Ah, yes... Uranium mining, citizen voices silenced, and developers running rough-shod... welcome to another week in Virginia's General Assembly...
On Mon., Jan. 28, at 9AM, the Senate Agriculture, Conservation and Natural Resources Committee will hear SB525, a bill that could open the door to uranium mining in Virginia. As Rick from Tidewater CCAN points out, this bill has two primary objectives: 1) to establish a 15-person politically appointed commission to study the feasibility of mining uranium in Virginia; and 2) to give directions on how regulations be drawn up to mine uranium in Virginia. "What's the rush? Why no contracted scientific study from the National Academy of Science or National Science Foundation before this?", asks Rick. And if direction is being already given on just how to mine uranium, "then why do they need the commission and study?"
SB423, a bill that would strip permitting and regulatory authority away from Citizen Environmental Boards and dangerously placing it in the hands of a single politically appointed bureaucrat, has been again postponed. However, HB1332, the identical House companion, comes before the House Ag committee on Wed., Jan. 30 in an evening meeting. HB1332 is just as bad as SB423. This is an example of attempting to put the 'fox in charge of the henhouse'", aptly writes one commenter at Richmond Sunlight. "This legislation would remove citizens from vital input in the process, essentially giving those interests that need public scrutiny a free rein."
And speaking of putting the fox in charge of the henhouse, SB768 comes before the Senate Local Government committee on Tues., Jan. 29, at 2:00 pm. This is a bill being pushed by developers and homebuilder lobbyists that would pass even more costs of new development onto existing taxpayers. SB 768 would replace the current "proffer" system with very low "impact fees." While not perfect, Virginia's current proffer system is one by which developers voluntarily offer contributions to offset the costs of rezonings. These proffers (including in-kind) go to help pay for roads and transit, schools, parks, police/fire resources, libraries, affordable housing trust funds, water/sewer systems and other needs generated by new development. They offer these in exchange usually for the opportunity to build more units. SB 768 would severely reduce developers' proffered contributions - by as much as 50% or more per new home constructed. Further, the bill gives so many off-setting credits that the payments could shrink to virtually nothing. All this means that taxpayers will be asked to shoulder even more of the burden to pay for all these facilities.
Here are talking points and contact info to aid your contacting your legislators in voicing your opposition to these particular bills. Do it today!!!
OPPOSE SB525: Uranium Mining 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.The Virginia League of Conservation Voters also offers this language:
- I am writing to ask that you oppose SB 525, which threatens to open the door to uranium mining in Virginia. The bill does not require impartial, scientific study of the issue. Instead, it sets the stage for lifting Virginia’s long-standing moratorium prohibiting the mining of uranium in the Commonwealth.
- - SB 525 does not require any independent scientific analysis. There is no guarantee that the National Academy of Sciences would ever be retained to review this sensitive issue.
- - The bill does not guarantee any funding to carry out a study. And yet, proponents of uranium mining concede that at least $1 million would be needed. Without adequate funding, a uranium commission would be a rubber-stamp for uranium mining interests. - The Bill fails to provide for valuable citizen input. There is nothing to guarantee that members of the public health, environmental, and locally impacted communities would be fairly represented.
- - SB 525 establishes a process that pre-judges the outcome of a study. The bill would authorize the Commission to recommend statutory and regulatory controls to lift our 26 year-old uranium ban and begin mining. The threshold question of whether uranium mining can be done safely in Virginia, however, must be answered before legislation or regulations are drafted. Because of the poor ratio of yellowcake uranium to mined rock (as low as 1:4000), uranium mining creates enormous tailings piles of radioactive waste that would contaminate our air, groundwater, and pristine rivers and streams. Please vote NO on SB 525.
Here are the email addresses for the Senate Ag committee members:
* 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)
Finally, also call AND write Governor Kaine and remind him of his words during his State of the Commonwealth Address.
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OPPOSE HB1332: Stripping Citizen Environmental Boards
Why this is important to all Virginians: Decisions on any public or private project will be in the hands of a single, politically appointed person, the Director of the Department of Environmental Quality. This move is: 1. anti-democratic, 2. anti-citizen, and 3. frankly unAmerican
Talking Points: (Do not say "save the Citizens Boards"; they're all for saving them. Instead say "the POWER of the Citizens Boards must be preserved". )
* as a constituent you OPPOSE both SB 423 and HB 1332
* Virginia's Citizen Boards have a 69-year history of playing in a key role in protecting Virginia's environment.
