Status Update
By Roanoke River Basin
Uranium Opponents Assemble under One Banner
For 68 years the Roanoke River Basin Association (RRBA) has been the voice for the development, use, preservation, and enhancement of the Roanoke River Basin Resources in Virginia and North Carolina.
To that end, RRBA hosts several groups whose primary roles correspond with those of the RRBA. These include tourism and recreational activities offered through the Upper Reach program. And the Virginia Coalition and the North Carolina Coalition, respectively, are comprised of health and business professionals concerned with the negative impacts from uranium mining in the basin.
On April 27, 2013, the RRBA Board voted unanimously to accept CommonHealthVA as an integral part of the RRBA family. CommonHealthVA emerged in 2012 when several organizations and localities that advocated maintaining the moratorium on uranium mining began a more organized collaboration and coordination of activities.
The strong efforts by the organizations and localities turned into a highly successful advocacy campaign under the CommonHealthVA umbrella. Those efforts led to a decisive win during the 2013 General Assembly Session when legislation seeking to remove the moratorium was withdrawn by its patron in the Senate and the House companion bill was never heard.
Nevertheless, Virginia Uranium, Inc. (VUI) has vowed publicly that they are not going to cease their efforts to lift the moratorium.
For 68 years the Roanoke River Basin Association (RRBA) has been the voice for the development, use, preservation, and enhancement of the Roanoke River Basin Resources in Virginia and North Carolina.
To that end, RRBA hosts several groups whose primary roles correspond with those of the RRBA. These include tourism and recreational activities offered through the Upper Reach program. And the Virginia Coalition and the North Carolina Coalition, respectively, are comprised of health and business professionals concerned with the negative impacts from uranium mining in the basin.
On April 27, 2013, the RRBA Board voted unanimously to accept CommonHealthVA as an integral part of the RRBA family. CommonHealthVA emerged in 2012 when several organizations and localities that advocated maintaining the moratorium on uranium mining began a more organized collaboration and coordination of activities.
The strong efforts by the organizations and localities turned into a highly successful advocacy campaign under the CommonHealthVA umbrella. Those efforts led to a decisive win during the 2013 General Assembly Session when legislation seeking to remove the moratorium was withdrawn by its patron in the Senate and the House companion bill was never heard.
Nevertheless, Virginia Uranium, Inc. (VUI) has vowed publicly that they are not going to cease their efforts to lift the moratorium.
And to meet and defeat that challenge once again, CommonHealthVA and RRBA have taken steps to expand and deepen their efforts.
According to Gene Addesso, RRBA President, “RRBA is the perfect home for CommonHealthVA .
According to Gene Addesso, RRBA President, “RRBA is the perfect home for CommonHealthVA .
We look forward to the collaboration of our resources to protect the economic and environmental base of our multi-state region. Already a cohesive forcefulness is emerging from this synergy.”
Andrew Lester, RRBA Executive Director, added that the approach will be “multi-lateral, supporting research, education, and citizen-driven advocacy through strategic partnerships, grassroots activism, and the media.”
For further information on CommonHealthVA or the Roanoke River Basin Association, please contact:
Andrew Lester, Executive Director
434-766-6727
www.rrba.org www.commonhealthva.org
Andrew Lester, RRBA Executive Director, added that the approach will be “multi-lateral, supporting research, education, and citizen-driven advocacy through strategic partnerships, grassroots activism, and the media.”
For further information on CommonHealthVA or the Roanoke River Basin Association, please contact:
Andrew Lester, Executive Director
434-766-6727
www.rrba.org www.commonhealthva.org
