Comments: Thanks Karen for the great fight, the NRC are just nuke pushers!
4/30 p.m. u-news *
Comments KM: The event’s website stated the workshop is a technical meeting, not a discussion of the merits of uranium mining and milling, or of any specific existing or proposed uranium recovery sites. Wales’ presentation appears to be the only non-technical presentation on the schedule.
Virginia Uranium spokesman Patrick Wales will be speaking Thursday at the National Mining Association’s Uranium Recovery Workshop in Denver.
Wales will appear with Andrea Jennetta, publisher of the online newsletter Fuel Cycle Week. Their presentation is “The Coles Hill Uranium Deposit: An Update on Politics and Path Forward in Virginia.”
Wales’ speaking engagement drew ire last week from uranium mining opponents concerned about the Nuclear Regulatory Commission’s role in the conference. Until Monday, the commission was given top billing as a co-sponsor of the event.
Mining opponents said the NRC’s purported sponsorship — coupled with links on the event’s website to the Uranium Working Group and Wales’ presentation — gave the appearance the NRC was already favoring the Coles Hill project.
Virginia Uranium wants to mine a 119-million-pound uranium ore deposit in Pittsylvania County, approximately six miles from Chatham. Since 2007, the company has been lobbying the legislature to write regulations for uranium mining and milling, which would effectively lift a 1982 moratorium on the industry. Efforts failed this past session when bills that would have lifted the moratorium were withdrawn for lack of support.
The NRC asked for its name to be removed from the workshop’s website Monday, saying they are only participants, said Maureen Conley, a public affairs officer with the NRC.
“We’re all very upset about it, too,” she said. “As we see it, we’re not a co-sponsor. It would be inappropriate if the NRC were a co-sponsor.”
Conley added that the NRC is does not have a dog in the “should we or shouldn’t we?” mine fight.
“Our role, whether Virginia keeps the ban on uranium mining or if someday they lift the ban on uranium mining … is to be the regulator,” she said. “We don’t take a position one way or another. We weigh the application against our regulations. That’s completely outside our purview. Those are policy decisions. Our role is limited to being the regulator.”
The NMA removed the NRC from the reference, saying it was an error. The NRC had co-sponsored the annual event for years but did not provide any financial assistance. The workshop is held to facilitate communication between the mining industry and the NRC, says Luke Popovich, the National Mining Association’s vice president of external communications.
He promised the NMA would clear the confusion.
“We will make plain at the outset that the workshop is indeed an NMA event and should not be construed as conferring any endorsement by NRC on the matters under discussion,” he said.
Wales will appear with Andrea Jennetta, publisher of the online newsletter Fuel Cycle Week. Their presentation is “The Coles Hill Uranium Deposit: An Update on Politics and Path Forward in Virginia.”
Wales’ speaking engagement drew ire last week from uranium mining opponents concerned about the Nuclear Regulatory Commission’s role in the conference. Until Monday, the commission was given top billing as a co-sponsor of the event.
Mining opponents said the NRC’s purported sponsorship — coupled with links on the event’s website to the Uranium Working Group and Wales’ presentation — gave the appearance the NRC was already favoring the Coles Hill project.
Virginia Uranium wants to mine a 119-million-pound uranium ore deposit in Pittsylvania County, approximately six miles from Chatham. Since 2007, the company has been lobbying the legislature to write regulations for uranium mining and milling, which would effectively lift a 1982 moratorium on the industry. Efforts failed this past session when bills that would have lifted the moratorium were withdrawn for lack of support.
The NRC asked for its name to be removed from the workshop’s website Monday, saying they are only participants, said Maureen Conley, a public affairs officer with the NRC.
“We’re all very upset about it, too,” she said. “As we see it, we’re not a co-sponsor. It would be inappropriate if the NRC were a co-sponsor.”
Conley added that the NRC is does not have a dog in the “should we or shouldn’t we?” mine fight.
“Our role, whether Virginia keeps the ban on uranium mining or if someday they lift the ban on uranium mining … is to be the regulator,” she said. “We don’t take a position one way or another. We weigh the application against our regulations. That’s completely outside our purview. Those are policy decisions. Our role is limited to being the regulator.”
The NMA removed the NRC from the reference, saying it was an error. The NRC had co-sponsored the annual event for years but did not provide any financial assistance. The workshop is held to facilitate communication between the mining industry and the NRC, says Luke Popovich, the National Mining Association’s vice president of external communications.
He promised the NMA would clear the confusion.
