The Potential Impacts of Gold Mining in Virginia (2023) / Chapter Skim
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As such, Virginia's current regulatory framework is not adequate to address the potential impacts of commercial gold mining.1 More specifically, Virginia's regulatory framework lacks an adequate financial assurance system, which poses a fiscal and environmental risk to the Commonwealth. Additionally, Virginia lacks opportunities for a diverse public to be engaged in permitting processes and a modern system for review of environmental impacts from potential gold mining projects.
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The major potential impacts of concern are related to surface water and groundwater contamination, groundwater table drawdown, remobilization of legacy mercury from past uses, rare but catastrophic events such as dam failures and spills, and cumulative health effects due to interacting stressors. All of these factors are likely to affect some communities more than others, particularly those with lower socioeconomic status
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Site-specific characterization, engineering controls, and monitoring throughout the life cycle of gold mines are important to minimize and mitigate ARD that could negatively impact surface water and ecological communities. Site-specific geologic conditions determine whether metals could be released from gold mining operations in sufficient quantities to pose human health threats to surrounding communities.
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Given the likely small scale of future commercial gold mining in Virginia that would lead to limited heavy equipment operation and traffic, and the technological advancements in recent decades that allow for effective dust suppression and control of hazardous air pollutants, the impacts of air pollutants on surrounding communities are expected to be limited. Impacts to Water Quantity Drawdown of the water table associated with the dewatering of an open pit or underground mine could impact local groundwater users, depending on aquifer conditions and the proximity of wells to the mine site.
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Review of Impacts Virginia's current regulatory system lacks an effective and consistent process for review of environmental impacts from potential gold mining projects. As a result, it is unlikely that a robust collection, evaluation, and review of site-specific data regarding potential impacts of gold mining activities and their impact on the public health and welfare of surrounding communities will take place.
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Additionally, the level of technical assessment and oversight for underground gold mines by Virginia Energy is not clear. Financial Assurance Virginia's bonding requirements are insufficient to cover the costs of reclamation and long-term stewardship of gold mining and processing operations, which poses a fiscal and environmental risk to the Commonwealth in the case of the bankruptcy of mining enterprises or abandonment of their mining sites.
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Higher-level technical reviews, third-party reviews, or audits would enhance the evaluations of Mineral Mining Plans and inspections of individual permits. Public Engagement and Environmental Justice The current requirements for public engagement in Virginia are inadequate and compare unfavorably with other states, the federal government, and modern best practices because they require the provision of limited information, place the burden of public notification on the mine permit applicant, and apply only to a limited scope of recipients.
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In 2020, the Virginia legislature passed the Virginia Environmental Justice Act to better incorporate environmental justice into regulatory decision making in the Commonwealth. In the context of potential gold mining projects, an emphasis on environmental justice requires a regulatory structure that recognizes existing environmental injustice, population vulnerabilities, and economic and health disparities, and aims to reduce existing disparities and prevent future disparate impacts.
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