"RICHMOND, Va. -- A company lobbying lawmakers to unearth in Southside Virginia what is thought to be the nation's largest uranium deposit needs to overcome significant health and environmental obstacles before the site is mined, according to a long-awaited study released Monday."
"The 22-month review by the National Academy of Sciences and National Academy of Engineering said that "steep hurdles" need to be surmounted before Virginia's longtime ban on uranium mining could be lifted.
The 302-page report says uranium could be mined, but the company would have to protect workers, the public and the environment in Virginia, which has no experience unearthing radioactive element.
Many in Richmond expected the study to provide conclusions supportive of lawmakers seeking to lift the ban, but the report instead struck more of a cautionary tone. It also outlined ways mining could be conducted in the state."
Anita Kumar reports for the Washington Post December 19, 2011.
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