RICHMOND, Va.--A state commission has endorsed a study to examine the impact of uranium mining in Virginia.
The state Coal and Energy Commission on Thursday endorsed what it called a "wide-ranging" look at the economic, environmental and public health issues related to uranium mining.
Uranium mining has been banned in Virginia since the 1980s. A company that owns a massive uranium deposit in Southside Virginia estimated to be worth $10 billion has sought the study to see if the element could be mined safely.
A legislative committee this winter rejected a scientific study of uranium mining amid protests from environmentalists and some residents who feared it would lead to ending the moratorium.
Del. Terry Kilgore, who chairs the commission, vowed that the study would be thorough.
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