Bacon's Rebellion

Democracy Thrives in Sunlight

AREVA Ponders Monster Investment in Lynchburg

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by

James A. Bacon
in ,

The rising price of uranium may lead to more than a renewed interest in mining North America’s richest uranium reserves in Pittsylvania County. AREVA, the French nuclear power giant, is “talking with Virginia officials” about a location for the uranium enrichment plant, according to the Danville Register & Bee. And Lynchburg is at the top of the list.

According to a “Walter Cole,” identified only as a resident of Chatham, “AREVA has visited Virginia and they’re interested in building an enrichment plant, and it would be the second one in the United States, and it’d cost $2 billion to $3 billion.” Not only is Lynchburg located just up U.S. 29 from the Chatham uranium deposits, AREVA’s Framatome ANP already fabricates nuclear fuel rods there.

This story is huge: It’s looking increasingly likely that nuclear power will become the catalyst for the economic revitalization of Central/Southside Virginia, a region whose traditional mill-town economy has been devastated by globalization and the decline of the tobacco/cigarette industry. (See “Virginia: A World-Class Player in Nuclear Power?”) Let’s hear it for nuclear power, electric cars, energy independence and a reduction in fossil fuel pollution!

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5 responses to “AREVA Ponders Monster Investment in Lynchburg”

  1. Larry Gross Avatar
    Larry Gross

    I don’t want to over-react here but do we REALLY want RoVa to walk and talk like West Virginia when it comes to the extraction industries?

    Let’s hope that Virginia has more backbone when it comes to regulation and environmental protection.

  2. Anonymous Avatar
    Anonymous

    And let’s hope they don’t have too much backbone, to the point that it costs more than it saves.

    West Virginia could have done better, but they also might have been even poorer and worse off generally as a result.

    RH

  3. Ohadi Langis Avatar
    Ohadi Langis

    AREVA may be negotiating for multiple sites rather than putting all its eggs in one basket. Sites reportedly under consideration include New Mexico, Texas, South Carolina and Idaho.

    With most of the nation’s uranium mining in western states including Utah, Colorado, and Wyoming, transport issues could make one of these states a more logical choice than Virginia.

    Idaho Samizdat
    http://djysrv.blogspot.com/2007/10/areva-checks-virginia-site-for-uranium.html

  4. Anonymous Avatar
    Anonymous

    Look, I am all for nukes, but it looks like you may have fallen into the same trap with folks who say all fossil fuels are bad. Fact is, it will be at least 15 and probably 20 years before the next nuke is completed.

    In the meantime, if we are to do something about climate change, and I suspect we will, natural gas has about half the carbon footprint of oil and coal.

    Natural gas is the bridge fuel. if we shifted half of all new home construction to NG space and water heat, we would reduce the carbon footprint by 4 million tons per year (and the homeowner would save money).

    Of course, to do that, we’d also have to lift restrictions on the 80% of the US that is off-limits to NG production.

  5. alex Avatar
    alex

    Oh great! Goodbey Tobacco, hello Uranium!

    What a way to substitute one alleged cancer-causing agent for another PROVEN cancer causing agent. The anti-tobacco fascists have really paid off!

    Look at your supposed "enemies", America: the Taureg, in Niger, who've been fighting AREVA's pollution there and Niger's government's collusion with AREVA in poisoning the Niger people! And our government calls them "terrorists".

    Now, AREVA wants to come to OUR country and repeat what they did in Niger?

    iT'S TIME TO START MAKING ALLIANCE'S PEOPLE. The People of Niger should be FRIENDS with the people of America! Not enemies. Friends.

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