Area Can't Afford Uranium Experiment

Wednesday, August 13, 2008 9:54 AM EDT

I read the story by Max Schulz of the Manhattan Institute that appeared in the Wall Street Journal about uranium mining at Coles Hill in Pittsylvania County. I have also read numerous quotes from James Kelly, former head of the nuclear engineering program at the University of Virginia on this same subject.

I am always concerned that people like these two and all other proponents of uranium mining in Virginia never live where they would be in any danger of mining operations or they are people who have a financial interest in uranium mining. They always seem to think that they know what is best for us. Of all these proponents of uranium mining, except maybe for local stockholders, I don't think any of them express any great interest in buying property and moving to Southside Virginia, let alone in Pittsylvania or Halifax counties.

Here's something to think about. Let's just suppose someone with a foreign government wanted to come to the United States, and in a densely populated and vegetated area of our country, explode a nuclear device to see what effects the radioactive fallout would have on the populace, animals, crops, food supply and water. What a terrible experiment this would be. What do you think our citizens would do? They would say that it was insanity and would do anything it takes to prevent it.

A foreign-owned corporation is planning on developing a gigantic open pit uranium mine, including a uranium ore milling operation in Southside Virginia, just a few miles from Chatham and Gretna. There could be two pits, each 800 feet deep and each covering 110 acres. That's the equivalent of 55 city blocks wide and one and one-half blocks deep. The constant blasting in the mine, the milling of the ore and the stockpiling of the fine radioactive tailings have the potential of spreading radioactive dust in all directions, much the same way a bomb would spread radioactive fallout. According to Virginia Uranium Inc.'s private presentation, there could potentially be 41,250,000 pounds of tailings, enough to produce a mountain 400 feet wide, 200 feet high (that's 20 stories) and 14 miles long. Remember, this mine would be only about six miles from Chatham, even closer to Gretna and very near the Banister River.

This radioactive dust being blown into the air and leaching into the streams would contaminate humans, animals, crops and vegetation, food supplies and water for hundreds of miles, from the Banister River to the Albemarle Sound and the Atlantic Ocean, including Lake Gaston, the water supply for Virginia Beach. Possibly the danger of contamination from this dust could be compared to the detonation of a nuclear device, as this mining operation would last 30 years or more. Another danger would be deadly radon gas emitting from these pits.

This operation would really be an experiment for the uranium company, as it cannot assure anyone that it would be safe. At this time, they do not even have any type of liability insurance. They do say that they have "real-time monitoring and reactions." As one of the opponents of this mine said, "If you have to react, then the damage is already done."

We can't afford to be guinea pigs for their experiment. There is no real cleanup for radiation contamination. When the genie gets out of the bottle, you can't put him back. Radiation is forever.

If the state of Virginia should allow them to go ahead and mine, some years later, when the extent of this pollution has been discovered or even sooner in the case of a disaster such as a tornado, hurricane, flood or earthquake, the owners and principles of the corporation would most likely just close the mine and milling operation, declare bankruptcy, move away to safer parts of the world and leave the mountain of tailings there.

Also, leaving the populace to suffer whatever would befall them. Remember uranium mining has never been done in Virginia and nowhere in the type of terrain we have in Southside Virginia, not in places that have the amount of annual rainfall we do. It has only been done in sparsely populated, dry and arid regions of the world. Many places near where it has been done are now ghost towns, unfit for human inhabitation.

The proponents of potentially dangerous enterprises such as uranium mining always want to dismiss the opponents by calling them "environmentalists." If being concerned about the health, welfare and safety of our present and future generations qualifies us, then you can call us "environmentalists."

The people of Southside Virginia had better educate themselves about the dangers of uranium mining and fast. Find out what you can do to help prevent uranium mining in Virginia. For more information, go to http://www.sccchatham.blogspot.com/ and http://www.uranium2008.blogspot.com/. Find out about many other websites and learn more.

W. G. Nunn

Virgilina

(Mr. Nunn is the treasurer of Southside Concerned Citizens. Excellent letter!)

http://www.wpcva.com/articles/2008/08/13/altavista/opinion/opinion03.txt

A Note From Gregg:

Henry Hurt, an investor in VUI, sent me an email pointing out that the claims about the size of the tailings pile(s) is a quote from Jack Dunavant, Chairman, SCC and not something in VUI's presentation. In fact, VUI vehemently disagrees with Mr. Dunavant's estimate.

Mr. Hurt's entire email to me follows:

Gregg-

Much of what you say, whether correct or incorrect, is within the realm of free and open commentary, and you know that I respect that.

But FOUL! on Wallace Nunn's attributing Jack Dunavant's wacko version of the tailings pile to OUR presentation. Nunn writes and you publish:

"According to Virginia Uranium Inc.'s private presentation, there could potentially be 41,250,000 pounds of tailings, enough to produce a mountain 400 feet wide, 200 feet high (that's 20 stories) and 14 miles long."

Jack Dunavant has repeatedly made that charge, and we continue to discredit it. So be it. But this is different. I don't know who Wallace Nunn is and am indifferent to his opinions, but it isn't like you (or Tim Davis) to let him use your forum to charge that we have stated something in our presentations we believe is so blatantly wrong. If anyone is tempted to believe Jack Dunavant's wild scenario about a tailings pile, all they have to do is look at any state or federal regulations to see that there is no way on earth such a montrosity could ever happen.

Many thanks,

Henry.

I hope that this post clarifies the record. GV