* When the Department of Environmental Quality was created in 1993 by combining Air, Water and Hazardous Waste agencies, there was agreement to keep each of the Citizen Boards in place.
* Virginia's governors appoint the members of the Air, Water and Waste Boards and the appointees reflect the choices of different governors and have provided a balanced group of citizens with expertise in the specific field.
* It is an unacceptable consolidation of power to allow one politically appointed chief bureaucrat to have the decision making power over controversial permits that may affect human health and well being.
* The Citizen Environmental Boards hold meetings and hearings in public and provide accountability and transparency on important environmental issues.
* If the Citizen Boards are stripped of permit authority, federal laws will then allow the regulated industries to sit on the Boards and write their own regulations too. Keep the foxes out of the hen house.
* The former Director of DEQ said this is the worst piece of environmental legislation in the last 35 years.
* It is unacceptable to reduce the Citizen Boards to mere staff advisors on pollution permits.
* The proponents reasons for supporting this bill are "to streamline the permitting process", "to create permitting certitude" and to create an atmosphere of certainty for industry pollution permits. All of their pretty language means a rubber stamp permitting regime would be established for controversial pollution permits that deserve the most scrutiny.
* For years running Virginia has been ranked as the #1 Business Friendly state in the country due to the favorable regulatory climate. What needs fixing? There is no need to make it even easier to pollute, especially at the expense of citizen input.
* Some believe there should be a series of public hearings across the state to examine this bill and the consolidation of power it entails. Tell this to the Governor and your representatives.
* Stripping the Environmental Boards of their authority to review and decide certain permits is unacceptable. We must preserve the right of Virginians to be heard on environmental protection, particularly in cases that have heightened public interest and could have a significant impact on the environment and human health.
* The Air Pollution Control Board and Water Control Board have already delegated permit authority for most cases & only decides cases where permits have been identified as significant (less than one-percent of all permits are decided by a citizen board)
* in the past 15 years, these boards (that docket 20-30 issues per meeting, per board) have only gone against the advice of the DEQ 29 times, mostly asking for more information.
The Virginia League of Conservation Voters also offers this language:
Please support Virginia's Citizen Environmental Boards by opposing HB1332 and SB423. Citizen Environmental Boards have a key role in protecting Virginia's environment. Virginia's Air, Water and Waste Boards reflect the choices of different governors and provide a balanced group of citizens with expertise in the specific field. The Citizen Boards hold meetings and hearings in public and provide accountability and transparency. Stripping the Environmental Boards of their authority to review and decide on certain permits is unacceptable. HB1332 and SB423 also include a provision that would grant regulatory authority (through variances) to the Director. This change would reduce the current Boards to mere advisory bodies. I am greatly concerned about this issue and urge you to defend Citizens' voice during the 2008 Session.
Here are the email addresses for the House Ag committee members:
* Del. Harvey Morgan (R-98) Chair
* Del. Lee Ware (R-65) Chair
* Del. Charles Poindexter (R-9)
* Del. Beverly Sherwood (R-29)
Finally, also call AND write Governor Kaine and remind him of his words during his State of the Commonwealth Address. Right now he is for defanging the Citizens Boards of Virginia.
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OPPOSE SB768: A Taxpayer Subsidy for Developers
The Virginia League of Conservation Voters offers this language in opposition to SB768:
I am writing to ask that you oppose SB 768. This bill would eliminate cash proffers for new development and replace it with an exceedingly low and ineffective impact fee. SB 768 would, in effect, increase taxes on Virginians by: • Increasing the Grantors Tax paid by every home seller by an additional 20 cents per $100 in value. (Except on sellers in Northern Virginia and Hampton Roads who already face a 40 cent Grantor’s Tax increase for transportation) • Ending the cash proffer system by developers for rezonings. • Introducing impact fees that severely reduce developer contributions by 50% or more per new home constructed. • Eliminating developer in-kind contributions for many community amenities and public infrastructure. • Pushing growth into rural areas where the new impact fees would not apply. • Not being applied to previously approved subdivisions and site plans – meaning it won’t address the most outdated zoning. • Being too complex too administer. The people of Virginia clearly spoke for better growth management in the 2007 local elections across the Commonwealth. During the recent speculative boom, builders took advantage of extremely-low interest rates and exotic mortgages to dramatically increase prices and profits. Yet the development industry continues to look for subsidies to support poorly planned growth at the expense of Virginia taxpayers. Please OPPOSE SB 768.
Here are the email addresses for the Senate Local Government committee members:
* Sen. Louise Lucas (D-18) Chair