“We will make plain at the outset that the workshop is indeed an NMA event and should not be construed as conferring any endorsement by NRC on the matters under discussion,” he said.
Jackson reports for the Danville Register & Bee.
Comment: DMME inspection reports, one as recent as 10/15/12, states VUI has two (2) employees. Who actually works there?
Virginia Energy Grants Incentive Stock Options |
| Apr 30, 2013 | |
| NR:13-05 |
Virginia Energy Resources Inc. (TSX.V: VUI; OTCQX: VEGYF) ("Virginia Energy" or the "Company") has granted 3,029,700 stock options to directors, officers and consultants of the Company, subject to TSX Venture Exchange approval. The options will have a term of 5 years, expiring on April 30, 2018, and will allow the holder to purchase a common share in the Company at a price of $0.42. A portion of the options will be subject to vesting over a period of one year in accordance with Exchange regulations. Any shares issued on the exercise of these stock options will be subject to a four-month hold period from date of grant.
Subject to regulatory approval of this grant, the options outstanding for the Company will total 3,616,200 which would represent 6.32% of the outstanding common shares.
Subject to regulatory approval of this grant, the options outstanding for the Company will total 3,616,200 which would represent 6.32% of the outstanding common shares.
Subject: 4/29 u-news
To:
BY MARY BETH JACKSONmjackson@registerbee.
References to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission have been stricken from the National Mining Association’s promotional materials after local uranium mining opponents questioned the mingling of public and private interests.
The workshop was titled “The National Mining Association/Nuclear Regulatory Commission Uranium Recovery Workshop” until NRC references were removed Monday.
“We agree it doesn’t look good,” said Maureen Conley, public affairs officer with the regulatory commission.
She added, “It does appear inappropriate, and it is inappropriate, for us to be billed as co-sponsors. The folks here are scratching their heads as to how we were elevated to a co-sponsor role.”
Luke Popovich, the NMA’s vice president of external communications, says the co-sponsor reference was a blooper.
“It isn’t an NRC event and shouldn’t have been billed as one owing to new guidelines — I suspect new administration guidelines or sensitivities — about federal agencies appearing with industry,” he said.
“We have seen this earlier with other agencies we deal with on a regular basis who have suddenly, this year, changed the rules that we have always followed. We should have made this very plain that it is an NMA event — despite past arrangements when our two organizations co-sponsored this event.”
For years, the regulatory commission co-sponsored the workshop with the NMA.
“When we did we issued our standard notices of public meeting, put it on our website, et cetera,” Conley said.
Conley said questions were raised in 2009 about the NRC’s co-sponsorship of the workshop, and that a decision was made then to participate in the workshop without the co-sponsor title.
She said while the NRC was listed as a co-sponsor for years, it never provided financial assistance to the event.
The relationship has been murky, with the NRC listed as a co-sponsor as late as 2010. The workshop is not listed on the NRC’s website for public meetings.
However, above a list of meetings, the NRC says, “They also include the annual Uranium Recovery Workshop, in which NRC staff meet with the National Mining Association to exchange information. The workshop is attended by uranium recovery licensees, staff of State and Federal agencies, and members of the public.”
But is it a public meeting? Conley says it depends on who you ask.
“It doesn’t technically meet our definition of an NRC public meeting,” she said.
She added, “It’s not the NRC’s meeting. We are participants. A lot of the speakers come from the NRC. This is part of our open government. We provide information and our staff when we’re asked, when it can be useful.”
Conley said it is a public meeting in the sense that the NMA isn’t prohibiting public attendance or participation.
The sponsorship confusion had vexed local uranium mining opponents, who saw the event as a public meeting with a price tag.
Karen Maute, president of the citizens group Piedmont Residents in Defense of the Environment, objected to the NRC’s involvement in a letter to the NRC.
“The NRC/NMA Uranium Recovery Workshop is open to the public,” Maute wrote. “However, they are charge twice the amount [$250] of NMA members and government employees of speakers.”
The NMA says it will not be waiving any fees for the public, as it is their event, not the NRC’s.
The NRC will make its presentations available to the public, adn Popovich says all presentations will be available on the NMA’s website, www.nma.org, “within a couple of weeks.”
The workshop was titled “The National Mining Association/Nuclear Regulatory Commission Uranium Recovery Workshop” until NRC references were removed Monday.
“We agree it doesn’t look good,” said Maureen Conley, public affairs officer with the regulatory commission.
She added, “It does appear inappropriate, and it is inappropriate, for us to be billed as co-sponsors. The folks here are scratching their heads as to how we were elevated to a co-sponsor role.”
