House Now Takes Up Uranium Study Bill

House Rules Committee Meets Tuesday on Study Bill

The Rules Committee meeting will be at 4:00 pm in the 6th floor Speaker's Conference Room. The next post above lists the contact information for each member of the committee. The following is an opinion from SCC affiliate "A":

One of the questions I would ask each member of the House Rules Committee is the following:
Will Virginia Uranium Inc. will be required to supply any and all of its data to the Commission appointed to study whether uranium can be mined safely in Virginia if SB 525 passes the House? Is that specific language in the bill - if it's not, it should be, correct?

Without the most current information from Virginia Uranium about its plans, water testing, drill sampling, mapping, methods, technology, etc., how could a fair and just study be conducted?

And will that study - and all the documents, interviews, etc. -- then become public record and available to everyone? (Or would it fall under the protection of Virginia's FOIA rules governing uranium exploration? The FOIA rules protecting uranium exploration info can be found on the DMME web site.) This must be addressed for the public.

This question arose (above) while I was reading the conclusion of a report prepared by a county environmental advisory board for the Larimer County Comissioners (dated Feb. 12, 2008). They make a very valid point - Please read the below information.

".the board would expect that those proposing the mining operation will provide the public with all of the data which they possess that could have any relevancy to the matter at hand and then use these data to propose a reasoned and scientifically based risk assessment of the operations. Without meeting this standard, it is impossible for the Board or the public to provide their informed consent or for the outcome to represent a just resolution. The risks (environmental, economic, health, and social) and the ability of the mine operator and local governments to avoid or mitigate these risks should be weighed against the benefits that may be derived from such an operation when determining whether the mine is acceptable for the region."

SOURCE: Report on In Situ Leach and Open-Pit Mining ; prepared for the Larimer County Commissioners by The Larimer County Environmental Advisory Board; Feb. 12, 2008.