Comments: Just takes comments below with a grain of salt but No to uranium mining!
By Tom McLaughlin
SoVaNow.com / September 16, 2010
I dug out two messages from Tom Perriello’s office regarding the congressman’s stance on uranium mining in Southside.
On June 25, I wrote Perriello’s press secretary, Jessica Barba, after reading a newspaper story elsewhere that seemed to suggest that Perriello supported uranium mining at the Coles Hill site in Pittsylvania.
“No, not at all,” Barba responded, “although I see why you might think that from the way it’s written.” She added, “On the mining front, that is a state issue, as you know, but he thinks we need an objective, scientific, and community-supported study to assess the potential risks to the land and health of residents. (aka — not an industry-funded study).”
On Sept. 8, reporter Alta LeCompte with our sister paper, The Mecklenburg Sun, e-mailed a follow-up question to Perriello aide Michael Kelly in Danville. Here was the response:
“Although Rep. Perriello supports studying the proposal for uranium mining in Pittsylvania County, studies just say whether something can be technically done, but not whether they are a good idea for the community and economic development.
Rep. Perriello feels like a uranium mine is more likely to harm our area’s reputation, agricultural heritage, schools, and economic development efforts than to help them.
Speaking personally, I’m happy to see Perriello taking a tougher line against uranium mining and hope his campaign makes hay of the fact. (Robert Hurt, the Republican nominee, says he wants to await the results of the National Academy of Sciences scientific stuffy before passing judgment on the Coles Hill/Virginia Uranium project, although it’s hard to put much faith in such assurances when Hurt’s father is an investor).
Meantime, Barba’s June 25 e-mail correctly notes that uranium mining is, at the end of the day, a matter for the state to decide. But The National Academy of Sciences, a federal body, has convened a study panel on the Coles Hill mining project that includes experts employed directly by the nuclear industry.
Might Perriello, in his capacity as a U.S. Congressman, fire off a letter to the NAS protesting that action?
http://www.thenewsrecord.com/index.php?/opinion/article/crazy_at_heart/
