The Roanoke Rapids Sanitary District board has crafted and approved a resolution which asks for further scientific studies on the effects lifting a ban on uranium mining in Virginia would have on riparian rights holders of the Roanoke River.

The resolution does not call for the outright opposition of mining, but neither does it sanction it.

"The best available scientific information indicates that public health, social, environmental and economic impacts under the uranium mining ban outweigh expected benefits to residents of the Commonwealth of Virginia and state of North Carolina from the mining and milling of uranium in the Roanoke River basin."

The resolution says the RRSD assures the states of Virginia and North Carolina and its customers, "That it understands the functions and obligations to which the Roanoke Rapids Sanitary District is committing itself in order to endorse the lifting of the ban on uranium mining in the Commonwealth of Virginia and further agrees that the Roanoke Rapids Sanitary District will proceed with diligence to perform the functions and obligations in assessing the lifting of the ban on uranium mining in the Commonwealth of Virginia. That the open pit mining of uranium and the milling of uranium ore in the Roanoke River Basin with associated tailing impoundments is untenable."

The resolution notes that in February the city of Virginia Beach released findings of a $437,000 study of impacts of proposed uranium mining and milling on its water supply coming from Lake Gaston.

That study concluded in the event of mill tailings confinement cell failure, the tailings will be washed downstream and, "will significantly impact water quality in Kerr Reservoir and Lake Gaston resulting in radiation levels in the water supply 10-12 times above Safe Drinking Act Levels."

The resolution says the district recognizes the event modeled in the Virginia Beach study is rare, "But the magnitude of potential devastating impacts on the basin's eco-system and the communities is too great to leave the chance.."

The RRSD resolution came a week before Americans Rivers said earlier this week lifting of the ban would threaten the Roanoke and other rivers along with drinking water supplies with radioactive pollution and chemicals.

The threat from a proposed uranium mine in the Roanoke basin earned the river a spot on the organization’s annual list of America’s Most Endangered Rivers.