Don’t Throw It All Away - -Great Letter to Danville Register & Bee

Very nicely done, Karen!

To the editor:

The story, “Region makes Top 10 list!,” (April 23, page B1), states that Southern Business and Development magazine has listed both Danville-Pittsylvania County and Martinsville-Henry County as “Comeback Kids” for their ability to overcome economic obstacles. The loss of textiles and tobacco dealt this region a mighty blow. But we can “come back.”

We are located in a unique geographic position in our state and region. We have it all. Our region has beauty, a mild climate with four distinct seasons, no smog or traffic congestion, easy access to the mountains and the coast. That’s just for starters. We have two highways that connect to major interstates. We live in a relatively pristine environment.

There’s no reason we can’t continue to attract an array of new, desirable businesses and industries … unless we become known as a uranium mining region.
There is no greater threat to digging ourselves out of economic devastation than to dig ourselves into a uranium pit. Any jobs realized from mining and milling will pale next to the number and quality of jobs our region will lose if we become a yellowcake community.

In addition to the loss of potential economic opportunities we, as Virginia taxpayers, will foot the bill for a new layer of uranium-related administration, regulatory oversight and radioactive/heavy metal waste monitoring for generations.

Can we adequately analyze the negative impact of uranium mining and milling on our future economic development and quality of life?

Why risk it? We are the “Comeback Kids.” Let’s not bury our future economic development at the bottom of a uranium mine.

KAREN MAUTE
Danville

http://www.godanriver.com/gdr/news/opinion/letters_to_the_editor/danville_letters/article/april_25_city_taxes_no_pickup_and_comeback_kids/3140/