The threat is still out there
We in Pittsylvania and Halifax counties are still living under the threat of uranium mining at Coles Hill. The Legislature saw fit to deny Virginia Uranium’s request for a “study” of the feasibility of the proposed mine.
In reality, that study bill included instructions to the Virginia Department of Mines, Minerals and Energy to draw up regulations for mining and processing uranium in Virginia. The “study” part of the bill was merely a flimsy excuse for the writing of those regulations. Once new regulations are in place, the only impediment to the actual mining would be the lifting of the current moratorium on uranium mining in Virginia.
Virginia Uranium Inc. claims to have access to “new technologies” that they say would make uranium mining safe, although for some reason they are not willing to disclose what those wonderful new developments are. They have yet to put forth any specific plan for the mining or how they plan to deal with the thousands of tons of radioactive tailings and the millions of gallons of highly toxic liquid waste uranium mining would produce.
Delegate Watkins Abbitt, who wisely voted against the “study bill,” stated that after several meetings with officials from Virginia Uranium, their geologists and engineers, the only difference they could point to between the uranium mining technology of the 1980s and that of today is an “improved” plastic liner for tailings storage. Even the most advanced of those liners will fail and begin to leak over time.
Virginia Uranium and their highly paid lobbyists are still with us, and in the upcoming legislative session they will be working even harder to get the moratorium lifted and the regulations for mining uranium put into place. They will get their way unless the people of Pittsylvania and Halifax counties are willing to stand up and say no to uranium mining.
If you care about your home, your health and your children, call or write your legislators and supervisors and let them know you do not want a future of deadly radioactive toxins in your air and water.
Take a look at this Web site: sccchatham.blogspot.com. There you will find a wealth of information about uranium mining as well as a list of the names, phone numbers and e-mail addresses of the Pittsylvania County supervisors and of the state legislators. Please take a minute or two to educate yourself about this issue. Don’t be afraid to take a stand and say no to uranium mining.
Your grandchildren will thank you for it.
JESSE ANDREWS
No comments:
Post a Comment