Uranium Mining in Virginia

Delegate Kenneth R. "Ken" Plum

Virginia has one of the largest deposits of uranium of anyplace in the country in Pittsylvania County in the southern part of the state.  The location of Coles Hill Farm where the deposit is centered is in the Roanoke River watershed.  There are smaller deposits of uranium in other parts of the state including the Piedmont region.

Because of the risks to public health, Virginia enacted a ban on uranium mining in the state in 1982 that is still in place today.  With increased prices for the sale of uranium there has been renewed interest in mining the uranium that is in Virginia.  In 2007, Virginia Uranium, Inc. announced plans to seek to lift the ban in Virginia in order that uranium could be mined in the state.  A study was undertaken by the National Academy of Sciences to determine the safety of lifting the ban.

There is no precedent for large-scale uranium mining in the eastern part of the United States where population density and a wet climate increase the chance of radiation contaminating streams and groundwater and exposure to humans, as the Southern Environmental Law Center pointed out.  They go on to state that in the last century Virginia has been hit by at least 78 category-strength hurricanes, and in 2011 there were 37 tornadoes in the state including one within 20 miles of the proposed mining site.  The earthquake in Virginia in August, 2011, of 5.l8 whose effects were felt all the way to New York had its epicenter just 125 miles from the proposed site.

In addition to the National Academy study, the City of Virginia Beach which gets its drinking water from Lake Gaston downstream of the Coles Hill site funded a study finding that a catastrophic failure of a uranium waste containment structure at the site could contaminate the city's drinking water for as long as two years.

Although legislation to lift the ban has been talked about, the serious concerns about the health risks and the strong community opposition have kept any bills from being debated.  Despite the fact that the legislature has not acted, Governor Bob McDonnell appointed a task force to write regulations that would need to be met if the ban was lifted.  That group is now at work and has been strongly criticized for the lack of transparency in its work.  There is a great likelihood that the regulations that are developed will be used as a justification for lifting the ban.  There are well-funded industry lobbyists at work actively looking for ways to get around the ban.  Environmental groups are also actively working to keep the ban in place.

The threat to human health outweighs any arguments for lifting the ban.  I remain opposed to lifting the ban and will be sensitive to any efforts to circumvent the ban through the regulatory process.

VA Bureau of Insurance Advises to Contact Your Agent Now

Virginia Insurance Commissioner Jacqueline K. Cunningham advises consumers to contact their insurance company or agent as soon as possible for help in determining the coverage that is available under their policies for homes, businesses, and vehicles that were damaged during the storms.  The insurance company or agent will be able to guide consumers through the process of filing a claim.  Contact information for insurance companies and agents is available on the State Corporation Commission's Bureau of Insurance website at:

www.scc.virginia.gov/boi/ConsumerInquiry/CompanySearch.aspx

(for insurance company lookup) or

www.scc.virginia.gov/boi/ConsumerInquiry/ProducerSearch.aspx

(for insurance agent lookup)

Commissioner Cunningham recommends taking pictures of damaged property, saving receipts for repair costs, and protecting your property from further damage.  The Bureau offers free consumer insurance guides on a variety of topics including disaster guides for homeowners and businesses.  The disaster guides provide answers to the most commonly asked questions about settling disaster-related insurance problems and are available on the Bureau's website at www.scc.virginia.gov/boi/pubs.aspx.

The Bureau reminds Virginia policyholders that, in addition to coverage for property damge, property policies may include coverage for debris removal and additional living expenses.  Check your insurance policy or contact your agent or your insurance company to discuss what coverage you have available.  Call the Bureau through its toll-free number - 1.877.310.6560.  The Bureau's specially trained staff can help consumers with their insurance questions and concerns and can offer tips to help consumers expedite the processing of claims with their insurance company.  The Bureau also may be contacted electronically at BureauofInsurance@scc.virginia.gov.  The Bureau's fax is 804.371.9349.  Consumer complaints may be filed electronically through the Bureau's website at www.scc.virginia.gov/boi.  Consumers who are hearing or speech impaired may call the SCC's Telecommunications Device for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (TDD) at 804.371.9206  Correspondence may be mailed to the Bureau at P.O. Box 1157, Richmond, VA  23218.  The SCC is located at 1300 East Main Street in downtown Richmond.  Normal business hours are 8:15 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Making a Difference - Habitat for Humanity ReStore Shopping

