Floyd County Virginia opposes Uranium Mining in Virginia

RESOLUTION IN OPPOSITION TO LIFTINGTHE BAN ON URANIUM MINING IN VIRGINIA

WHEREAS, in 1983 the Virginia General Assembly enacted a moratorium on the mining
of uranium in the Commonwealth; and

WHEREAS, presently a company know as Virginia Uranium, Inc. has proposed
establishing one of the largest uranium mining operations in North America within the
State of Virginia; and

WHEREAS, presently Virginia Uranium, Inc. is undertaking an extensive lobbying
campaign directed at getting the Virginia General Assembly to lift the moratorium
established in 1983, thereby allowing the company to begin mining operations; and

WHEREAS, it is probable that the mining operations proposed by Virginia Uranium, Inc.
will result in large quantities of highly mobile, radioactive mill tailings, which must be
stored as sludge in ponds, and eventually in dewatered tailings piles that can retain 85
percent of their original radioactivity for hundreds of thousands of years; and

WHEREAS, it is possible that sludge ponds and/or tailings pile confinement structures
could fail, resulting in the release of radioactive materials into surface waters and the
surrounding environment; and

WHEREAS, the Commonwealth of Virginia’s climate includes frequent storms capable
of producing surface water conditions that will transport and disperse radioactive
materials downstream and away from the site of the mining and related storage of
byproduct; and,

WHEREAS, it is probable that the negative environmental, health, and economic impacts
of a release of radioactive materials could result in catastrophic harm to a portion of the
of the Commonwealth’s land area.

NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, by the Floyd County Board of Supervisors,
that it does hereby oppose lifting the ban on uranium mining unless and until it can be
scientifically demonstrated with a high level of certainty that no release of radioactive
materials can escape from any proposed uranium mining operation and/or location.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this Resolution be sent to each member of
the County’s legislative delegations and to the Chair of all groups currently studying
uranium mining in the Commonwealth of Virginia.

Adopted by the Floyd County Board of Supervisors on the 12
the day of April, 2011.