I wanted to take a moment and thank you for your work on slowing down this issue of uranium mining. I am a relatively new resident to Pittsylvania County and once I learned a study involved actually drilling and disturbing this deposit I became very concerned. I thought a study would include things like radon gas testing in the proposed mining area, water testing of surrounding water bodies and aquifers including the placement of downstream measuring and warning devices to see if changes occur as a result of drilling, some type of subterranean mapping utilizing sonar or other non-intrusive techniques, etc. I have paid out of my pocket to have my basement tested for radon gas (2.2) and my well for radionuclides. The cost to me was nearly $700 but I will have a baseline. I am very concerned about the potential threat to our well water and one of Virginia's most treasured resources, the Chesapeake Bay.
I am not one to stand in the way of anyone making a living but it should not be rushed and should not be at the expense of others. Nuclear power is only clean from the power plant perspective. It is very hazardous to the environment in the beginning and the end stages and these costs are often ignored. I am pleased that we have legislators like you who want to take the time to make sure this is done correctly. I once heard in the Navy the phrase, "ship, shipmate, self." That is the way we were supposed to make our decisions, putting the best interest of our ship and shipmates ahead of ourselves. I think some of our local leaders either forgot this or were too close to the problem.
There were several real or perceived conflicts of interest that should have been addressed. When someone has to ask the ethics committee if it is ok to vote on the proposal since their father is an investor and is told it is ok, I have two problems. Either the ethics committee was misinformed or did not do due diligence and, if in doubt to begin with, that legislator should have recused himself from the vote. I also think the fact that the Board of Supervisors for Pittsylvania County does not have staggered terms both inhibits the influence of the voters and does not allow for continuity if they are all voted in and out at the same time. Of course, then you have to wait three years to vote again.
There was not a real plan on what monies, jobs, etc would come to the region if this mining proposal were approved. I will forward an email I sent Mr. Coles that is yet to be answered.
We are always exploring alternative energy proposals but I think many times we do not look at long term costs. Hybrid vehicles are great but what are we going to do with all those batteries that will eventually have to be replaced? Ethanol is great but the cost of gas will not change unless we build new, up-to-date refineries. In fact, it will be more expensive to blend petroleum with these alternative resources.
I support the Commonwealth in its experimentation and study of alternative energy. In fact, if they want to experiment with windmills, wind turbines, solar panels, etc, I offer up my residence as a participant. I have about 3 acres so we may can do something.
I would love to see us explore clean burning incinerators for power production too. Maybe we could dramatically reduce the load on our landfills.
The bottom line to this long email is to say thank you. I, like most residents in this county, support our quest for reducing our dependence on foreign oil and generating power that is cleaner and better for the environment. Many times however, this "cleaner and better" is only for the short term leaving us a thousand years to monitor the real impact.
Very respectfully,
R. Burton Scearce II
Chatham, VA
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