Votes and half-truthsThe News & Record / October 22, 2009
Dear Viewpoint:
The Richmond Times-Dispatch published a letter last month entitled “Mined Uranium Is Harmless Mineral” written by William Schmidt, a long-time power company employee. We at SCC have found that Schmidt’s half truths and distortions are typical of many paid nuclear power proponents. Schmidt spoke about weeks of exposure, a U.N. study showing no increased risk of lung cancer in uranium miners, and alpha radiation being harmless. Here is what he didn’t tell us:
Alpha radiation lasts forever (millions of years) and it accumulates in the body.
“Uranium in groundwater leads to health hazards.”
“Normal functioning of kidney, brain, liver, heart and other systems can be affected by uranium exposure, because, in addition to being weakly radioactive, uranium is a toxic metal. Uranium is also a reproductive toxicant.”
“...absorbed uranium tends to bioaccumulate and stay for many years in bone tissue...”
“Alpha radiation is not dangerous to life unless it is inhaled or ingested - it is the most destructive form of ionizing radiation - and can cause any or all of the symptoms of radiation poisoning.”
“It is estimated that chromosome damage from alpha particles is 100 times greater than that caused by equivalent amounts of other radiation.”
“Not only do alphas themselves cause damage, but approximately equal ionization is caused by the recoiling nucleus after alpha emission, and this energy may in turn be especially damaging to genetic material.”
“Miners who worked in uranium filled mines have a very high incidence of cancer relative to the rest of the United States population. Through the Navajo workers and families noticed this in the 1950s, bureaucrats dragged their feet and companies ignored their warnings.”
SO MUCH FOR MINED URANIUM BEING A HARMLESS MINERAL!
(Quotes are from Wickipedia’s research of available worldwide information. Also note that our govt. won’t release much health information related to uranium for liability reasons.)
Let me repeat the above revelation concerning alpha radiation: Alpha radiation is dangerous to life when it is inhaled or ingested!
Well, Duh! Guess what Uranium mining does? It blasts and crushes solid bedrock into a fine powdery state, which creates the following problems:
1. How can the dust be confined to the site during the 40 year mining period?
2. How can a mountain of toxic, radioactive, powdery waste 200 ft. by 400 ft. wide and 14.2 miles long be kept out of our streams?
3. How can millions of cubic feet of deadly radon gas be confined to the site?
The answer to each of these questions is the same: it cannot be done.
It is also important to remember that aside from being radio-active in all its configurations, uranium is a toxic heavy metal which has proven to poison and genetically alter humans and animals.
Imagine the devastation to the farming community. Who would buy crops from tainted fields? Who would buy meat products raised on tainted fields or tainted waters? Imagine the blow to tourism.
Now guess who would be the first candidate for a high level (and low) uranium waste repository (dump)?
ABOUT THE ELECTION
Our Governor has the power to veto any legislation passed by the General Assembly; and that makes this year’s election so very important. Creigh Deeds is a past member of SCC who has studied the uranium mining issue in depth and has vowed to oppose any uranium mining legislation that threatens the health, safety and welfare of the people.
Sincerely,
Jack Dunavant, P.E., Chairman
Southside Concerned Citizens, Inc.
Read whole letter click below:
http://www.thenewsrecord.com/index.php/opinion/article/votes_and_half-truths
