By John Crane
Published: February 8, 2010
RINGGOLD — Another attempt to ban uranium mining and milling at the Berry Hill Road industrial mega park failed Monday.
A resolution, proposed to the Danville-Pittsylvania County Regional Industrial Facility Authority board by Pittsylvania County resident Deborah Dix, would have banned uranium mining and milling in the mega park.
RIFA board member Hank Davis, chairman of the Pittsylvania County Board of Supervisors, made a motion to pass the resolution during the RIFA board’s monthly meeting Monday, but the proposal died when no one seconded the motion. Dix’s proposal would’ve only banned uranium mining and milling in the park proper.
Dix said the RIFA board’s inaction sends a clear message about where it stands on uranium mining.
“To me, it’s sort of obvious they do plan on mining and milling uranium there,” Dix said after the vote.
But RIFA board member and Danville City Councilman David Luther said he knew nothing about the resolution before it was added to the RIFA board agenda at the beginning of Monday’s meeting.
“It wasn’t on the agenda,” Luther said of why he didn’t second the Davis’ motion. “It came as a surprise to me.”
Luther said Danville City Council will discuss the resolution.
RIFA Vice Chairman and Danville Mayor Sherman Saunders said he refrains from taking a position on an issue the city has not endorsed.
The 3,700-acre industrial mega park is a joint project between Pittsylvania County and Danville. Officials hope to attract a large manufacturer to the site. The installation of roads, utilities, erosion control, grading and making the site into an industry-ready park will cost $222 million.
Karen Maute, an opponent of uranium mining and milling, had asked the Board of Supervisors in November to pass a resolution prohibiting uranium mining within a 25-mile radius of the proposed mega park site. She also wanted the Board of Supervisors, Danville City Council and the RIFA board to sign the resolution. The Board of Supervisors voted 4-3 to table the idea during its meeting in December.
Maute had proposed the resolution because the mega park site is located on suspected uranium deposits. Marline Corp. had plans to mine and mill uranium in Pittsylvania County in the early 1980s, and RIFA owns some of that old Marline land.
Maute, who was at the meeting Monday, said the RIFA board killed the motion partly to intimidate citizens who had attended the meeting.
“The lack of discussion was deafening,” Maute said. “Why not discuss the merits of this resolution?”
Please review the comments below:
Posted by porkchop62 on February 08, 2010 at 8:40 pm
Well it’s pretty obvious, since a resolution to ban any mining at the park, at the least, is a “No Brainer” folks. Therefore Mr. Luther, if you didn’t have aforeknowledge of Mr. Davis’ motion, you should have counter-motioned to table for committee discussion until a draft of conditions and stipulations can be written up and voted on. It’s getting pretty obvious that a whole new group of citizens needs to be voted into office in both the city and the county, save for a couple of county sup’s that have some cahonas, that will better represent the needs and protections of our most vulnerable and most powerless citizens, in MHO.
Read more:
http://www2.godanriver.com/gdr/news/local/danville_news/article/another_try_to_ban_uranium_mining_at_mega_park_fails/17802/
The Resolution:
Resolution
Whereas, Pittsylvania County and the City of Danville have invested millions of dollars for the purchase and development of the “Mega Park” in the Berry Hill Community in the Southwestern area of Pittsylvania County through their partnership in the Danville Pittsylvania Regional Industrial Facility Authority incorporating the acquiring of real estate and consultant designs for environmental impacts, utilities and infrastructure, and
Whereas, it is the intent of Pittsylvania County and the City of Danville and the Pittsylvania Regional Industrial Facility Authority to continue investment in and development of this park to provide new jobs and enhance the economic stability of the region by locating new industrial prospects, and
Whereas, it is imperative for the industrial prospects to have confidence that their investment in our region will not be compromised by uranium mining if Virginia lifts the current moratorium,
Whereas, it is the responsibility of Pittsylvania County and the City of Danville and the Pittsylvania Regional Industrial Facility Authority to protect the health, safety welfare and prosperity of the citizens of Pittsylvania County and the City of Danville; then
Be it hereby resolved, that the Danville Pittsylvania Regional Industrial Facility Authority, will not sell, lease or otherwise make use of mineral rights it owns on at the Berry Hill Mega Park for the mining of uranium or construction of a uranium milling operation.
Date:
Signatures:
