By Eva Cassada
News & Record
SoVaNow.com / September 03, 2012
The Pittsylvania County Board of Supervisors is expected to take up a resolution on uranium mining Tuesday, but uranium foes say the resolution is weak and off the mark.
The draft resolution asks that a fund be established and administered by a third party to compensate Pittsylvania County citizens — those within five miles — “adversely affected” by the uranium mining and milling operation proposed for farmland just near Chatham.
It also asks that regulations be established by either the Nuclear Regulatory Commission and/or the State of Virginia “for the most comprehensive protection of our citizens.”
The draft resolution also states that “it is absolutely clear, based on the [National Academy of Sciences] and other studies, that it cannot be demonstrated to a reasonable degree of certainty that there would be no significant release of radioactive sediments downstream of the Coles Hill site.” It notes that Virginia government has no experience with regulating uranium mining and that the federal government has no experience regulating uranium mining in a wet climate.
The supervisors “request that the health of its citizens be protected from radiation pollution of its air, water, disruption of its well or surface water flows, protection from radon pollution and protection from diminished property values.”
Wastes in storage cells “represent significant long-term risks,” it says.
But some uranium opponents want a resolution explicitly condemning uranium mining.
“The proposed resolution is an embarrassment,” says Karen Maute of Danville, who is fighting the industry. “Other municipalities have passed resolutions supporting continuation of the moratorium even though a uranium mine has not yet been proposed for their counties. Pittsylvania County should do the same.”
“Throw this resolution out and pass one that urges a permanent ban on uranium mining similar to those that have been passed by over 125 cities, towns, counties, citizens organizations, wildlife services, faith organizations, fishing and hunting association and others,” writes Gene Adesso, acting president of the Roanoke River Basin Association, in an e-mail to members.
Adesso’s note continues: “Tonight I will pray to the Lord that the attached resolution will never be passed by the Pittsylvania Board. Do the authors of this document realize that there is no possible monetary fund that can be set up to mitigate the destruction of an entire basin’s natural resources and the loss of the health and safety of [its] citizens? …. Money is not the answer. Only science and technology can protect us, and the fact is, that does not exist.”
The draft resolution states that “the Board is responsible for protection of the health, welfare and safety [of] its citizens.
But then the Board absolves itself of the acknowledged responsibility by giving it to the NRC and state of Virginia. It appears they believe that regulation is going to magically produce protection for Pittsylvania County,” says Maute.
Opponents both nearby and as far away as North Carolina and Virginia Beach say radioactive wastes could not be successfully stored and monitored for tens of thousands of years. A release or leak, they counter, would poison the drinking water for millions of people. Even without an accident or contamination to water or air, they argue, such an industry would stigmatize the region.
The Virginia General Assembly is expected to decide this winter whether or not to lift a 30-year-old ban on uranium mining.
Read more:
http://www.sovanow.com/index.php?/news/article/pittsylvania_supes_to_mull_mining_resolution/
