Maybe its because of local understanding of their downstream situation. Maybe the paper's business minds have some circulation goals for surrounding counties. Whatever it is, I am one of many appreciating the regular updates from Victoria on uranium mining in South Texas
While the Advocate was quoting uber-environmental attorney Jim Blackburn on the toxic legacy of in-situ uranium mining, Uranium Energy Corp. was using the PR Newswire to alert potential investors as to their recent endorsement by Texas Parks & Wildlife.
For real?
Uranium Energy Corp is also pleased to announce that it has received official acknowledgment from the Texas Parks & Wildlife Department (TPWD) that the Company's proposed uranium recovery operation will not have an impact on natural resources.
Blackburn is citing TCEQ data. What exactly did Texas Parks ignoramusi consult?
Here's where the Victoria story opens:
GOLIAD — The county needs to be concerned about the quality of its water after uranium mining is completed, a lawyer said Monday.
Texas historically allows uranium mining companies to amend the levels of minerals in restored groundwater once mining operations are complete said Jim Blackburn, Goliad County's lawyer concerning uranium mining.
These levels are routinely greater than those established during the mining permit process, Blackburn told the commissioners court.
According to Texas Commission on Environmental Quality records, 51 requests for “amended restoration tables to make them higher” have been granted out of 80 uranium mining production areas. The data include uranium mining permits issued during the last “20 or 30 years,” Blackburn said.
“I think this study is quite important in terms of giving you information about what the past practices have been. I think this is a reason for concern about the mining process and the certainty about the administration of the mining process so far by the state,” Blackburn said.
Very different takes on what elevated uranium levels mean. With wildlife sold downriver, guess we'll have to wait and see what TCEQ rules on the human tolerance for death ore in Goliad's teetering drinking-water aquifer.
