Screw Your Kids, Top Virginia Democrat Wants Uranium Mining Now

If future generations don't like Virginia Democratic Senate Minority Leader Dick Saslaw's refusal to protect Virginia's public health from the dangers of uranium mining, they can dig him up and kiss his dead ass:

State Sen. Dick Saslaw does not mince words about his support for uranium mining. A Northern Virginia Democrat who is also the Senate minority leader, Saslaw says burying the radioactive byproduct known as tailings underground should be a solution to environmental concerns. And he says he can’t be concerned about what might happen 100 [years] from now.

"What about 10,000 years from now? I’m not going to be here," Saslaw says. "I can’t ban something because of something that might happen 500 or 1,000 years from now."

Terry McAuliffe, Virginia's Democratic candidate for governor this year, must be tearing his hair out. If you can't trust the leader of Virginia's Senate Democrats to protect your children & grandchildren from a no-brainer like radioactive uranium mining waste, how can you trust Virginia Democrats to protect them on anything else?

Virginia Democratic leaders will tell you that Dick Saslaw is an excellent leader because big businesses write him lots of big checks, as if people only write checks to the Democratic Party in one of America's largest swing states because of Dick Saslaw. And Saslaw is terrible at leading the caucus, having almost lost the Democratic majority in 2009, signing off on a terrible redistricting plan that gave away the Virginia House for a decade in hopes of hanging onto the Senate, then losing the Senate anyway.

Virginia Democrats need to dump Dick Saslaw.

Virginia Legislators Get "Yellow Cake" Reminder of Uranium Mining's Threats

A brilliant bit of lobbying from KeepTheBan.org:

Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell Pushes Uranium Mining Battle to 2013

An update from KeepTheBan.org:

Thanks to you and your hard work, the uranium industry did not have the votes in the General Assembly to introduce a bill to lift the ban. On January 19th, Gov. McDonnell was forced to concede that a report from the National Academy of Sciences identified “important questions related to the health and safety of workers, the public, and the environment.” As a result, the ban will stay in place for 2012.

At the same time, however, Gov. McDonnell directed Virginia’s health, mining and environmental agencies to draft “conceptual regulations” for the General Assembly to consider in 2013. Governor McDonnell’s directive to create a draft statute and regulations, behind closed doors, is the first step toward lifting the ban.

The uranium industry has yet to show the citizens of Virginia that uranium mining can be done safely, and our legislators have not answered the fundamental public policy question: does Virginia want to take on the long-term economic and public health burden of mining uranium and storing millions of tons of toxic waste in our state?

Sign the petition to keep Virginia's 30-year-old uranium mining ban in place and "like" Keep The Ban on Facebook to get the latest news.

Surprise: Study from Energy Industry-Packed Commission Presented as Pro-Uranium Mining

As the Virginia General Assembly considers a mining company's request to lift the state's longtime moratorium on digging up radioactive uranium, a new study is making some big claims about economic impacts. But considering the commission that requested the study, should we be surprised the study puts questionable jobs claims first and buries ominous warnings further down?

The report was produced by Chmura Economics & Analytics for the Virginia Coal & Energy Commission. As Bacon's Rebellion blogger Peter Galuszka first pointed out, Gov. Bob McDonnell (R-VA) is so terrified of the possibility of any dissent on the Coal & Energy Commission, he didn't appoint a single representative from conservation groups or from activist groups in Virginia's Southside, where the proposed uranium mining would take place.

Stacking the deck doesn't even begin to describe McDonnell's appointees:

• Barbara Altizer, president & executive director of the Eastern Coal Council
• Jodi Gidley, president of Virginia Natural Gas
• Ken Hutcheson, former GOP strategist and president of Virginia Alternative and Renewable Energy Association, whose main mission seems to be to help Gov. McDonnell and the Virginia Petroleum Council greenwash
• James K. Martin, senior vice president for Dominion Power
• John Matney, president of the Harbor Company & president of the coal mining Stearns Company
• Donald L. Ratliff, vice president for coal mining Alpha Natural Resources, LLC
• Rhonnie Smith, retired from nuclear reactor maker B&W

When reporting to a commission like that, it's no wonder Chmura made sure to highlight the positives and downplay the potentially disastrous negatives:

• “[T]he risks and rewards are not balanced, and the adverse economic impact under the worst-case scenario is nearly twice as great as the corresponding positive impact in our best-case scenario.” (page 7)
• "[T]he historic track record of the uranium industry—largely forged in the unregulated period of the 1950s and 1960s—is poor with an established legacy of water, soil, and air contamination, which has elevated the health risks for the surrounding communities.” (p. 17)
• "Even under the best of circumstances, Chmura judges some adverse health effects and environmental contamination is likely.” (p. 83)

Up next is a National Academy of Sciences recap of existing science surrounding uranium mining. Among the questions still unanswered: What do we know about the risk to drinking water in case of a natural disaster? Would already-underfunded Virginia agencies be able to sufficiently protect the public? What do we know about the quality of the uranium and how that could affect demand for it in an uncertain market?

