Gold vein in a stone. (Getty Images)
A Norfolk delegate’s proposal to ban the use of cyanide in metal mining operations has gathered unanimous support at the committee level, but another measure that would require public notice for exploratory mineral drilling is proving more controversial.
Both measures from Del. Shelly Simonds, D-Norfolk, stem from concerns by Buckingham County residents after Canadian-based mining company Aston Bay Holdings announced the discovery of gold there in 2020. The following year, the General Assembly rejected a proposal to temporarily ban gold mining in Virginia but authorized a study of its potential impacts.
The study by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine found the state’s regulatory framework for gold mining was inadequate .
National Academies report says Virginia gold mining regulations are inadequate
Simonds has said her House Bill 85 , which would ban the use of cyanide in mineral mining or processing in Virginia, is needed to protect the state’s water supply. While Virginia hasn’t mined gold on a large scale since 1947, the state has a stretch of gold deposits known as the Virginia Gold-Pyrite Belt that runs from Fairfax County to Appomattox County.