There are 22 different cancers associated with radiation exposure, and the most common cancer associated with uranium mining and milling workers is lung cancer. This is most likely because radon and its decay products are primarily airborne and pose the greatest cancer risk of all the radionuclides emitted per the findings of an EPA study.¹⁶⁷ Other studies have indicated that long-term worker exposure to uranium mill tailings is weakly associated with elevated risks for birth defects, stillbirths, and other adverse outcomes of pregnancy; however, the authors stated “a lack of clear evidence for an increase in cancer risk to miners should be reassuring.”¹⁶⁸ A different study conducted in 2008 reviewing multiple papers on the health risks relating to the uranium industry found that the association of worker uranium exposure and cancer “is limited.”169 There are also several studies that have indicated no detectible increases in cancer to populations surrounding uranium mines or mills.^{170 171 172}

While the science could be viewed as inconclusive, mixed, and still evolving, prudence dictates caution. The absence of evidence—in this case an indisputable body of scientific work linking uranium industry to increased cancer rates in the nearby population—should not be construed as evidence of absence. The risk is unambiguously skewed to the downside. As time permits more long-term studies and medical technologies advance scientific understanding, there is an ever-present possibility that heretofore unknown linkages between the uranium industry and a specific illness will be uncovered. (Bold ours - RTR)

p. 85-86, Chmura report

Any exposure to the general population resulting from off-site releases of radionuclides (such as airborne radon decay products, airborne radioactive particles, and radium in water supplies) presents some health risk. People living near uranium mines and processing facilities could be exposed to airborne radionuclides (e.g., radon, radioactive dust) originating from various sources including uranium tailings, waste rock piles, or wastewater impoundments. Exposure could also occur from the release of contaminated water, or by leaching of radioactive materials into surface or groundwater from uranium tailings or other waste materials, where they could eventually end up in drinking water supplies or could accumulate in the food chain, eventually ending up in the meat, fish, or milk produced in the area.

Some of the worker and public health risks could be mitigated or better controlled if uranium mining, processing, and reclamation are all conducted according to best practices. A robust regulatory framework could help drive such a culture. Conversely, these potential health risks can be exacerbated by poor planning and design, inadequate regulation, and failure to adopt protective mining and processing methods. A mine or processing facility could also be subject to uncontrolled releases of radioactive materials as a result of human error or an extreme event such as a flood, fire, or earthquake. (Bold ours - RTR)

p. 19, National Academies of Science Uranium Mining in Virginia report

If the Commonwealth of Virginia removes the moratorium on uranium mining, there are steep hurdles to be surmounted before mining and processing could be established in a way that is appropriately protective of the health and safety of workers, the public and the environment. There is only limited experience with modern underground and open pit uranium mining and processing in the United States, and no such experience in Virginia. At the same time, there exist internationally accepted best practices that could provide a starting point for the Commonwealth if it decides to lift its moratorium. After extensive scientific and technical briefings, substantial public input, the review of numerous documents and extensive deliberations, the committee is convinced that the adoption and rigorous implementation of such practices would be necessary if uranium mining, processing, and reclamation were to be undertaken. (Bold ours - RTR)

p. 19, National Academies of Science Uranium Mining in Virginia report

"Uranium mining and milling operations unambiguously increase the exposure of the public and the environment to mildly radioactive substances, toxic chemicals, heavy metals and other carcinogenic material. Even under the best of circumstances, Chmura judges some adverse health effects and environmental contamination is likely. Under the baseline scenario these health and environmental risks are estimated and analyzed in the sections that follow and are ultimately characterized as minimal. Implicit in this assumption is the notion that so long as any contamination at the Coles Hill site of air, water, or soil remains within current federal regulations, then the impact on the environment is moderate and the health risks to the general public are reduced to negligible levels. While this is the view of all U.S. government agencies, there are some scientists that would argue the current standards, even if complied with fully by the uranium industry, are insufficient to protect public health and the environment. These federal standards for water, air, and soil quality—which Chmura would characterize as “strict”—were largely enacted in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Because the environmental and health impact of the uranium mine and mill can take decades to fully understand, it is fair to stay that the ability of the current regulations to fully and comprehensively protect the environment and public health for the long-term remains an open question." (Bold ours - RTR)

p. 83, Chmura report