http://www.richmondsunlight.co...
This bill has two primary provisions:
1. a 15-person politically appointed commission to study the feasibility of mining Uranium in Virginia--what's the rush? Why no contracted scientific study from the National Academy of Science or National Science Foundation before this? Why the rush?--Rick
2. directions that regulations be drawn up on how to mine uranium in Virginia--then why do they need the commission and study?--Rick
Here are the Facts and Talking Points:
* this is a separate question from nuclear power. This is mining of uranium.
* 15 years ago the citizens of Virginia insisted on a moratorium on Uranium mining in the state
* the nation's largest and richest deposit of uranium is found in Pittsylvania country, near Danville, Va., in the south central part of the state
* to date, most large scale mining of uranium in the US has been in the arid, unpopulated deserts of the West (and were a health and environmental disaster)
* there are amazing amounts of slurry associated with uranium mining (radioactive mine tailings suspended in water) that must be ponded
* Danville gets about 44 inches of rain per year and, like all of SE US, is subject to remnants of hurricanes
* uranium has never been mined in the US in such a wet and populated area
* the water supplies of Richmond (at the James River) and Virginia Beach (through the Lake Gaston pipeline) are in the watershed of this area
* this is very dirty mining: 1-2 tons of uranium ore to make 1 lb of yellow cake uranium. Of that 1 lb of yellow cake, only 1-2% will be usable as nuclear fuel
or about a 1:4000 ratio of usable uranium to ore crushed to sand
* DOE estimates that there is enough plutonium coming from deactivated nuclear weapons to fuel the US nuclear industry for a decade. This uranium is obviously for export (hello national security hawks! Who'll be making them dirty bombs with Virginia uranium?--Rick)
* Virginia already has to store 2 tons of spent--but still radioactive--nuclear fuel rods PER YEAR inside the state of Virginia, there is no room for disposal of radioactive mine tailing
* if you've ever seen a picture of a dam break on a coal slurry pit choking rivers and streams, imagine it with radioactive waste.
Time is short, so no time for letters. What to say:
I strongly OPPOSE SB 525, the Uranium Mining Act. This process should be guided by impartial scientific study, not a politically appointed commission of mining and transportation interests. This bill is dangerous, rushed, and wrong for the citizens of Virginia and possibly poisonous for our future generations.
The rush to lift the state moratorium on Uranium mining is not based on any national need for Virginia uranium.
Don't forget to contact your legislators AND the governor as well.
Here are the email addresses for the committee members (cut and paste the following list into the "TO:" field of your email):
district30@sov.state.va.us, district14@sov.state.va.us, district25@sov.state.va.us, district24@sov.state.va.us, district02@sov.state.va.us, district04@sov.state.va.us, district09@sov.state.va.us, ralph@northam2007.com, district26@sov.state.va.us, district38@sov.state.va.us, district20@sov.state.va.us, district15@sov.state.va.us, district10@sov.state.va.us, district31@sov.state.va.us
And then call each of the committee member's directly:
* Sen. Patsy Ticer (D-30) Chair
* Sen. Harry Blevins (R-14)
* Sen. Creigh Deeds (D-25)
* Sen. Emmett Hanger (R-24)
* Sen. Mamie Locke (D-2)
* Sen. Ryan McDougle (R-4)
* Sen. Don McEachin (D-9)
* Sen. Ralph Northam (D-6)
* Sen. Mark Obenshain (R-26)
* Sen. Phil Puckett (D-38)
* Sen. Roscoe Reynolds (D-20)
* Sen. Frank Ruff (R-15)
* Sen. John Watkins (R-10)
* Sen. Mary Margaret Whipple (D-31)
*
contact your delegate and senator today with the same message:
http://conview.state.va.us/who...
Finally, also call AND write Governor Kaine and remind him of his words during his State of the Commonwealth Address.
http://www.governor.virginia.g...
Please report back to me completion and any reactions by the legislature.
--
Rick Kennerly
Tidewater Climate Action Network
www.twcan.org
rick.kennerly@twcan.org
We are environmentalists, but we're not just "environmentalists." We are also citizens and we are ratepayers; we are customers and employers; we are business owners and educators; we are members of communities of faith who take seriously our stewardship of God's gift and we are patriots who care about energy independence for the nation; we are parents and grandparents concerned about the sustainability of the legacy we leave our children, who all just happen to also care about our environment.