Virginia Department of Mines allows exploratory drilling of
all minerals and there are no rules at all.
They do not contact people near the drilling sites just take
about $50 and give it to anyone a license and say drill whenever you want but
don't tell your neighbors.
I cannot find any studies on exploratory drilling even the
federal govt do not monitor drilling.
It is like the Wild West for drilling and this is not
right.
Counties and Cities need to take the lead and not allow any
type of drilling until there is a public hearing.
Pittsylvania County has a public hearing for VUI to build a
building to store core samples but the state of Virginia did not contact anyone
when VUI started drilling.
Of course the mining company contacted media and some locals
but not the state but the county allowed it.
This is crazy and since Virginia has a ban on uranium mining
it should stop issuing exploratory permits for uranium!
So my wish for a VA Bills is to stop issuing uranium
exploratory permits until the first exploratory study ever done in the world or
since uranium mining has been found to ruin water and stop issuing permits for
uranium exploratory permits since we have had numerous uranium studies which have
been found uranium mining is not safe!
Deb DixExamples of sort of study but focus on mining:
Comments: So the conclusion of the Quebec study:
posted in Aboriginal and Inuit Mining, Canadian Media Resource Articles, Mining
Conflict, Quebec
Mining, Uranium
|
TORONTO
(miningweekly.com) – The grand council of the Crees of Eeyou Istchee, the Cree
regional authority and the Cree nation of Mistissini on Friday said they had
filed a declaration of intervention in the legal proceedings recently started
by uranium explorer Strateco Resources against the Quebec Environment Minister
Yves-François Blanchet.
Strateco, who
seeks permission to undertake underground exploratory drilling in search of
uranium at its Matoush advanced exploration project, early this month asked the
Superior Court of Quebec to nullify the minister’s decision to refuse to grant
a certificate of authorisation for the exploration.
Strateco had
also asked the court to force the minister to issue a certificate of
authorisation for the project. In his decision of November 7, Blanchet said
that he refused to authorise the Matoush project owing to the absence of social
acceptability for the project, particularly among the Crees.
Through the
intervention filed today, the Crees sought full rights of participation in the
proceedings, and urged the court to dismiss Strateco’s request.
“The
requirement of social acceptability as a condition for development in Eeyou
Istchee is an essential aspect of the successful nation-to-nation relationship
between the Crees and Quebec.
Strateco’s legal action represents a fundamental
challenge to the principle of social acceptability, and to our treaty rights.
We are committed to protecting our environment and our treaty rights, for
current and future generations,” grand chief Dr Matthew Coon Come said.
Located near
the Cree community of Mistissini on Cree family hunting lands, the Matoush
project is the most advanced uranium project to date in the Cree territory of
Eeyou Istchee and in Quebec.
For the rest of
this article, click here:
http://www.miningweekly.com/print-version/the-battle-between-cree-first-nations-and-strateco-resources-heats-up-2013-12-21
Friday, December 13, 2013
Fourth Time Lucky!!!!
Bill 70, an act to
amend the Quebec Mining Act, came into force this week in Quebec.
The bill heralds significant reforms to the Mining Act. Here are some highlights that will be of great interest to WQCAMU and citizens in the West Quebec region:
The bill heralds significant reforms to the Mining Act. Here are some highlights that will be of great interest to WQCAMU and citizens in the West Quebec region:
- Notices
of Claims and Notices for Exploration Work: Within 60 days of registration,
claim holders must notify the municipality and the surface rights owner or
leaseholder of the fact that they have obtained a claim. Claim holders
must inform the municipality at least 30 days prior to performing work.
- Expropriation
Rights Limited:
The power to expropriate private property previously held under the Mining
Act can now only be exercised during the actual mining stage and
mining companies will be required to compensate expropriated parties for
certain costs related to expropriation.
- Powers
of Regional County Municipalities: MRCs may declare parts of their territory as
mining-incompatible territory in their land use and development plans.
These new powers are somewhat constrained because the Minister may declare
the mining-incompatible designation of a territory is inconsistent with
government policy direction.
- Environmental
Impact Assessments and Public Consultations: EIAs will be required for all
mineral processing plant construction and operation projects and all mine
development and operation projects, where the processing or production
capacity of the plant or the mine is 2,000 tonnes per day or more. All
rare earth processing projects are to be subject to an EIA process
regardless of the processing or production capacity.
- Public
Information: Documents
and information obtained by the Minister from mining rights holders under
the Act are considered to be public. The Minister can make these documents
and information public in the manner the Minister sees fit.
