Dear Mr. Coles,
You and I have met ( run into each other) several times in the past, and I, along with other citizens of Pittsylvania County would like to call your attention to a contradiction, or perhaps a misunderstanding, of the situation regarding your proposal on lifting the current moratorium on mining and milling uranium in Va.
In the past, I and others to whom you have spoken, have had the dubious pleasure of hearing you state that -- if it turns out that this proposal will bring harm to the environment or the many residents of the Old Dominion, that you would be willing to drop (as in stop) your plans to develope a uranium mine in our county.
Then you and your investors paid for a very controversial study, prepared by the prestigeous National Academy of Sciences (NAS).
When that study stated that there would be many hurdles standing in the way of conducting your proposal in a safe manner, you and Patrick Wales vehemently spun the answer from the NAS to fit your own version of the study's result.
In addition, the subsequent studies conducted basically described the many problems associated with the safety of your proposal.
These are all a matter of public record. They have all spoken of the problems associated with the mining and milling of uranium, including the many types of cancers and birth defects. One thing the studies neglected to mention is the fact that the issue has sharply divided the people of our county, as well as the state.
Folks within families are arguing and feuding with each other, and folks that used to be close with each other find themselves sharply divided over this issue.
This letter is an attempt to ask you to live up to your word. Please drop your plans for lifting the moratorium before any more harm is done.
Your word is in question here, and now is the time for you to live up to what we have all understood to be your position of not putting the health and well being of your friends and neighbors at risk for your own personal profit.
I am asking you please, give up on this deadly proposal before it is too late.
I recall an old adage that states that: "When we leave this life, we leave only memories behind."
Think of what you would like your legacy to remember about you after you are gone.
May the Good Lord smile on you for living up to your promises!
Hunter Austin Hurt, Va.
