PRESS ADVISORY
For Immediate Release: October 10, 2012Contact: Andrew Lester, 434-250-1185Pittsylvania County Supervisors Meet to Rescind Prior Decision on Proposed “Keep the Uranium Ban” Resolution
Chatham, VA – Today, the Pittsylvania County Board of Supervisors is holding a special meeting to clarify or rescind its prior decision to send to the legislative committee the proposed resolution in support of the state’s current uranium ban.The “keep the uranium ban” resolution was introduced by Supervisor Marshall Ecker during the October 1 meeting and received support by Supervisors Jerry Hagerman and Jesse Barksdale. The October 1 meeting was attended by approximately 200 county residents. 21 spoke in support of the uranium ban and only 3 in favor of uranium mining.Following the introduction of the proposed resolution to support the current uranium ban, a heated discussion ensued, as four of the seven supervisors refused to support the proposed resolution. Eventually, the impasse appeared to be resolved by the 5 to 2 decision to send the proposed resolution to the legislative committee for further refinement, to bring the revised resolution back on the board’s agenda in the nearest future.Two supervisors opposed this decision – Coy Harville and Brenda Bowman, a former legislative aide to Senator Stanley who was recently caught on tape attempting to pressure county supervisors to postpone action on the “keep the uranium ban” resolution, as was reported by Washington Post on September 18, 2012.According to the posted agenda for the October 10, 2012 special meeting, the board is expected to act to clarify or rescind its October 1, 2012 decision to send to the legislative committee the proposed resolution in support of the uranium ban.The majority of the Pittsylvania County supervisors appear determined to avoid taking a stance on the issue of uranium mining, despite the overwhelming support of the current uranium ban by the county’s residents, as revealed in a recent poll conducted by the Virginia Commonwealth University’s Survey and Evaluation Laboratory commissioned by the Alliance for Progress in Southern Virginia. The poll showed that only 29 percent of respondents supported a uranium mine in Coles Hill; 53 percent of respondents were opposed to the proposed uranium project.“The majority of the Pittsylvania county supervisors have so far exhibited the lack of will to represent their constituents. The citizens of this county must understand that their future is in the best hands possible, when it is in their own, not Richmond’s. If the citizens’ representatives don’t take charge of the county’s future before it’s too late then someone else will. And when they do, citizens of this county will be last on the priority list,” said Andrew Lester, the Roanoke River Basin Association executive director and county resident.The Roanoke River Basin Association (RRBA) is a non-profit organization whose mission is to be the voice for the development, use, preservation, and enhancement of the Roanoke River Basin’s resources. The RRBA represents the two-state region that would be the first uranium mining and milling site on the East Coast if Virginia’s 30-year ban on uranium mining is lifted. RRBA has taken a lead role in the investigation of the proposed uranium mining and milling in the basin.
Andrew Lester will be attending today’s board meeting on behalf of the RRBA and will be available for comment. He can be reached at 434-250-1185.
PITTSYLVANIA COUNTY BOS SPECIAL MEETINGWhen: October 10, 2012, 6 pmWhere: Captain Martin Building, Conference Room 21 Center Street, Chatham, VA
