NAACP to hold special meeting on uranium mining, Harville, Pritchett invited to answer questions
The Pittsylvania County Branch of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People will hold a special meeting on uranium mining Thursday, March 12.
The meeting, which is open to the public, is scheduled to begin at 6 p.m. at Pittsylvania County Community Action Inc.'s Senior Center on North Main Street in Chatham.Board of Supervisors Chairman Coy Harville and Banister District Supervisor William Pritchett have been invited to answer questions about political issues involved in uranium mining in the county, said NAACP president Willie Fitzgerald."NAACP members and minority residents will have an opportunity to become informed about the role of the Board of Supervisors and other county agencies in uranium mining on Coles Hill and other localities in Virginia," Fitzgerald said.The planned study on uranium mining in Virginia and the state's moratorium on uranium mining will be discussed.
Supervisors took a stronger stand on uranium mining in February when they voted unanimously in favor of a resolution stating that a study determine "no damage or harm" will be done to the county.The county's resolution will be sent to the Virginia Coal and Energy Commission's Uranium Mining Subcommittee, which is conducting a comprehensive study on the dangers and benefits of mining uranium.
The county is home to what is believed to be one of the largest uranium deposits in the United States.Marline Uranium Corp. discovered the Coles Hill deposit in the early 1980s, but later abandoned the project when the price of uranium dropped.Two years ago, Walter Coles, who owns the land and a majority of the ore, formed Virginia Uranium Inc. to explore the possibility of eventually mining the deposit.The deposit, about six miles northeast of Chatham, is worth between $8 billion and $10 billion.
The board's latest resolution was offered by Chatham -Blairs District Supervisor Henry "Hank" Davis Jr."I think there's much more to mining than just safety," said Davis, a Chatham lawyer who once did legal work and mineral leases for Marline.
"This is my idea of at least a starting point on a statement to the commission."In his one-page resolution, Davis repeated the board's position in 2007, which called for a "neutral, comprehensive legislative study" on uranium mining, but added language strengthening the county's stand on the controversial issue.
"Be it hereby resolved that the state mining study commission determine by its study and report that no damage or harm will be done to Pittsylvania County, its business, institutions, environment and its citizens by uranium mining," the resolution states.I
t goes on to oppose a "cost-benefit approach" to uranium mining or "simply accepting minimal damages.""It goes a little bit further and a little bit deeper," said Davis.
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