenges, groundwater usage, and potential impacts on the environment. It also discusses the risks and uncertainties associated with uranium mining in Virginia.

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Uranium Mining in Virginia

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  1. Uranium Mining in Virginia Peter L. deFur, Ph.D ESC, LLC Environmental Studies at VCU NRC Study Committee member

  2. Summary and highlights From the NRC report And My Own Perspective

  3. FIGURE 3.6 Distribution of Middle to Late Proterozoic granites and gneisses of the Blue Ridge belt, together with complexly deformed mylonites, shear zones, and cataclasites. SOURCE: modified from Lassetter (2010).

  4. FIGURE 3.4 Aeroradiometric map of Virginia showing the concentration of uranium (eU) in the top few centimeters of rock or soil, derived by reprocessing National Uranium Resource Evaluation (NURE) Program aerial gamma-ray data. SOURCE: Kucks (2005).

  5. Fig. 6.2 Waste management (tailings) at JEB pit, McClean Lake in Sasketchewan

  6. Figure 4. Contribution of various sources to individual total radiation exposure (from NCRP 2009)

  7. Figure 7.1 Average groundwater use in Virginia by category 2003 – 2007 (2008_AWRR). Manufacturing includes operations such as paper mills, food processors, drug companies, furniture, and concrete companies; Public water supply includes municipal and private water purveyors; Agriculture includes operations such as commodity farms, fish farms and hatcheries; Irrigation withdrawals are used to promote growth in crops such as tobacco, corn, soybeans, turf grass, and ornamental nursery products; Commercial operations include golf courses, local and federal installations, hotels, and laundromats; Mining includes operations such as sand, rock, and coal companies

  8. Streams are sensitive to salts, sediment, shade, temperature and flow

  9. Terrestrial and aquatic life may be affected by discharges and runoff. With annual average rainfall of 43 inches for the state and 45 inches in Danville, water will be an issue.

  10. PLdF NRC

  11. Issues- my own reflections • $, not public service or benefit • Greatest unknowns • Risks, not assessment • Virginia is neither ready nor capable

  12. Extreme Weather in Virginia

  13. Questions? ?

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