Learn more about why eliminating the uranium mining moratorium would be such a bad deal for Virginia at KeepTheBan.org. 

Uranium Mining to Make Virginia Glow "an Eerie Green," Says House GOP

The "un-official blog of the Virginia House of Delegates GOP Caucus" put up a post on uranium mining this morning that quickly disappeared. Maybe someone thought that telling Virginians that uranium mining would make something (land? water? Virginians?) glow "an eerie green" was maybe not the best messaging? Heck, even the words "uranium deposit" are written in Incredible Hulk green:

The blog is written anonymously, calls itself unofficial, and isn't hosted on a government or party site. Given how sloppily written the blog is and how it presents House Republicans as little more than industry sock puppets, I'm not surprised there's no name on it. Unfortunately that makes it impossible to know who wrote it, what they were thinking, or who made the frantic phone call to for god's sake take down that post before anyone sees it.

But isn't that symbolic of the whole effort? Virginia Uranium is pouring hundreds of thousands of dollars into political donations and lobbying hoping to jam through a repeal of Virginia's sensible uranium mining ban before anyone notices its wild inflation of economic impacts or how similar fool's gold like oil and gas fracking has brought unhappiness to towns from North Dakota to Pennsylvania.

Learn more about why lifting Virginia's ban uranium mining would be such a bad deal for Virginians from Keep the Ban and ProgressVA.

Will Virginia Uranium Succeed in Buying the Virginia Senate Today?

Massive risk for millions of Virginians while huge profits concentrate in the hands of a few - that's what would happen if the Virginia General Assembly cast aside Virginia's moratorium on inherently risky uranium mining.

But that's not stopping the few from spending huge amounts of cash to try to swing today's ultra-tight elections for control of the Virginia Senate! From today's E&E News (subscription required):

Virginia Uranium Inc., which wants the General Assembly to lift a moratorium on uranium mining, has contributed almost $100,000 this year to groups and candidates, according to disclosure records complied by the Virginia Public Access Project. Most of those donations, $68,000 so far, have gone to Republicans. [...]

Virginia Uranium has been lobbying for years on the issue, hiring several firms to promote its cause, including well-known McGuire Woods LLP. The latest disclosure report shows Virginia Uranium spent more than $50,000 on lobbying efforts between May 2009 and April 2010.

In late September, the company took interested residents and lawmakers to a mine in Canada to show how uranium mining can be done safely. Earlier this year, Virginia Uranium also took a group to France to see a former mine site, in an effort to show how the process can occur in a climate like Virginia's. The move proved controversial, with critics saying the company wanted to buy lawmaker votes with trips to Europe (Greenwire, July 7).

The company sponsored a similar trip in 2010, paying roughly $9,000 for at least three lawmakers to attend, according to Virginia Public Access Project records.

To learn more about why the Virginia General Assembly and Gov. Bob McDonnell should fight to protect Virginia's ban on uranium mining, visit KeepTheBan.org.

Uranium Site Faces "Frequent & Pervasive" Flooding. What Could Go Wrong?

A Canadian-owned company is trying to get Virginia legislators to roll back the 30-year-old ban on uranium mining in Virginia so it can mine a multi-billion-dollar uranium deposit in Pittsylvania County. But a new study from the Blue Ridge Environmental Defense League warns the site - upstream from four major drinking water supply intake points - is prone to frequent flooding:

The report contains maps of Coles Hill showing the locations of three FEMA flood hazard zones aligned with Mill Creek, Whitethorn Creek, and the Banister River, all of which flow through the Coles Hill site. The maps show the location of three historic flood events that occurred within the proposed mine and mill site, including two on record with the National Weather Service, as well as the location less than two miles away where flooding associated with Hurricane Fran was videotaped in 1996. Another map contains date-stamped photographs demonstrating pervasive flooding at the site in November, 2009. Another shows the location of a spring and several acres of wetlands on the site.

The League’s report links evidence of flooding at Coles Hill with warnings from the International Atomic Energy Agency. IAEA contradicts many industry assurances that uranium mill tailing disposal sites are essentially maintenance free, stating, “There is no such thing as 'fail-safe' facilities for tailings management. Neither regulations, design specifications, nor management systems can be relied upon in isolation to provide assurance against containment failure: all three must be applied, in a framework of quality assurance and post-closure care and maintenance, to deliver a high probability of tailings containment security.”