Your donated items to a ReStore can do much to increase the number of homes built with low-income families through Habitat for Humanity of Northern Virginia.  Your donated items also prevent usable goods from being put in landfills, and they provide quality building materials and household items to the general public at discounted prices.  Donate or shop at the Chantilly ReStore, 4262 Entre Court, Chantilly, VA  20151, or give them a call at 703.953.3747 for information about materials you can donate.  Great advice from ReStore:  "Shop & Save.  Donate & Deduct."

Handbook for Teens Now Available

Fairfax Partnership for Youth, Inc., is pleased to announce the release of a new resource, "Feeling Better From The Inside Out:  A Handbook for Teens."  This handbook includes:

* Local and national help information

* Tips on helping yourself feel better

* Information on issues and conditions teens commonly face

* Guidance for accessing counseling or treatent

* And much more!

The Handbook is available at www.fairfaxyouth.org/resources.xml.  This is the first version of what will be an evolving resoure.  There are instructions in the back of the Handbook on how to leave feedback.

Money Matters for Virginians

"Money Matters for Virginians," a series of online courses covering financial basics, is now available on the Virginia Retirement System website at www.varetire.org/money-matters.asp.  Courses are free and open to the public.  No registration is necessary.  Each Money Matters course takes about 30 minutes to complete and covers various financial topics.  Courses include Banking, Credit, Taxes, Investments, Financial Planning, and Home Finance.

Bureau of Insurance Reminds Citizens to Check Credit Reports

In Virginia and many other states, insurance companies may use a person's credit information in the insurance underwriting and rating process.  Some insurance companies may charge higher premiums or refuse to issue a new policy solely on the basis of unfavorable credit information.  However, insurers in Virginia may not nonrenew existing policies solely on the basis of your credit information.  Virginia law requires that any time your insurance company takes an adverse action based on your credit information, it must tell you the reason for its decision or advise you that you have the right to obtain the reason.  Check your credit report periodically for accuracy and to report any errors to the credit reporting company to have them corrected.  To obtain a freecopy of your credit report, visit www.annualcreditreport.com.  Under federal law, consumers are entitled to obtain a free credit report once every 12 months from each of the three nationwide consumer credit reporting companies -- Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion.  For additional information, contact the Virginia Bureau of Insurance at BureauofInsurance@scc.virginia.gov or visit www.scc.virginia.gov/boi.

Volunteers Needed for Help with Reading & Writing Skills

More than 75 new volunteer Basic Literacy tutors are needed to help area English-speaking adults learn to read and write.  Currently on a waiting list to be matched with tutors, these adult students are eager to improve their literacy skills by working one-to-one with a trained volunteer.  The Literacy Council of Northern Virginia holds tutor training workshops to prepare volunteer tutors to provide individualized instruction to adult students who want to improve their literacy skills.  Each tutor is trained, matched with a student, and encouraged to meet weekly for 90 minutes to help the student improve his or her reading and writing skills.  No teaching or foreign language skills are required.  A $40 training fee covers the cost of books and materials.  All tutor training workshops take place at the James Lee Community Center, 2855 Annandale Road, Falls Church.  Tutoring will take place in a library or community center in the tutor's neighborhood.  Students and tutors are matched based on geographic proximity to make the weekly sessions as convenient as possible.  The Workshops will be held on two consecutive Saturdays (both sessions are required) on August 11 and August 18 from 9:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. at the James Lee Community Center.  Bring $40 for books and materials.  For more information, email volunteers@lcnv.org or call 703.237.0866 x 111.