Posted: Wednesday, December 12, 2012 11:00 am
To the editor,
We would like to sincerely thank Mr. Ben Davenport, certain members of the Pittsylvania County Board of Supervisors, the water control at Virginia Beach, Virginia tourism industry, and many others for their stand on keeping the moratorium on uranium mining.
We appreciate their efforts to bring to light the many risks involved in such an operation.
Those who stand to reap a substantial financial windfall want to convince the innocent public, who count on our elected officials to protect us, that they have everything under control, and allow them to move forward without opposition.
We simply do not believe it is possible for this group, which formed in 2007, to be that certain. How much mining experience do any of them have prior to this?
The handful who stand to gain financially want us with farms, homes, businesses, and families to turn a blind, trusting eye as they play Russian roulette with all that could be negatively effected.
The facts are there is no way to believe all mistakes made in other areas anywhere with uranium mining have been improved to the point none are possible here.
But at what future expense to the individual life that is exposed to the radiation, and cancer it is known to cause, or to our property values?
How much will it cost to clean up a disaster that is possible, or how much will it cost to maintain the radioactive waste ponds that hold the more than 85 percent waste from the mining process, which remains radioactive for thousands of years?
The risks far out-weigh any possible benefit to the general public here, and others surrounding us, as well as future taxpayer expense.
There are safer ways to generate jobs, and tax revenue for this county.
People also need to realize if the moratorium is lifted, there are other known uranium deposits in the Dry Fork and Brosville communities, as well as many other areas of our state, so these waste ponds could end up in their back yard.
In conclusion, we would like to know why anyone was allowed to even test drill before safety concerns were addressed.
Patricia Hylton, Chatham,
Jennifer Pulliam, Ringgold
Ashley Ross, Dry Fork
Darrel, and Velma Gibson, Chatham
Jud Jr. and Gladys Buchanan, Callands
Roy and Nancy McKenzie, Chatham
Clint and Christie Daniel, Java
Gene Tarpley, Dry Fork
Alfreda Tarpley, Dry Fork
Nancy Aaron, Callands
Susan Stephens, Java
Karen Walden, Callands
Jud Buchanan III and Laura Buchanan, Callands
Jud Buchanan IV, Callands
Darrell Buchanan, Callands
Robert Brooks, Dry Fork
Ricky and Barbara Mays, Dry Fork
Elizebeth Sigler, Danville
Melvin Joyce, Java