A uranium mine site that would leave at least 28 million tons of uranium waste in a flood-prone area upstream from the drinking water for tens of thousands of people? What could go wrong?

Learn more in this video & sign the petition to keep Virginia's ban on uranium mining at KeepTheBan.org:

Key Faith Group to Mobilize Members Behind Keeping Virginia's Uranium Mining Ban

Virginia's oldest faith-based advocacy group has announced it will put its weight behind keeping Virginia's ban on uranium mining:

Officials at the Virginia Interfaith Center for Public Policy say they will be mobilizing activists across the state to lobby the General Assembly to continue a moratorium on uranium mining in the state.

Trieste Lockwood, director of the group’s power and light program, said that mining could harm drinking water, residents’ health and the economy by damaging agricultural, tourism and fishing industries if there is an accident.

Tests indicate that about 119 million pounds of uranium are located in Coles Hill, near Chatham, a small town in Pittsylvania County. A company pushing to mine the uranium, Virginia Uranium, says that it could be worth as much as $10 billion.

“The financial gain of one corporation is really simply not worth the longterm risks to so many people,” Lockwood said.

And what about the review of existing data some skittish General Assembly members say they're waiting for before making any decisions?

“We do not believe an unbiased study exists that suggests uranium is no longer radioactive and no longer has severe health consequences," she said.

For more on why Virginia's uranium mining ban is just as necessary today as it was when first implemented decades ago, check out KeepTheBan.org or read this excellent article by the Virginia Sierra Club's Mary Rafferty.

Packed House for KeepTheBan.org Uranium Mining Event in Arlington

I went to an information session on uranium mining last night at the Arlington Central Library hosted by KeepTheBan.org. You can read up on the many reasons the 30-year ongoing uranium mining ban Virginia has been such an important protection for Virginians on their website. But here were the key takeaways for me:

• The biggest risk from uranium mining is that a catastrophic flood would wash radioactive mine waste downstream. The proposed Coles Hill mine site is in a FEMA-designated flood zone and upstream from four drinking water intakes. How this is even a question for anyone in Richmond, I do not understand. 
• The Coles Hill Site alone would generate at least 28 million tons of waste. Exposure to uranium waste has been linked to increases in leukemia, kidney disease and other severe health problems.
• If mining does take place, it would have no impact on Virginia electricity rates. The uranium "yellow cake" won't even be processed into nuclear fuel rods here in Virginia - it'll be shipped out of state, then sold on the international uranium market. (Much like offshore drilling would have no impact on gas prices in Virginia or anywhere else.)
• Think this isn't an issue where you live? The Virginia General Assembly & Gov. Bob McDonnell can't just repeal the ban for one site - they'd have to lift it for the entire state. There are also uranium deposits in the Occoquan River and Rappahannock River watersheds. If the ban is lifted, communities all over the state could be at risk.
• Uranium investors claim the site will host 350 to 400 jobs, but KeepTheBan.org reports they looked the 9 active uranium mine sites they found in the US and saw only about 400 jobs total. "I'm all for jobs, so why are we talking about uranium mining that could scare off other employers? Why aren't we talking about trying to lure something like an auto manufacturing plant would create not just a few hundred jobs but thousands of jobs?" asked Nathan Lott, executive director of the Virginia Conservation Network.
• The price of uranium has wildly fluctuated in recent years. If the price plummets, the site could shut down, leaving none of the jobs and plenty of radioactive waste. 
• An audience member reported Virginia Uranium is telling people it's not true that there are no active uranium mines east of the Mississippi River, that small amounts of uranium are found in conjunction with phosphorous mining in Alabama & Florida. "If Alabama is so representative of uranium mining, why aren't they flying legislators there instead of France?" asked Nathan Lott, executive director of the Virginia Conservation Network.

It was impressive to see how many legislators and candidates turned out - Delegates Bob Brink, David Englin, Charniele Herring, Patrick Hope & Ken Plum and State Senator Janet Howell, along with candidates Jaime Areizaga-Soto, Kevin Chisholm, Audrey Clement, Stephanie Clifford, Libby Garvey & Alfonso Lopez.

I know how important knocking on doors is, so it's hard to fault people like Adam Ebbin, Barbara Favola, Rob Krupicka & Caren Merrick for not attending, but ... what about Del. Jim Scott and State Sen. Dick Saslaw, who are in safe districts? Was disappointing to see them miss the only KeepTheBan.org workshop in Northern Virginia this summer. (There will also be workshops in Roanoke on July 19 and in Harrisonburg on July 21.)

If you want to keep Virginia's uranium mining ban in place, you need to take action now. Sign the petition at KeepTheBan.org and "like" them on Facebook to get more updates.

Both Del. Englin & Del. Plum visited a former uranium mine in France organized by Virginia Uranium. Del. Englin's trip to France was paid in full by Virginia Uranium, while Del. Plum paid his own way.

