Halifax County (NC) Commissioner Letter to Pittsylvaina County Board of Supervisors: Uranium mining Ban

Comments:  Letter to Pittsylvania Bd of Supv
 Attached is a copy of the letter that I have put together, using several others work as guides, to send to the members of the Pittslyvania (VA) Board of Supervisors. I am sending a copy to each one.  Thought you might find this of interest. If you haven't sent your letter yet, please feel free to use all or parts of mine.
 Thanks.  "Judge"


J. RIVES MANNING, JR.

Home (252) 537-5708

737 Franklin Street Cell (252) 532-5193

Roanoke Rapids, NC

October 16, 2012

Honorable Tim Barber, Chairman

Pittsylvaina County Board of Supervisors

10500 Martinsville Hwy,

Danville, VA 24541

Dear Supervisor Barber

I am J. Rives Manning, Jr., a Halifax County (NC) Commissioner. I am a resident of Halifax County, NC and an owner of property on Roanoke Rapids Lake and also on the Roanoke River. As a Halifax County Commissioner,  I am concerned for all of my constituents and also those others in the Roanoke River Basin.

I am very concerned about the proposed mining and milling of radioactive uranium in our watershed. It has the potential of threatening our water supply, our health and our way of life in this region.

I understand that the Pittsylvania County Board of Supervisors is considering asking for the removal of Virginia's ban on Uranium mining in the state.

A little over a month ago, our community experience one of those PMP downpour events cited in the Virginia Beach- Baker Study concerning the risk of mining radioactive material in a tropical region frequented by Hurricanes. We had over 11 inches of rain fall in less than a few hours and our town was flooded, the storm drainage systems completely over-run. We had flooding near the top of grades, where no flooding had ever occurred before. It has been categorized as a 1,000 year event. This storm was not from a Hurricane or from a large storm area, such as the Eastern Seaboard, but if it happened here what is to say that it couldn't happen in Pittslyvania County?

Furthermore, in 1999, Hurricane Floyd put the entire eastern third of North Carolina underwater. We have had 3 Hurricanes hit land in Eastern NC in the last 15 years. These cannot be called “rare” events in anyone's book.

As business people, we understand risk. We have been briefed on the risk of the Uranium mining proposal in your coundy from several site-specific studies, and have reviewed the pointed concerns expressed by the

independent NAS research. We also understand that the US has centuries of supply of high grade Uranium

available for our needs from Canada and Australia and our US sources in arid regions where people and water supply are less affected by human error and acts of God that always come with these types of endeavors. Given the facts and disregarding the Canadian mining company spin, Uranium Mining in a hurricane zone with our precipitation patterns is more than risky, it’s foolish!

Let me be clear with you. Our water supply comes from the Roanoke River. Our economy is driven by the

reputation of our clean water; our tax revenue base is a byproduct of the Roanoke River. We have a paper mill here that employs 400 people that would be at risk if the Canadian mining operation contaminates our river. Most of the County's water supply comes from the Roanoke River. The home value and business depreciation that might occur in our region if the water was fouled by Uranium would make the most recent economic downturn look like “the good old days.”

The stewards of our river, selected by each governor from Virginia and North Carolina, 5 Republicans and 5 Democrats serving on the Bi-State Commission for the Roanoke River, voted unanimously to keep the Uranium mining ban in place. Imagine that, Republicans and Democrats voting together on this issue of mutual interest and concern. In fact, all the communities and counties along the river in North Carolina have passed resolutions urging Virginia to keep the ban in place, for all our sakes. No one here thinks otherwise.

I understand that a strong majority of citizens in your county are against this mining operation, and many

business, homeowners and your Hargrave military academy leaders with such a long tradition there are

threatening to relocate if this mine is approved. What will that do to your economy when all the educated people leave the area? What will the region look like when the mine closes and you are left with a giant radioactive dump? Is this really a vision for the future?

I request that you do not choose to support the removal of the Ban on Uranium mining in Virginia.

You have the power to vote to keep the ban in place and through that vote, advise your Governor and the General Assembly of your opposition. I urge you to do so.

We pray you do the right thing for ALL concerned. Your decision affects us also.

I thank you for your consideration of my concerns.

Sincerely,

J. Rives Manning, Jr.

Copy to:

Honorable James Snead

Honorable Jerra A. Hagerman

Honorable Coy E. Harville

Honorable Marshall A. Ecker

Honorable Jessie L. Barksdale

Hornorable Brenda H Bowman