Comment: We the taxpayer's demand our monies back from Mega Park or pass a resolution to ban uranium mining or milling in the Mega Park at Berry even if the ""There's a moratorium on mining uranium in Virginia" is lifted. No to uranium mining or milling!
By TIM DAVIS/Star-Tribune Editor
Wednesday, May 5, 2010 9:29 AM EDT
The Pittsylvania County Board of Supervisors voted 4-3 Monday to once again reject a proposed ban on uranium mining and milling at the Berry Hill Road "mega" industrial park.
Supervisors also rejected a proposed ban in January.
The issue resurfaced following a vote last week by the Virginia Tobacco Indemnification and Community Revitalization Commission to require the county to refund approximately $13.1 million if uranium is mined at the mega park.
Del. Danny Marshall of Danville, who serves on the tobacco commission, recommended the restriction. The commission approved it 14-12.
"The $13.1 million the tobacco commission invested is for manufacturing jobs," said Marshall. "It wasn't to go out and mine uranium.
"This is just drawing a line in the sand," he added. "I just want to clarify that if mining is ever done at the site, the tobacco commission wants its money back."
Buddy Mayhew, a retired tobacco farmer from Blairs who also serves on the tobacco commission, abstained from voting.
Mayhew is an investor in Virginia Uranium Inc., which hopes to mine a huge uranium deposit about six miles northeast of Chatham.
In light of the tobacco commission's decision, Staunton River District Supervisor Marshall Ecker renewed a motion to ban uranium mining or milling at the mega park.
"We need to stand up and say we have the guts to say there will be no mining or milling in the mega park," said Ecker. "To me, it's a no-brainer to go along with the tobacco commission."
Chatham-Blairs District Supervisor Henry "Hank" Davis Jr., the board's chairman, seconded the motion.
"I think it will clear up exactly where everybody stands on uranium mining in the mega park," said Davis.
Ecker, Davis and Dan River District Supervisor James Snead voted in favor of the ban.
Callands-Gretna District Supervisor Fred Ingram, Westover District Supervisor Coy Harville, Banister District Supervisor William Pritchett and Tunstall District Supervisor Tim Barber voted against it.
The vote in January also was 4-3, but with Ingram voting for the ban and Snead against it.
The county and city, acting through the Danville-Pittsylvania County Regional Industrial Facilities Authority, have spent about $13 million for 4,000 acres along Berry Hill Road, just west of Danville.
Officials plan to develop a state-certified "mega" industrial park, with both localities sharing expenses and revenue.
Maute opposes uranium mining at Coles Hill near Chatham, and has repeatedly asked supervisors to tighten the county's zoning ordinance to block the proposed mine and mill.
In her proposed resolution, she pointed out some of the Berry Hill property had mineral leases with Marline Uranium Corp., which discovered the huge uranium deposit in the late 1970s.
In order to avoid the appearance that the county and city are entering into a "joint uranium mining venture," she said both localities should sign a resolution prohibiting uranium mining and milling within a 25-mile radius of the Berry Hill park.
The regional authority, which owns the mega park, has twice refused to consider a proposed ban on uranium.
The authority is composed of members of Danville City Council and the Pittsylvania County Board of Supervisors.
County members include Harville and Davis. City representatives include Danville Mayor Sherman Saunders and City Councilman David Luther.
Davis, who appointed himself to the authority when he was elected chairman in January, made a motion in February to adopt a resolution banning uranium mining and milling at the Berry Hill site.
The motion didn't receive a second and failed.
Davis repeated his motion in March. Once again, it didn't receive a second and failed.
Harville, the authority's chairman, said the county and city have no intention of mining or processing uranium at Berry Hill.
"It's not an issue," he said. "There's a moratorium on mining uranium in Virginia."
tim.davis@chathamstartribune.com
434-432-2791
Read more:
http://www.wpcva.com/articles/2010/05/05/chatham/news/news50.txt#blogcomments
