Pittsylvania County Board of Supervisors Resolution - - A Different Take

Below is the Resolution passed on Tuesday, Feb. 17, 2009, by the Pittsylvania Co. Board of Supervisors. Is it really as strong as many think it is? The Community Environmental Legal Defense Fund's local community organizer Shireen Parsons doesn't think so.

WHEREAS, the Coal and Energy Commission's Study Group is accepting questions or concerns to the group; and

WHEREAS, the Pittsylvania County Board of Supervisors reiterates the position taken by the Board in 2007 that called for an independent study and safety concerns; and

THEREFORE, BE IT HEREBY RESOLVED, that the State Mining Study Comission determine by its study and report that no damage or harm will be done to Pittsylvania Couney [sic], its businesses, institutions, environment and its citizens by uranium mining, as opposed to a cost/benefit approach to this issue or simply accepting minimal damages; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Board of Supervisors directs that a copy of this resolution be presented to Coal and Energy Commission Study Group on the behalf of the Board and the Citizens of Pittsylvania County.

Given under my hand this 17th day of February, 2009.


Coy E. Harville, Chairman
Pittsylvania County Board of Supervisors


William D. Sleeper, Clerk
Pittsylvania County Board of Supervisors

Ms. Parsons' response:

Last year, these "public servants" passed a resolution calling for an independent study of the impacts of uranium mining on the citizens and environment of Pittsylvania County. On Tuesday, they passed this resolution of garbled syntax requesting the Coal and Energy Commission Study Group to "determine by its study and report that no damage or harm will be done to Pittsylvania County, its businesses, institutions, environment and its citizens by uranium mining...."

That's all. Apparently, they don't want facts -- they just want the commission to tell us that everything will be hunky-dory.

Really, it's virtually a certainty that the commission will determine that uranium mining can be done safely in Virginia, then the legislature will approve a regulatory program for uranium mining, the moratorium will disappear, and the mining will proceed at Coles Hill and elsewhere in the state.

But what if the commission admits that some "damage or harm" will be done? The resolution doesn't request that, in such case, the legislature refuse to approve a regulatory program for uranium mining and, thereby, maintain the moratorium.

Today's Chatham Star-Tribune report by Tim Davis about this resolution is entitled,"Pittsylvania County takes stronger stand on uranium." John Crane's article in the Danville Register & Bee's is similarly entitled. Did either of these reporters bother to read the ordinance?

Shireen Parsons
Community Organizer
CELDF

(with permission)