Community advocates gathered in Danville on July 18th to celebrate last month’s Supreme Court decision to keep the ban on uranium mining in Virginia.

These advocates – from Chatham, Halifax, Martinsville and Danville – have volunteered countless hours of their time to educate their neighbors, public officials and the media over the last few decades about the dangers of uranium mining and its potential impacts on our health, our communities and our economy. It is their persistence that helped get the ban in place over 30 years and keep it in place ever since.

When the uranium industry was unsuccessful in overturning the ban in 2011, they tried the courts. The ban was debated all the way up to the United States Supreme Court. In June, the Supreme Court handed Virginia a huge win. By a 6-3 vote, the justices agreed the Commonwealth has the right to uphold the moratorium on uranium mining.

This win is not only thanks to smart legal minds but most importantly to the incredible work by local community members over the decades.

Senator Frank Ruff joined the group and thanked everyone for their work. In addition, Virginia Attorney General Mark Herring shared a video thanking all the community advocates for their continued advocacy on this important issue.

While this fight is never truly over, it is an important moment in time for us to celebrate this big win.

The celebration at Ballard Brewing was thanks in part to the support of Roanoke River Basin Association, Virginia Conservation Network, Southern Environmental Law Center, League of Conservation Voters, Foundation Earth and the Piedmont Environmental Council.