Uranium Mining Bill Killed in House Committee--Thank the Delegates!

From the Virginia League of Conservation Voters Uranium Mining Bill Killed in House Committee
Thank the Delgates who voted to defeat SB 525
Due to the leadership of members of the House of Delegates and the overwhelming response of concerned citizens like you, SB 525, the Uranium Mining Bill, has been defeated in the House Rules committee! Your emails and phone calls made a difference. There can be no doubt that Virginians, from every region, are deeply concerned about the health of our environment, our drinking water and our citizens. Read on to find out how SB525 was defeated and then contact the delegates listed below to thank them for their votes. Special thanks goes to Del. Clarke Hogan and Del. Watkins Abbitt for their tireless efforts on behalf of Virginia's environment and citizens! What Happened? In the House Rules committee meeting on Monday, March 3, opponents of SB 525 representing VALCV, Southern Environmental Law Center, Piedmont Environmental Council and Southside Concerned Citizens, argued that studying the issue is premature at this point. Virginia Uranium Inc. has not provided the state with a mining plan illustrating how they hope to proceed nor have they shown any evidence of advances that would make uranium mining any safer now than it was 25 years ago when the ban on uranium mining was first put in place. Despite clear opposition to moving forward with the bill as drafted, proponents of uranium mining rejected a substitute proposal offered by Del. Clarke Hogan that would have set up a commission to determine whether a study of uranium mining in Virginia is appropriate and, if so, what this study would need to encompass in order to verify the health and safety of mining. Committee members expressed concern that several Senate budget amendments remain that direct the Department of Mines, Minerals and Energy to develop proposals for regulations and legislation for possible uranium mining. By a vote of 10-4, the Committee decided to table (effectively kill) SB 525 rather than carry it over to the 2009 session. Killing the bill will put the House budget conferees, including Del Hogan, in a better position to strip this Senate amendment. To read the Roanoke Times account of the House Rules Committee, please click here. Please thank those Delegates who urged caution and helped Virginia avoid a rush towards lifting the ban on uranium mining. Please read some of the comments made by Delegates in the House Rules Committee on March 3rd and then send them a note of thanks by clicking their name below. What Was Said? Delegate Morgan Griffith (R-8): "I just don't think something that can affect the climate and quality of life for 2,000 years has to be done immediately." Delegate Clarke Hogan (R-60): "I think caution is the best course." Delegate Watkins Abbitt (I-59): "I was on the study 25 years ago in which we laid out what you need to do to mine uranium in this state, and that seems to be ignored. Tailings were the key part 25 years ago. You had to keep any moisture from getting to the tailings for 1,000 years." Take Action TODAY! Please contact the members of the House Rules committee who voted to defeat SB 525 and thank them for their efforts. Write a message in your own words to express your gratitude for the support of these Delegates. You can reach them by clicking on their names below. Speaker Howell, Delegate Griffith, Delegate Landes, Delegate Cox, Delegate S.C. Jones, Delegate Hogan, Delegate Abbitt, Delegate Hall, Delegate Joannou, Delegate Johnson Special acknowledgements are owed to Delegates Hogan and Abbitt for their relentless commitment in this fight. We are honored to partner with these leaders in efforts to safeguard Virginia's environment and the health and safety of our citizens. What's Next? The fight to keep the devastating effects of uranium mining out of Virginia is not over. We must make sure, especially over the next year, to educate others about the dangers of mining uranium in a wet climate like ours. We expect that the uranium proponents will be back for the 2009 General Assembly to try to introduce another bill. We ask that you work with others in your communities to educate your neighbors about what is at stake with uranium mining. Please commit to writing letters to the editor of your local paper or meeting with members of the editorial boards and local elected officials to help elevate this critical issue. Go to our website to obtain local press contact information and the names and contact information of your local officials. Well done everyone and keep up the good work!

Conservation E-Action Virginia is a project of the Virginia League of Conservation Voters Education Fund.