Virginia Energy Resources Inc. Corporate (Investor) Presentation

You really need to read this. There are lots of pictures and graphs...it's not a difficult read. But it sure is an interesting one. Everything is falling into place just like dominoes, for Santoy/VERI, VUI, Va Tech, and all investors. There's plenty of space for tailings and a uranium mill. Tech is offering all sorts of student work experiences. It's amazing, actually, to read just how well, and how quickly, things are moving toward mining. It's as though nothing can possibly get in the way. We are fighting a HUGE machine here...one that's well-organized, well-oiled, and well-funded. When will the rest of the state wake up? It's imperative that Southside have the rest of the Commonwealth behind it in this fight. It's enormity has never been better presented than it is here:

http://www.santoy.ca/i/pdf/CorporatePresentation.pdf

Uranium study faces premature doubts [hunh?]

Let's review:

Nowhere on this earth has uranium mining been done safely.

The entity with the most to gain is paying for the study; the state of Virginia hasn't ante'd up one dime.

VUI and Virginia Energy are contributing to every conceivable politician and cause to further their position that Coles Hill should be mined.

Big-name pols are advertising Virginia as being "nuclear friendly" and are touting VA's "nuclear renaissance".

The relationships between politicians, lobbyists, company officials, some Va Tech faculty, and investors are so intertwined that they would appear as a big spider web if reduced to a chart.

So why is expecting that the study will favor mining in Virginia such a leap as to be called "premature"?

The Virginian-Pilot
© September 30, 2009

The respected National Research Council hasn't yet voted on whether to take on a study of uranium mining in Virginia, but the second-guessing has already started.

Some mining opponents in Pittsylvania County dismiss the results - which won't be available for nearly two years - because the study would be underwritten by Virginia Uranium Inc. The company stands to make billions if state officials allow it to tap the estimated 119 million pounds of ore in the county.

Residents are right to feel protective of their community. That's equally true of Virginia Beach leaders, who are concerned that mining could contaminate the city's water supply in Lake Gaston.

But no one has legitimately questioned the integrity of the NRC, the operating arm of the National Academy of Sciences, or suggested a better alternative.

It would be preferable for the state to pay the $1.2 million to $1.4 million for the study, but that's not a realistic option this year. Gov. Tim Kaine recently announced budget cuts that will cost nearly 600 salaried state workers their jobs. Core public safety and mental health services face funding reductions.

The only way to determine whether uranium can be safely mined in Virginia's rainy climate is to allow Virginia Uranium to pay for that assessment. It's an uncomfortable arrangement but one that can work with appropriate safeguards.

The mining company should be required to pay the full amount for the study up front, eliminating any temptation to retract its support if preliminary findings aren't favorable. It should also disclose the source of its money, identifying the investors who are fronting the funds for the study. That's important because no scientists should be permitted to participate in the study if they are employed by a mining company with a financial interest in the project.

William Kearney, a spokesman for the National Academy of Sciences, noted that the organization has a strict conflict-of-interest policy for participating scientists. But state officials must be full partners in preserving the integrity of the study, and they should require VUI to publicly identify its investors before work begins.

The governing board of the NRC is expected to vote on the study proposal in October or November. If it agrees to the project, it will then begin contract negotiations with Virginia Tech's Center for Coal and Energy Research, chosen by state lawmakers to coordinate the study.

The details of that contract, particularly its financial provisions, must be made public. Further, state legislators should hold a meeting to explain the contract and take comments. They should ensure that the scope of the assessment includes an examination of claims by Pittsylvania residents that exploratory drilling at the site has contaminated local wells. Equally important, the state should guarantee that a separate study on the mine's economic impact does not begin until questions of safety are fully addressed.

Opponents who repudiate a study before it even exists risk marginalizing themselves before the real debate begins. But that doesn't negate the fact that many thousands of Virginians who have been less vocal still want and deserve an open, transparent process that puts their health and safety above all other interests.

http://hamptonroads.com/2009/09/uranium-study-faces-premature-doubts

Letter: Consider the Sources

by Letter to the editor

Wednesday, September 30, 2009

Regarding the letter "Nuclear engineering graphic bombs," (CT, Sept. 22) by alumni Eric Danner and J. Carrington Dillon, the Collegiate Times staff and your readers should know what motivated the authors to criticize that ingenious and appropriate graphic.

Danner and Dillon are employed by AREVA, a multi-billion-dollar, multinational mega-corporation primarily owned by the French government. According to its corporate Web site, AREVA, with its uranium mines and uranium processing plants, is "ranked first in the global nuclear power industry." Danner and Dillon's AREVA job descriptions also include creating and managing Clean Energy Insight (www.cleanenergyinsight.org), a propaganda tool for the nuclear industry.

