Governor Bob McDonnell holds the key to unlocking uranium mining in Virginia, according to a new report from my Heritage Foundation colleague and energy expert Jack Spencer. He argues the McDonnell administration can take important steps now that could help the General Assembly to be more comfortable in lifting the moratorium on uranium mining.
Virginia is home to the largest uranium deposit in the United States, making it a key source of fuel for nuclear power reactors. But for more than 30 years, the area in the south-central part of the state known as Coles Hill in Pittsylvania County has been off limits for uranium mining.
That’s where McDonnell comes into the picture. He promised to make Virginia the energy capital of the East Coast. And while federal hurdles have slowed development of oil, gas and coal, there’s no one in Washington to blame for the failure to mine uranium.
It will require action from the General Assembly to lift the 1982 moratorium. Until that happens, the McDonnell administration could establish the regulations needed to make it feasible. Spencer explains:
The relevant agencies within the Virginia government—most notably the Department of Mines, Minerals, and Energy (MME)—have already been considering the mining regulations. Governor McDonnell should continue this momentum by directing the MME (and other agencies as needed) to develop draft regulations. Indeed, the governor’s interagency working group on uranium mining has already said that Virginia government agencies maintain adequate resources and expertise to develop the regulations.
Such an approach would help to inform the General Assembly when considering lifting the moratorium by showing precisely what a permitting program would entail. This has been a major sticking point for many Assembly members. Promulgating the regulations now could also promote public confidence in the final regulations if they are pursued under the Administrative Process Act, which guarantees process transparency and provides for public input.
There will no doubt be a host of questions the General Assembly will want to debate before lifting the moratorium. Skepticism about uranium mining remains today, even though years of experience, technological advancements and scientific studies show it can be done safely.
Virginia has the potential to be the next bastion of uranium mining. It’s time for McDonnell to act.
