Ontario Canadians Seek Uranium Moratorium

(The following is from the Kinston Whig-Standard 02/14/2008)

Uranium mining is dangerous and should be banned

Good morning, Kingston. It's time to wake up and smell the uranium.

Despite the many environmental concerns we face, the proposed uranium mine 60 kilometres north of Kingston is, by far, the most immediate concern for us.
Perhaps some of you have heard about the conflict and assumed that it is just a First Nations land claim issue. Wrong. Uranium mining is a threat to every living thing. The poisons released by mining would infect every aspect of our environment, and us. Additionally, unlike other poisons, it would remain with us for hundreds of thousands of years.
So what is going on?
A company called Frontenac Ventures has staked 400 mineral claims on 8,000 hectares - 30,000 acres, according to the Community Coalition Against Mining Uranium, a group formed to oppose the project - of Crown and private property in the northern Frontenac County area.
Yes, you read correctly - there are mining claims on private land, land we citizens think we own. How can that be?
Do you think you own your land? Well, you don't, due to an antiquated law that allows anyone to stake a claim on your property for a small fee. We property owners own the surface rights to our property. Most of us do not own the land underneath the surface. That means someone can enter your property, cut down trees, build roads, dig, drill and mine your property, not only without your permission but without even informing you. It's perfectly legal. Just ask Frank and Gloria Morrison, as that is exactly what happened on their land last spring.
Here are some facts about uranium mining and Frontenac Ventures' plans:
There is no evidence of any safe level of uranium mining.
There is well-documented evidence of increased incidences of cancer in mine workers and people living near mining sites.
Every test hole drilled releases poisonous gases into the atmosphere.
Frontenac Ventures is planning an open pit mine, which means less exposure to poisons for workers but air and water pollution that will spread far and wide.
The North Frontenac uranium deposits are very limited; hence substantial quantities of radioactive material and radon gas will be dispersed by air and water to obtain small amounts of marketable uranium.
The process of mining involves the extraction of ore, crushing of ore, leaching with sodium/bicarbonate solution and dumping of the leachate and tailings.
Frontenac Ventures' website states that the company is "embarking on aggressive open pit mining" in the area. The leachate from this mining venture would poison the waters in the Mississippi watershed. Kingston and Ottawa are the ultimate recipients of these contaminated waters.
If you want to be more fully informed, you should seek information from the Community Coalition Against Mining Uranium (uraniumnews@ccasmu.ca, www.miningwatch.ca, and info@know uranium.org).
The bottom line is that uranium mining is extremely dangerous and should never be permitted close to human populations. Many communities and organizations have demanded that a moratorium on uranium mining should be imposed immediately in order to study its effects on Canadians.
So far, Premier Dalton McGuinty has not been willing to listen to the concerns of citizens. If you agree that this serious threat to the health and safety of citizens needs to be acknowledged and studied, please let McGuinty and your local MPP, John Gerretsen, know. Demand a moratorium on uranium mining now.
Joan Rose Kingston