NOTICE OF MEETING:Renewable Energy Subcommittee of the Commission on Energy and Environment

SENATE OF VIRGINIA
OFFICE OF THE CLERK
RICHMOND

September 25, 2009

NOTICE OF MEETING

TO: Members, Renewable Energy Subcommittee, of the Energy and Environment Commission
FROM: Angi Murphy, Senate Committee Operations
RE: Meeting Date/Time/Location


A meeting of the Renewable Energy Subcommittee of the Commission on Energy and Environment has been scheduled for Thursday, October 22, 2009 at 10:00 a.m. in the Pittsylvania County Public Library (Gretna Branch) at 207 Coffey Street, Gretna VA 24557.

Members:

The Honorable Charles D. Poindexter, Chair
The Honorable Joseph P. Johnson, Jr.
Patrick G. Hatcher
Hugh E. Montgomery
August Wallmeyer
Arlen Bolstad
David K. Paylor
Stephen A. Walz

Enclosure (s):

cc: The Honorable Susan Clarke Schaar
The Honorable Bruce F. Jamerson
Ellen Porter, Division of Legislative Services
Patrick Cushing, Division of Legislative Services
Mail List for Virginia Commission on Energy and Environment

http://dela.state.va.us/Dela/ComOpsStudy.nsf/82965f555b18a72185256c330058a983/11D8A24A68C83B088525763C006011F1?OpenDocument

MEETING NOTICE

COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA
HOUSE OF DELEGATES
OFFICE OF THE CLERK
RICHMOND

October 05, 2009

MEETING NOTICE

TO: State Water Commission
FROM: Lori L. Roper, House Committee Operations, (804) 698-1547
RE: Meeting Date/Time/Location

Please be advised that the State Water Commission will hold a meeting on Monday, November 9, 2009 at 2:00 PM in House Room D of the General Assembly Building.

Should you have any questions regarding the meeting agenda, please contact Marty Farber in the Division of Legislative Services at (804) 786-3591. If you are unable to attend this meeting or have questions regarding scheduling, please contact our office at (804) 698-1540.

Members:

The Honorable Harvey B. Morgan The Honorable John C. Miller
The Honorable John M. O'Bannon, III The Honorable Richard H. Stuart
The Honorable Mathew J. Lohr The Honorable Frank M. Ruff, Jr.
The Honorable David L. Bulova The Honorable Patricia S. Ticer
The Honorable Paul F. Nichols The Honorable R. Creigh Deeds
The Honorable Watkins Abbitt, Jr. R. James Incenhour
The Honorable Christopher B. Saxman Michael T. McEvoy
The Honorable Thomas C. Wright, Jr.

cc: The Honorable Bruce Jamerson
The Honorable Susan C. Schaar
Martin G. Farber, Div. of Legis. Svcs.
Ellen Porter, Div. of Legis. Svcs.

Roanoke River Basin Bi-State Commission

The next meeting of the Roanoke River Basin Bi-State Commission will be held on Friday, August 21, 2009 from 10:00 a.m. until 12:00 p.m. at the Pepsi Building in Danville, VA.

The Virginia Roanoke River Basin Advisory Committee will hold a meeting immediately following lunch, from 1:00 p.m. until 3:00 p.m. A presentation on the Virginia’s biosolids program is planned for the afternoon meeting.

Please mark your calendar for the meetings. Agendas and related materials will be sent out in the near future.

Supervisors to meet Monday

Comment: We must attend these meetings to protest against uranium mining and give facts about the problems of uranium mining!

Wednesday, July 29, 2009 10:10 AM EDT

The Pittsylvania County Board of Supervisors will meet Monday, Aug. 3, at 7 p.m. in the General District Courtroom of the Edwin R. Shields Courthouse Addition in Chatham.

The agenda includes:

_ Public hearing on restricted truck traffic on Ringgold Road;

_ Pittsylvania Youth Sports;

_ Workforce Investment Act;

_ Electronic poll books and printers.



http://www.wpcva.com/articles/2009/07/30/chatham/news/news63.txt

Congressman Tom Perriello

Comment: Again, we all need to attend meetings to inform people the problems of uranium mining and milling!

Attend one of Tom’s Constituent Meetings in August:

August 3, 6:00 – 8:00 PM
Martinsville: Martinsville High School (Library), 351 Commonwealth Blvd.

