Southside Concerned Citizens and the Community Environmental Legal Defense Fund will sponsor an educational seminar on proposed uranium mining in Pittsylvania County Friday, Aug. 29, at the Community Center at Chatham.
The program, which is free and open to the public, will begin at 7 p.m. at the new community center on South Main Street in Chatham.
The seminar will explore the environmental, social, and economic impact of uranium mining in Southside Virginia.
"Many citizens admit they don't know enough about the issue to have an opinion," said Shireen Parsons, a community organizer with the Community Environmental Legal Defense Fund in Christiansburg.
"In a democracy, informed decision-making is essential," said Parsons. "With this goal, citizens and government officials are urged to attend this seminar in Chatham on the proposed Coles Hill uranium mine."
Representatives of Southside Concerned Citizens and the Community Environmental Legal Defense Fund will present issues and information on how communities can protect themselves from uranium mining.
Informational hand-outs will be available, and a question-and-answer session will follow the presentations.
The anti-uranium groups have held similar educational seminars in recent weeks at New Prospect Baptist Church in Hurt and Gretna Middle School in Gretna.
They also are organizing petition drives in hopes of convincing local officials to adopt "chemical trespass" ordinances aimed at uranium mining.
Earlier this month, Chatham Mayor George Haley said he wants the town to consider a chemical trespass ordinance to protect residents from the dangers of uranium mining.
"I think we would be remiss not to learn more about chemical trespass ordinances that have been enacted in other parts of Virginia," he said.
Halifax became the first locality in Virginia to adopt a Corporate Mining and Chemical and Radioactive Bodily Trespass ordinance last February.
Halifax Councilman Jack Dunavant called the vote "historic."
"The people have finally agreed to protect their health and the environment from corporate assault," said Dunavant, who is chairman of Southside Concerned Citizens.
"It's time the constitution was evoked to give the power to the people to protect their own destiny and end this era of corporate greed and pollution," he added.
The ordinance is designed to hold corporations and governing officials permitting those corporations liable for chemical trespass.
Parsons said chemical trespass ordinances have been enacted in Pennsylvania to stop a variety of corporate actions, including the spreading of sewage sludge.
Ben Price, a project director with the Community Environmental Legal Defense Fund, said the action "empowers the community" and "is a first shot across the bow to let them know the people have the right to govern."
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