And, of course, Danner and Dillon are supporters of the planned uranium mine in Pittsylvania County, which would be the first of many in eastern Virginia, bringing devastation to the environment and human communities throughout the region and beyond. And AREVA and Virginia Tech stand to make millions off the deal.

So, what kind of corporate footprint does AREVA have on the environment and human communities where it operates? According to Integrated Regional Information Networks (IRIN), the humanitarian news and analysis service of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, in Niger, mining operations owned and operated by AREVA in partnership with the Nigerian government have contaminated the air, soil and water, resulting in sickness and death for local residents and depleting regional groundwater supplies.

And the Paris-based Commission for Independent Research and Information on Radioactivity, which specializes in the analysis of radioactivity in the environment, found "serious lapses" in and near AREVA mining sites in Niger. In 2005, CRIIRAD environmental studies found water radiation levels in mining communities up to 110 times higher than the World Health Organization safe drinking water standards for industrial areas. You can read about AREVA's mining impacts in Niger at www.irinnews.org/report.aspx?reportid=83706.

Uranium mining corporations profit from environmental devastation and human suffering wherever they operate. Eric Danner and J. Carrington Dillon are a couple of their minions. Consider the source.

Shireen Pansoms
Va. community organizer
Community Environmental Legal Defense Fund
Christiansburg, Va.

http://www.collegiatetimes.com/stories/14307

Area residents visit uranium site [Coles Hill]

We are posting this Letter to the Editor of the Chatham Star-Tribune (and Martinsville Messenger) from Pittsylvania Co. resident Glenn Giles 2 weeks after it appeared because a reply to it has been been published by the Chatham Star-Tribune today and we wanted the two to appear together. We had chosen to not post Mr. Giles' letter when it was published because it appeared to be little more than an advertisement for VUI and the grand wonders of uranium mining...sort of like Walter Coles' Uranium Fantasy Land. Mr. Giles' story of his day with VUI representatives sounded like a fairy tale designed by PR firms who, not wanting to be known as the Brothers Grim (which harkens back to those tellers of scary tales in the 1800's, the Brothers Grimm) have "Walt-Disney-ized" the scary (true) stories of uranium mining and so have made them pleasant and pretty, just waiting to be made into a lavish musical cartoon movie.

We were particularly amazed by the author of the letter below, Glenn D. Giles. Mr. Giles has been very active within the Pittsylvania Co. Historical Society, having served as its president and on its board of directors. Does he not see how radically and irreparably the history of Pittsylvania Co. will change when the carnage of uranium mining is unleashed in his beloved county? Under his careful stewardship, "The End" could easily be written as the next chapter of Pittsylvania County's history. How tragic...and how avoidable.

Mr. Giles is also deeply involved with the Dan River Business Development Center. He serves on the Board of Directors and represents the Pittsylvania County Economic Development Office. He has a responsibility to Pittsylvania Co. and to the entire area to act in its best interest as he and the DRBDC attempt to attract new business and industry to the Danville-PittCo area. Has he not read about what happens to cities and towns that have been ruined by uranium mining/milling? Businesses and industries unrelated to uranium tend to avoid these contaminated areas as the lasting scourges of mining and milling activities are not conducive to quality life. Those who might become employees with new companies run a higher-than-average risk of becoming quite ill as the result of having lived in the radioactive contamination in mining/milling areas. The new companies' health insurance costs will sky-rocket as the result of paying for cancers, kidney and thyroid problems, etc. caused by the previous and chronic exposure to radiation and radon.

Perhaps he should read Yellowcake Towns: Uranium Mining Communities in the American West (Mining the American West) by Michael A. Amundson. Talk about grim!

But Mr. Giles and a small entourage visited with VUI and went to Coles Hill and, if his letter is accurate, fell for the manufactured ambience. Here is his report of that visit:

Wednesday, June 17, 2009 10:23 AM EDT

As a Pittsylvania native and one who spent 40 years in the chemical industry, I have found it embarrassing to admit to friends that I knew very little about uranium, the element, and nothing about its source and processing. When it was announced that the largest deposit of uranium in the United States was discovered in Pittsylvania County, I was excited, as anyone with scientific curiosity should be.

I had hoped factual details concerning this discovery, as well as some development plans, would be forthcoming in an understandable way. However, it seems that some newspapers rarely feel any obligation or responsibility to pass on scientific facts; residents seeking such information must find other venues.

That's just what my family and I did, and a report of our experience may encourage others who are interested in such facts to do the same thing. The website for Virginia Uranium is www.virginiauranium.com, and it lists the company's contact number, 434-432-1065. Upon calling this number, I was told they welcomed visits at any time, but preferred scheduling visitors in groups.

