Chatham, VA - It is an issue that brings out a lot of people and a lot of emotion -- uranium mining in Pittsylvania County. Officials with the Virginia Commission on Coal and Energy are letting the public ask questions at Chatham High School, to find out what they want to learn from a study on mining.

People we talked to don't even want the study. The Commission is looking for input from neighbors to narrow the scope of the study. Then, the National Academy of Sciences has to agree to conduct the study. Many residents have questions, but some say this study won't be able to tell them anything they don't already know.

Sue Poe, Concerned Citizen - "We don’t need the study, we don’t want this study because we know it’s hazardous to your health"

George Stanhope - "I don’t think this study is going to show anything I think they’re going to ignore any of the deadly or dangerous problems."

There is about $10-billion worth of uranium ore in the county. But no matter what the study says, uranium cannot be mined in Virginia unless the General Assembly lifts the ban put in place in 1982.

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