August 4, 6:00 – 8:00 PM
Henry County: Laurel Park Middle School (Library), 280 Laurel Park Ave., Martinsville

August 5, 6:00 – 8:00 PM
Danville: O.T. Bonner Middle School (Auditorium), 300 Apollo Drive

August 6, 6:00 – 8:00 PM
Pittsylvania County: Chatham Middle School (Cafetorium), 11650 Hwy 29 N, Chatham

August 7, 6:00 – 8:00 PM
Halifax County: Halifax High School (Auditorium Balcony), 310 High School Circle, South Boston

Check Congressman Perriello’s website for location:
08/03/09 -- Martinsville 6:00 - 8:00 PM
08/04/09 -- Henry County 6:00 - 8:00 PM
08/05/09 -- Danville 6:00 - 8:00 PM
08/06/09 -- Pittsylvania County 6:00 - 8:00 PM
08/07/09 -- Halifax County 6:00 - 8:00 PM
08/08/09 -- Bedford 11:00 AM - 1:00 PM
08/10/09 -- Greene County 6:00 - 8:00 PM
08/11/09 -- Charlottesville 6:00 - 8:00 PM
08/17/09 -- Fluvanna County 6:00 - 8:00 PM
08/18/09 -- Charlottesville 6:00 – 8:00 PM
08/19/09 -- Lunenburg County 6:00 - 8:00 PM
08/20/09 -- Nelson County 5:30 - 7:30 PM
08/21/09 -- Mecklenburg County 6:00 - 8:00 PM
08/22/09 -- Brunswick County 1:00 - 3:00 PM
08/24/09 -- Buckingham County 6:00 - 8:00 PM
08/25/09 -- Prince Edward County 6:00 - 8:00 PM
08/26/09 -- Cumberland County 6:00 - 8:00 PM
08/27/09 –- Albemarle County 6:00 – 8:00 PM
08/28/09 -- Campbell County 6:00 - 8:00 PM
08/29/09 –- Franklin County 1:00 – 3:00 PM
08/31/09 -- Appomattox County 6:00 - 8:00 PM

www.perriello.house.gov

Roanoke River Currents Conference

Comment: A chance to let people know about the problems of uranium mining in Virginia!

Friday, August 14, 2009
Ferrum College

This one-day conference will explore trends and issues that impact the Roanoke River watershed.

Topics to be covered include water quality and quatity, land use management, citizen action and government policies. Displays and presentation will be available throughout the day. Attendees will be given the option of six breakout sessions and can attend tours of the Blue Ridge Institue and Farm Museum and the Titmus Agricultural Center. A continental breakfast and buffet lunch will be provided.

Keynote Speakers:

E. Cabell Brand

Mr. Brand was raised in Salem, VA, and following graduation from VMI served in World War II, where he worked to implement the Marshall Plan. After his military experience, he took over the family shoe sales business, expanding it into a public company selling stock on Wall Street, and eventually merging the company with the Home Shopping Network at the time of his retirement in 1986. Throughout his years in business, Mr. Brand set aside time each week for community service. This commitment provided many opportunites to network with decision-makers from Salem to Costa Rica. He developed Total Action Against Poverty (TAP) in the Roanoke Valley (1965), the Childrens Health Investment Project (1992), and was the chairman of the Virginia State Board of Health (1989-1993), among many other responsibilities and honors. Mr. Brand's new book, If Not Me, Then Who?, is a discussion of his belief in community service and his concerns on the current isues of poeverty, education, healthcare, racial justice, and peace in the United States.

Dr. Rupert Cutler

Dr. Cutler was raised in Michigan and received his doctorate in environmental litigation from the University of Michigan. He began his career as an environmental journalist and moved into the administration of important environmental organizations, serving as assistant executive director of the Wilderness Society, senior vice president of the National Audobon Society, executive director of Population-Environment Balance, and president of Defenders of Wildlife. President Jimmy Carter appointed Dr. Cutler as assistant secretary of agriculture for conservation, research, and education. Since 1991, Dr. Cutler has resided in the Roanoke Valley serving as the executive director for both Explore Park and the Western Virginia Land Trust. Dr. Cutler is presently on the board of directors for the Western Virginia Water Authority and serves on the Roanoke City Council.


Breakout Sessions
1. Land Use Management
2. Citizens Activities
3. Governmental Policies
4. New Ideas and Current Reserch
5. Sustainability
6. Water Planning Issues


Registration
URRR is offering two options for registration and payment. You may print the mail-in registration form below and send it with your check to Upper Roanoke River Roundtable, P.O. Box 8221, Roanoke, VA, 24014, or you can follow the links below to register online.

