Comment: No to uranium mining, will ruin our water, air, land and our health!
Editor, Times-Dispatch:
We have seen what happens when elected officials side with Wall Street over Main Street.
The people in our communities suffer.
Over the course of the next year, Virginia's legislature has a choice to side with Wall Street and accept Virginia Uranium's promises that it can mine and mill uranium safely in Virginia, or it can side with Main Street and allow the public to review four ongoing studies on the safety and socio-economic impacts of the proposal.
Virginia Uranium wants to mine a large uranium deposit in Pittsylvania, which would end a 29-year ban on uranium mining in Virginia.
But what are the risks?
The milling and extraction of uranium produces huge amounts of waste, called tailings, which are highly toxic and would be contained at the site.
Historically, containment structures have been breached in the U.S., mostly caused by extreme rain events, and resulting in severe contamination of water and loss of life. The specific geology and climate in Pittsylvania County is prone to flooding. A breach would allow radioactive toxins to enter the Kerr Reservoir, source of drinking water for Virginia Beach. These toxins could later resurface in subsequent floods, leaving water unfit to drink for extended periods of time.
The question for our legislators is: Which side are you on?
Will you accept the promises of those who stand to gain from uranium mining, or will you let the facts be your guide?
Tyla Matteson.
Richmond, VA
http://www2.timesdispatch.com/news/rtd-opinion/2011/mar/19/TDOPIN02-letters-to-the-editor-continued-ar-914878/
