RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — Lt. Gov. Bill Bolling announced his opposition Friday to uranium mining and milling in Virginia, citing the potential to slow business and job growth in Southside Virginia and concerns about its environmental impact.

The announcement, delivered in Danville with business leaders, is significant because Bolling is Gov. Bob McDonnell’s jobs creation chief and proponents of mining have cited its potential to create hundreds of jobs. He also casts the tie-breaking vote in the Virginia Senate. The General Assembly is expected to take up the state’s 30-year ban on uranium mining in the 2013 session.