Here's Del. Englin's take on the trip:



And here's Del. Plum:



When I returned home after the meeting, I found this postcard in my mailbox from Del. Englin:

Thursday: Workshop in Arlington on Virginia's Uranium Mining Ban

Should Virginia let private companies mine for uranium in southern Virginia? That will be the focus of a workshop in Arlington on Thursday evening:

Join Keep the Ban coalition members Sierra Club, Virginia Conservation Network and Virginia League of Conservation Voters for the 2011 summer workshop in Arlington.

Want to know more about the toxic legacy that uranium mining creates? Or how to schedule a meeting with your local public official? This year’s Legislative Contact Team briefings will focus on the Keep The Ban Campaign giving you a chance to learn more about the problem and supply you with the tools you need to help maintain the current ban on uranium mining in Virginia.

5:30pm - 6:00pm Dinner (free of charge)
6:00pm - 7:30pm Presentation and Discussion

Arlington Central Library Auditorium
1015 North Quincy Street
Arlington, VA 22201

This event is free and open to the public. Register today.

Get more background on Virginia's uranium deposit at KeepTheBan.org. There will also be workshops in Roanoke on July 19 and in Harrisonburg on July 21.

Blame Canada: Another Dirty Energy Threat

Just two days ago, I was telling you about the threat posed by Canadian tar sands giant TransCanada's Keystone XL pipeline proposal. Today Mary Rafferty of the Sierra Club Virginia Chapter has an op-ed in the Danville Register & Bee detailing how another energy company with ties north of the border wants to play a high stakes game with Virginia's uranium deposits:

Uranium mining would benefit other nations, not America: Despite the downhome name, Virginia Uranium Inc. is a majority-Canadian owned company.

While some of the uranium mined and milled in Virginia might eventually be sold in this country, it will be part of a global market. If extracted and processed today, uranium from Coles Hill would most likely be sent to countries with the highest demand, mainly China and India. According to a letter published last week, VUI’s lead lobbyist Whitt Clement even agrees that uranium produced in Virginia may not stay in America.

All that can be guaranteed to stay in Virginia is the 29 million tons of mill tailing waste that would be created by the project.

What's "mill tailing waste"? This by-product of uranium mining needs to be stored for up to 1,000 years because it's radioactive and harms human health. It's worth repeating: This one project at Coles Hill would generate up to 29 million tons of radioactive mill tailings waste, plus associated waste water and chemicals in the tailings.

While the uranium industry would have us believe we have to choose between a healthy environment & a thriving economy, the truth is the two are interdependent. The real question is whether Southside will choose a clean energy future - or sign its future over to the uranium mining industry.

OK, Robert Hurt: Let's Talk About Your Support for Uranium Mining

I did not wake up this morning planning to write a post about Robert Hurt's support for risky uranium mining here in Virginia that would profits in the hands of a few while putting all Virginians at risk. But Robert Hurt wants to talk about his support for risky uranium mining, so let's talk about it.

You see, Robert Hurt has just filed a lawsuit against conservation groups & TV stations over an ad about Hurt's uranium connections:

The ads, produced and paid for by the Sierra Club and the League of Conservation Voters, say Hurt’s father “has a financial interest in uranium mining” and has received campaign contributions from the uranium mining industry.

Hurt’s lawsuit notes that the Committee on Rules of the Senate of Virginia determined that Hurt “does not have a personal interest in the consideration of Senate Bill 525 and that his obligation to vote on matters before the Senate should be honored.”

Well, I can't think of any better group to determine if a Virginia state senator has a conflict of interest than a panel of Virginia state senators, can you? Politicians would never protect other politicians ... right?

You'd think if there's anything Robert Hurt wouldn't want to talk about the day before the most important election of his life, it's his support for uranium mining.

Why? I've been here in Virginia's 5th Congressional district for most of the last week & voters know uranium mining in Virginia is about socializing risks & privatizing profits. Uranium mining has never been done east of the Mississippi & could pose risks to Virginia's drinking water supply. Hurt's position favors a handful of wealthy donors at the expense of 5th district voters. That's what he wants to focus on?

Tom Perriello, on the other hand, supports objective analysis of the risks & rewards and doing what's best for Virginians as a whole.

Politifact Virginia called the ad in question barely true, but that's not even the standard Hurt's lawsuit needs to achieve. Hurt needs to prove the ad is completely false AND that the conservation groups & TV stations KNEW it was false and aired it anyway.

Extremely strange that Hurt would put so much at risk by spotlighting this issue when it looks like he has such a steep hill to climb. I'm sure Tom Perriello's campaign is thrilled to have yet another opportunity to talk about Robert Hurt's connections to special interests.