6/16 u news: Please attend Workshop on Monday, Supervisor's Meeting on Tuesday
Comments from KM: The Board of Supervisors' meeting is Tuesday, June 18th @ 7 PM. Paul Robinson will address the BOS at this time
It is of grave importance that you try to attend the 6PM workshop in Chatham, VA, tomorrow, June 17th, at the Pittsylvania County Courthouse.
Residents and elected officials of Pittsylvania County must not ignore that DMME is not (and has not been...for 7 years) prepared to monitor and assure the safety of exploratory drilling. VUI is ready and willing to exploit the situation.
Other exploration companies will as well. If DMME has been unable/unwilling to insure public safety regarding uranium exploration. Uranium mining will bring further disaster.
Pittsylvania County residents do not deserve this dangerous and disrespectful disregard.
Nor does anyone in the Commonwealth of VA or the United States of America. KTB.
Report raises concern over uranium exploration
BY MARY BETH JACKSON mjackson@registerbee.com (434) 791-7981 | Posted: Saturday, June 15, 2013 9:03 pmWhen Paul Robinson comes to speak Monday, he will be bringing an armload of concerns about uranium exploration with him.
He will be presenting information from a 20-page report prepared for the Roanoke River Basin Association, reviewing records of the Virginia Department of Mines, Minerals and Energy (DMME) pertaining to the uranium exploration permit issued to Virginia Uranium.
Robinson says there is a lack of sufficient public and governmental oversight of uranium exploration and mining activities in Virginia.
He says records obtained from the DMME indicate groundwater contamination from exploratory drilling.
“I think there’s evidence of groundwater contamination at a higher level… that hasn’t been addressed in any way,” Robinson said.
Robinson is research director of the Southwest Research and Information Center in Albuquerque, NM.
The SRIC works with community groups to provide technical assistance on environmental and resource development issues. One of its facets is a uranium impact assessment program.
Virginia Uranium wants to mine uranium six miles from Chatham. The company has been pressing the state to lift the 1983 moratorium on uranium mining and milling.
It received a permit in 2007 to drill 40 exploratory holes on the Coles Hill property.
“The permit’s still in place, and there’s opportunities for neighbors and the county to get involved in an active way,” Robinson said. “They have a basis for being interested, because the material has been hidden so effectively.”
Robinson will present his concerns three times on Monday.
There will be a 2 p.m. press conference at the Charles R. Hawkins Research Center at the Institute for Advanced Learning and Research, where he will provide details and answer questions about his analysis of Virginia’s regulatory structure for uranium exploration and implications for public health, welfare and water quality.
At 6 p.m. at the Pittsylvania County Courthouse, he will discuss his findings in greater detail, Light refreshments will be served.
At 7 p.m., Robinson will appear at the Pittsylvania County Board of Supervisors meeting, presenting “Your Health and Water are at Risk from Uranium Exploration,” a compilation of findings from his report.
Robinson is a native of Harrisonburg. He has worked with SRIC since 1976, and appeared before the Virginia Coal & Energy Commission in 1980, prior to the establishment of the moratorium. He taught at the University of New Mexico for 15 years, and wrote his thesis about planning for reclamation of uranium mines in the former East Germany.
http://www.newsadvance.com/go_dan_river/news/pittsylvania_county/uranium/article_81138e20-d620-11e2-b469-001a4bcf6878.html
