It will help our community
Regarding, “We’re no Slope County,” (April 20, page B6), the exhaustive analysis of population-density comparisons in North Dakota and Virginia, the basic assumption is seriously flawed: That uranium cannot be mined safely in densely populated areas. Uranium has been mined safety in far more densely populated areas than Virginia.
For example, well-regulated safe mining and reclamation has taken place for years in villages in France. Closer to home, uranium has been mined safely — and the land fully reclaimed — in Canonsburg, Pa., just a hop and a skip from the major metropolis of Pittsburgh.
The nightmare scenarios of uranium mining during the 1950s and 1960s in the western United States stand as chilling examples of the wrong way to mine anything — including uranium. Today’s intense regulatory environment, plus far more sophisticated techniques in managing and monitoring mining tailings, make uranium mining far safer than countless other activities going on around us all the time.
The letter’s author concludes his analysis by asking why uranium mining is being considered in Virginia. It is being considered because of the huge and positive economic potential for this region as well as all of Virginia. In addition, America vitally needs fresh sources of uranium to reduce its enormous reliance upon foreign sources to fuel our nuclear power plants.
That’s why we need to study the best ways to safely mine the vast deposit in Pittsylvania County — and to conduct the study in ways that will assure residents that it can be done with no harm to people, livestock or the environment.
ROY CRIDER
Chatham
4 comments:
Doesn't VUI have some kind of option to purchase additional land from Roy & Connie Crider? What exactly does that involve? If that's the case, should it surprise anyone that Mr. Crider would submit such a letter if he would/could profit from VUI's mining efforts?
Anonymous, thanks for your comment! You pose a very good case for a conflict of (public) interest, assuming the options purchase/ lease scenario is correct.
Now, let me pose this to you; how does joe-blow/honest-concerned-citizen find out about such a mineral rights or land puchase option for a particular individual seller or a particular individual parcel of land?
Can this be accomplished or would one have to find a way to "force" the buyer (VUI and/or all of its sister corporations) to reveal such arrangements?
I'd like to set the record straight re: Mr. Crider's stmts on Canonsburg, PA.
There was never a uranium mine at or near Canonsburg...there was a milling facility from around 1911 until the mid-to-late 50's. There were thousands of tons of radioactive tailings abandoned there giving Canonsburg the nickname of the most radioactive town in America.
In the 60's, a portion of the site was sold to an individual who was unaware of its radioactivity. He built an industrial complex where workers were found to have radioactivity levels at least 14 times the level considered "safe". The industrial park is still considered a radioactive "hot spot"...not exactly what I'd consider fully reclaimed.
Read more about it here:
http://sccagainstruanium.blogspot.com/
I'll try to get it all posted on this blog ASAP.
To Anon.#1 - The answer can be found in VUI's preliminary prospectus: "...the Criders have granted to VirginiaCo an option to purchase approximately 112 acres of land which covers part of the surface rights of the South Coles Hill Deposit for US $1,000,000 exercisable for a period of 30 years commencing May 29, 2007. On each anniversary date of the Crider Option Agreement on which the option has not been exercised, the option price shall increase by US $100,000. At such time as VirginiaCo has exhausted all of the Reserved Minerals, or, if earlier, has permanently ceased all activities relating to the exploration, development or mining of the Reserved Minerals, the Criders shall have the right to repurchase the Crider Lands for a nominal amount."
There's your answer.
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