Three Pittsylvania supervisors make their own anti-mining resolutions

CHATHAM --
Three Pittsylvania County supervisors have adopted their own resolutions opposing uranium mining and milling and requesting that Virginia's moratorium on it remain in place.

During a news conference held Tuesday afternoon in front of the Pittsylvania County Courthouse, Staunton River Supervisor Marshall Ecker, Banister Supervisor Jessie Barksdale and Callands-Gretna Supervisor Jerry Hagerman announced their intentions.

Each supervisor stated why they adopted their resolution, with Ecker and Barksdale citing other board members’ lack of commitment in addressing the issue.

“The time has come to take action due to lack of interest from our leadership on the board of supervisors,” Ecker said during the news conference. “For several years I have tried to get a resolution to protect the citizens of Pittsylvania County by keeping the moratorium in place. I have heard almost every excuse in the book for not presenting a resolution.”

Board of Supervisors Chairman Tim Barber told the Danville Register & Bee on Tuesday evening just before the board’s meeting that “hopefully something [a resolution] will be forthcoming from the board.”

“Hopefully, we can do it as a board,” Barber said, declining to comment on the three supervisors’ decisions to adopt their own resolutions.

Dan River Supervisor James Snead said he hopes the board will have its own resolution by Nov. 1.
Except for minor changes, each of the three resolutions is the same as the one proposed by Ecker that the board of supervisors failed to pass at their meeting Oct. 1. The resolutions were adopted on behalf of their respective magisterial districts.

The Virginia General Assembly is expected to decide in its 2013 session whether to lift the state’s moratorium on uranium mining and milling.

“I now believe that we are on the final countdown and I need to do what our leadership is unwilling to do to protect our citizens from uranium mining and milling from ever happening in Pittsylvania County and the state of Virginia,” Ecker said during the news conference, where he was flanked by Hagerman and Barksdale.

About 30-40 residents — many of them uranium mining opponents — attended the conference.

Hagerman, in his statement, said, “I have been unable to find any group, person or organization which can absolutely assure me or our citizens that a radioactive spill or harmful waste spill will not ever happen in our beautiful state and I, as one of your supervisors, will not take a chance on our property, health or lives.”
Barksdale said it is “imperative” that board members take a stand on uranium mining.

“If the board does nothing, we will have failed our citizens by not acting on this issue before the Uranium Working Group finishes its report,” Barksdale said.Barksdale said he will send copies of his resolution to each member of the state legislature, the governor and the governor’s Uranium Working Group.
Hagerman said he plans to send copies of his resolution to delegates, state senators, committee members and the governor.

During the board’s meeting Tuesday night, members of the public pressed members to pass a resolution on uranium mining and milling.

Anne Cockrell thanked the three supervisors for adopting resolutions but reminded the board they need to pass a resolution.

“Our health comes first,” Cockrell said during the hearing of the citizens. “We need to be protected. We need the resolution from this county.”

Katie Whitehead agreed, saying there is a risk in waiting to pass a resolution.

“The delay is confusing people,” Whitehead said, pointing out that the board is “getting a lot of public attention now.”

“Please consider the message your delay is sending,” she said. “Then adopt a clear, comprehensive resolution.”

http://www2.godanriver.com/news/2012/oct/16/three-pittsylvania-supervisors-make-their-own-anti-ar-2287912/