Mail-in Registration FormOnline Registration for Attendees
Online Registration for Booth (for profit)
Online Registration for Booth (nonprofit)

Click for the above: http://www.upperroanokeriver.org/rivercurrents.shtml


Sponsors
Upper Roanoke River Roundtable
Ferrum College
Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation

Pittsylvania County Board of Supervisors

Comment: Demand the board to ban uranium mining and milling! Tell the VA ATTORNEY GEN. to read the Virginia and America Constitution! It is WE THEE PEOPLE!

Wednesday, July 1, 2009 9:40 AM EDT

The Pittsylvania County Board of Supervisors will meet Monday, July 6, at 7 p.m. in the General District Courtroom in Chatham.

The agenda includes:

_ Beer and wine sales on Sunday - Ingram.

_ Whispering Pines/Inman Road - Barber.

_ Carryover funds, Sheriff Mike Taylor, wellness program.

_ Carryover funds, Sheriff Mike Taylor, sheriff's department and jail annex.

_ Health department permit - Gretna Day Care.

_ USDA grant application.

_ Budget amendment, electoral board.

_ Budget amendment, school bond fund.

_ Appointment to Recreation Advisory Board from Callands-Gretna District

http://www.wpcva.com/articles/2009/07/01/chatham/news/news61.txt

Uranium mining opponents host forum at Chatham High

The News & Record / April 30, 2009

A public forum, “Who Decides Whether Southside Virginia Will Be Sacrificed for Uranium Mining?” will be held Friday, May 1 at 7 p.m. at the Chatham High School Auditorium, 100 Cavalier Drive, Chatham.

The forum for citizens and public officials is presented by The Alliance and the Community Environmental Legal Defense Fund and will feature remarks by Thomas Linzey, attorney, founder and Executive Director of the Community Environmental Legal Defense Fund; Mari Margill, Associate Director of the Legal Defense Fund; and Shireen Parsons, Virginia Community Organizer for the Legal Defense Fund.

Who Decides?

Who decides whether the people of Southside Virginia should have to endure uranium mining and its catastrophic impacts on human health and our environment – the citizens, or the corporate officers of Virginia Uranium Inc., enabled by the Virginia legislature? That’s the question that will be posed to the citizens and elected officials of the Southside communities that would be directly affected by the proposed mine in Pittsylvania County.

Since 1995, the Legal Defense Fund has assisted community groups and local governments in Pennsylvania, New Hampshire, Maine, the State of Washington and Virginia to draft municipal ordinances that prohibit corporate activities determined by the citizens to be a threat to their health, safety, environment and quality of life. Municipalities that have asserted their right to self-governance by adopting such ordinances have tackled issues including mining, ground water withdrawals, factory farms, land application of sewage sludge and corporate waste dumping.

Just Government Exists Only With the Consent of the Governed

Some who distrust democracy argue that it is “beyond the authority” of communities to make governing decisions and pass laws on such issues. They assert that it is up to the state and the “experts” to decide what’s best for the people, the ecology, and future generations of Virginians. But that’s not the model of decision-making and self-government envisioned by the American Revolutionaries who signed their names to a bold statement of community rights that asserted: “Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just Powers from the Consent of the Governed.” Clearly, when people are governed by powers derived, not from their consent, but from some other force, governing power is separated from justice.

Regulating Is Not Governing

State regulatory agencies issue permits for corporate activities that are detrimental to communities throughout Virginia, and the people in those communities are prevented by their own elected representatives from fending off such corporate assaults. Citizens are told they can regulate the rate of harm by advocating for the strict enforcement of permissive regulations. But to regulate harm is to allow it, while merely attempting to limit the severity. To regulate is not to govern. The people have an inalienable right to self-government, not a limited right to mitigate harms.

The Time Is Now

This presentation will bring the necessity for action to the forefront. Gathering data, writing to legislators, petitioning regulatory agencies, testifying at public hearings — these are not self-governing activities, but grievance procedures.

Attendees will learn about the origins of rights-based community organizing, about the structure of law – including Dillon’s Rule – that prohibits communities from saying “no,” what has been achieved in Virginia and in other states, and the next steps in rights-based organizing in Pittsylvania County and other threatened Southside communities.

There is no hero waiting in the wings to save our communities from ruin. We are the ones we have been waiting for. The time is now.

http://www.thenewsrecord.com/index.php/news/article/uranium_mining_opponents_host_forum_at_chatham_high/