For more information (in French): http://www.assnat.qc.ca/en/
http://no-uranium.blogspot.com/
Fact Sheet on
Exploratory Drilling and Uranium Mining in Fremont County
Research Priorities for In-Situ Uranium Recovery in Wyoming:
EXPLORATION AND PRODUCTION
Exploratory drilling is expensive and environmentally disruptive. Less-invasive alternatives to exploratory drilling should be evaluated. Potential avenues include the use of isotopes to trace groundwater flow paths and location of deposits; development of surface geophysical and soil geochemical methods; use of oil well database for identifying deep disposal well zones and characteristics; and remote sensing / trace hole geophysics.
Establishing and frequent sampling of multiple monitoring wells can create negative effects on aquifers and landscape and add significantly to operational costs.
http://www.uwyo.edu/ser/_files/docs/conferences/2010/uraniumforum/uraniumworkshopfinalreport_10132009.pdf
TESTIMONY TO THE SUBCOMMITTEE ON NATIONAL PARKS, FORESTS AND PUBLIC LANDS OF THE HOUSE NATURAL RESOURCES COMMITTEE HEARING ON
THE GRAND CANYON WATERSHEDS PROTECTION ACT OF 2009
H.R. 644
JULY 21, 2009Agency policies also tend to favor mining interests in expediting mineral development. In 2007, the Kaibab National Forest used a so-called categorical exclusion to approve exploratory drilling of 39 test holes in the Havasu watershed without any analysis of environmental impacts and little public notice or input.
http://www.grandcanyontrust.org/documents/gc_uranium_hedden061609.pdf
| Uranium drilling fails first test |  |
|
by Debbie Bell Canon City Daily Record April 2, 2008 Commission recommends denial for Tallahassee area Critics of exploratory uranium drilling in the Tallahassee area broke into resounding applause Tuesday night, when the Fremont County Planning Commission recommended denial of the required Conditional Use Permit by a split 4-3 vote. Black Range Minerals, the Australian company seeking to drill about 800 test holes on the Taylor and Boyer ranches, next will seek the blessing of the Fremont County Commissioners despite Tuesday’s outcome, which was a non-binding recommendation. Citing potential adverse impact on property values, noise, unsightly views, water contamination, increased traffic, and even county liability in the unlikely event of a catastrophic incident, panel members Tom Doxey, Tom Piltingsrud, Mike Schnobrich and Dean Sandoval voted to deny the permit. Commissioners Bill Jackson, Keith McNew and Herm Lateer cast votes in favor of the exploratory drilling. “I feel we don’t have a legal way to turn the permit down,” McNew said. However, Doxey took issue with BRM neglecting to apply for the CUP in a timely manner. The company began exploration last year, drilling about 70 test holes, before the county stepped in to stop the operations. “I’m disappointed this company… forgot to check with little Fremont County if there were any licenses or permits” required, Doxey said. BRM Managing Director Mike Haynes apologized for the oversight during the meeting. “We did obtain what we believed were the only necessary permits” from the state, Haynes said. Although BRM is an international company, he said it never has been required to obtain a local permit when the state had issued appropriate licensing. In compliance with new county regulations, BRM was charged double the typical amount for the local application process because of the oversight. Although the 3 1/2-hour marathon meeting was not a formal public hearing, the Planning Commissioners allowed input from the capacity crowd. They got an earful, both for and against the BRM permit request. Tom Pool, a mining engineer from Golden, presented petitions signed by the owners of some 80 parcels of land, who were in favor of the exploration drilling. “Our general view is that uranium exploration contributes to the energy independence of the United States of America,” Pool said, “and uranium exploration, developing and mining contribute to the mitigation of global warming.” However, for every positive opinion, property owners presented additional negative views. “This is where we came to spend the rest of our lives,” said Nancy Seger. “We can hear the noise 24 hours a day. We can see it. Our quality of life is going to be changed.” Michael Meyrick submitted a five-page memo outlining legal concerns, including potential liability to the county. “If you approve it and they contaminate it, the jury determines the amount of damages you and they – if they’re even still around – are responsible for,” Meyrick said. “I urge you not to approve this.” BRM’s submitted plan asks for 10 years to drill an estimated 800 holes across 8,169 acres generally south of CR 2 and west of the intersection of CR2 and CR 21, while actually using only about half that land. The property is zoned Agricultural-Forestry, which is the county’s lowest-density zone and permits activity such as uranium mining. If the appropriate permits are eventually received, and the exploratory drilling proves to be economically viable, BRM hopes to create a state-of-the-art facility, including a new mill to process the uranium. Residents again will have the opportunity to voice their opinions when the Fremont County Commissioners host the required, formal public hearing on the permit. That forum could take place during the May 13 regularly-scheduled meeting. Piltingsrud acknowledged the Planning Commission acts merely as an advisory panel to the County Commissioners. “They sometimes follow our lead,” Piltingsrud said, “and they sometimes don’t follow our lead.” Debbie Bell may be reached at dbell@ccdailyrecord.com. |