Luke Popovich, the NMA’s vice president of external communications, says the co-sponsor reference was a blooper.
“It isn’t an NRC event and shouldn’t have been billed as one owing to new guidelines — I suspect new administration guidelines or sensitivities — about federal agencies appearing with industry,” he said.
“We have seen this earlier with other agencies we deal with on a regular basis who have suddenly, this year, changed the rules that we have always followed. We should have made this very plain that it is an NMA event — despite past arrangements when our two organizations co-sponsored this event.”
For years, the regulatory commission co-sponsored the workshop with the NMA.
“When we did we issued our standard notices of public meeting, put it on our website, et cetera,” Conley said.
Conley said questions were raised in 2009 about the NRC’s co-sponsorship of the workshop, and that a decision was made then to participate in the workshop without the co-sponsor title.
She said while the NRC was listed as a co-sponsor for years, it never provided financial assistance to the event.
The relationship has been murky, with the NRC listed as a co-sponsor as late as 2010. The workshop is not listed on the NRC’s website for public meetings.
However, above a list of meetings, the NRC says, “They also include the annual Uranium Recovery Workshop, in which NRC staff meet with the National Mining Association to exchange information. The workshop is attended by uranium recovery licensees, staff of State and Federal agencies, and members of the public.”
But is it a public meeting? Conley says it depends on who you ask.
“It doesn’t technically meet our definition of an NRC public meeting,” she said.
She added, “It’s not the NRC’s meeting. We are participants. A lot of the speakers come from the NRC. This is part of our open government. We provide information and our staff when we’re asked, when it can be useful.”
Conley said it is a public meeting in the sense that the NMA isn’t prohibiting public attendance or participation.
The sponsorship confusion had vexed local uranium mining opponents, who saw the event as a public meeting with a price tag.
Karen Maute, president of the citizens group Piedmont Residents in Defense of the Environment, objected to the NRC’s involvement in a letter to the NRC.
“The NRC/NMA Uranium Recovery Workshop is open to the public,” Maute wrote. “However, they are charge twice the amount [$250] of NMA members and government employees of speakers.”
The NMA says it will not be waiving any fees for the public, as it is their event, not the NRC’s.
The NRC will make its presentations available to the public, adn Popovich says all presentations will be available on the NMA’s website, www.nma.org, “within a couple of weeks.”
Jackson reports for the Danville Register & Bee.
4/28 u-news
4/28 u-news
----- Original Message -----
From: Karen Maute
To: Chairman@nrc.gov
Sent: Sunday, April 28, 2013 6:59 PM
Subject: breach of public trust
Honorable Chairman Macfarlane and Esteemed Members of the Commission,
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is exceeding it's authority as a regulatory agency in the state of Virginia. It is functioning as an advocate for uranium mining (over which it has no regulatory authority), milling and radioactive waste disposal, and is interfering with state politics. Engagement in the advocacy and politics of uranium mining, milling, and radioactive waste erodes the public trust in your obligation and commitment to impartially license and regulate the Nation's civilian use of radioactive materials, to protect public health and safety, promote the common defense and security, and protect the environment.
Information at http://www.nrc.gov/materials/
There are numerous references regarding Virginia uranium, Inc. (VUI) in the UWG report. Virginia does not permit uranium mining. Virginia Uranium, Inc., the company lobbying to lift the present moratorium, has not submitted an application to the NRC. The reference to the work of the UWG gives the appearance that the NRC is an advocate of VUI and it's lobbying efforts.
The NRC and National Mining Association have held uranium mining workshops for several years. This year's speakers include Patrick Wales of VUI and Andrea Jannetta of Weekly Fuel Cycle. Their presentation is The Coles Hill Uranium Deposit: An Update on Politics and Path Forward in Virginia http://www.
The NRC/NMA Uranium Recovery Workshop is open to the public. However, they are charged twice the amount ($250) of NMA members and government employees or speakers ($125). Why? Citizens are stakeholders and should not be penalized because they are not government employees or industry insiders.
At some time, citizens of Virginia may have to rely on the NRC to license and regulate uranium recovery operations and wastes. If the public is to have even minimal trust that the NRC can and will protect public health and safety, promote the common defense and security, and protect the environment they need to start now. Issues above demand addressing. I expect a response to this request prior to the the convening of the NRC/NMA Uranium Recovery Workshop.
Sincerely,
Karen B. Maute
Note: Energy Fuels own a % of Virginia Energy Resources. VER owns 100% of Coles Hill project. http://www.energyfuels.com/
