A danger to our water across the Commonwealth

July 25, 2012

The Virginian-Pilot reports, "The City Council called unanimously on Tuesday for a continuation of the state's moratorium on uranium mining to safeguard rivers and reservoirs that provide Norfolk's drinking water. 'This is a vote for us to stand up for the system and against anything that may somehow taint the quality of the water,' Mayor Paul Fraim said after the vote at the council's regular meeting."

Progressive Point: When we grab a glass of water from the tap, we assume that water is safe to drink. Uranium mining in Virginia could change all that, contaminating our drinking water supplies with radioactive waste. Our Commonwealth needs leaders, like those in Norfolk, who are serious about protecting clean drinking water.

With uranium mining, a few big corporations get the profits while Virginians take all the risk. Mining for uranium threatens clean water not just for family farmers in Southside, but also families and naval bases all the way through Tidewater. Corporate interests are only interested in their bottom line, not the health and safety of our families. The risks of uranium mining are simply too high and hazardous.

Get the Facts:

• Norfolk's water system serves 700,000 people and naval bases in area every day.  (Virginian-Pilot, July 25, 2012)


• The Norfolk City Council's backing of continuing the moratorium on uranium mining "echoed a similar resolution approved by Virginia Beach last month." (Virginian-Pilot, July 25, 2012)


• A recent NAS study validated the concern that a flood, hurricane, or earthquake could result in an uncontrolled release at a uranium facility--all three of which Virginia has experienced in 2011 year. (Cale Jaffe, senior attorney, Southern Environmental Law Center, Keep the Ban, December 19, 2011)


• Virginia Uranium, the company seeing to mine uranium in Virginia, has hired over a dozen lobbyists from five different firms and has donated over $150,000 to political campaigns in the last 4 years. (VPAP)


• Offshore wind could create up to 10,000 jobs in Virginia according to a study cited by Delegate Joseph Morrissey and 13 fellow state legislators. (The Virginian-Pilot, May 8, 2012)


• "Clean energy is the ;fastest growing industry in the U.S. today. Developing new clean energy technologies like wind and solar could support 20 million jobs by 2030 and trillions of dollars in revenue." (Media Matters)

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