I telephoned six friends, who were free on short notice, and together we attended an informational presentation at VUI last week.

The session began with a slide presentation that included information on the geology of Pittsylvania County, followed by the history of the discovery of uranium at Coles Hill and the magnitude of the deposit, including a fascinating computer-based, 3-D model of the deposit. A discussion followed on the utilization of uranium compounds in medicine, power generation and national defense. Local health and environmental concerns were discussed, including the scientific study being conducted by the National Academy of Sciences, which will be designed to identify and address many of these concerns.

We were then given driving instructions to the Coles Hill site. We saw the previously described 3,000-acre buffer zone controlled by the company and the areas where mining and processing would take place if the development goes forward. Most impressive is the historic Coles manor house. We concluded our outing with a delicious lunch at BB Crane's on Chalk Level Road.

Even if you have inherent or induced fears relative to the safety aspects of uranium mining, you will find VUI employees very friendly and professional hosts and also find the time spent on your personal educational pursuit a worthwhile and memorable event. I recommend this visit to anyone who seeks a better basis for understanding this important issue.

Glenn D. Giles

Danville

http://www.wpcva.com/articles/2009/06/17/altavista/opinion/opinion01.txt

'Cheerleaders' for nuclear energy ignore facts

Talk about keepin' it real!

Chatham Star-Tribune

Letter to the Editor

Wednesday, June 24, 2009

The Virginia Uranium Inc. oligarchy continues to ignore and minimize the negative impacts of uranium mining and milling.

Equally disturbing is this industry's ongoing attempts to erode our civil rights and the legislators who are allowing this travesty.

Virginia Uranium has engaged a host of self-serving experts and VUI family members to write letters of support on their behalf.

Their letters speak, in generalities, of nuclear power and avoid mention of the negative impacts of uranium mining and milling on a community, region and state.

The Nuclear Energy Institute has joined the metastasizing Virginia Uranium Inc. supporters.

NEI project manager Suzanne Phelps weighs in with more of the same.

Ms. Phelps likes to "name drop," citing Gov. Kaine, President Obama and former EPA administrator Whitman as supporters of nuclear energy.

Do any of these folks have a uranium mine and mill in their neighborhoods?

She also says the uranium from Coles Hill could fuel Virginia for 65 years.

Phelps portrays VUI as a philanthropic organization regarding yellowcake dispersal.

Somehow I don't see all that yellowcake, or enriched uranium, being warehoused for decades for exclusive use by Virginia.

Phelps further comments, "That potential speaks volumes about the long-term economic opportunities that Pittsylvania County and area residents can derive from mining practices that embrace environmental stewardship and incorporate lessons learned from worldwide experience in this field."

It appears she has the answer to the question we've all been asking. Where are three places in the world, similar to our climate, watersheds and population where mining and milling have been done safely? How many jobs were created?

Perhaps she'll enlighten us in future epistles.

I especially like the "magic" in Phelp's quote: "Nuclear energy is cheap and clean, and we have plenty of it here in America and Virginia."

You dig up some rocks and there's your energy!

She neglects to mention the radioactive/hazardous wastes that are generated and stored for thousands of years as a result of mining, milling and nuclear power generation.

She also omits information regarding the cost of building a reactor and the tax dollars that subsidize, monitor and clean up after the industry.

We do not appreciate cheerleaders for nuclear energy. We crave factual information regarding mining and milling of uranium.

We deserve local and state representative who are bright enough to know the difference.

Karen B. Maute

Danville

http://www.wpcva.com/articles/2009/06/24/chatham/opinion/opinion01.txt

Northrop Grumman Administrator: VA has nothing to fear from uranium

From our friends at "Virginia Energy Independence Alliance", the cleverly named group that's actually a play on the new name of the Santoy/VUI merger whose website, http://www.virginiaenergy.org/home/ is the best spin and manipulation money can buy and a good PR firm can dream up, comes this little ditty.

I guess that when you're preparing for the day when you can perpetrate wreck and ruin upon everything within scores of miles, you don't want anyone to realize that while you're waiting. Sooo...what's an agent of death and destruction to do?

Spread lies, of course! On everything and everyone! You make yourself sound like the Messiah and those who oppose you like raving lunatics. You go far and wide to find folks who'll do your lying for you...making stuff up as they go along...as long as the bad guys look like the good guys and the good guys look like the evil-doers. This letter below is a fine example...one of the more outrageous we've seen in its degree of fantasy.

We all need to face the facts...uranium mining and milling are not safe and not advantageous to anyone save a few investors and perhaps a handful of peripheral players like PR agents, lobbyists, and those who will sign modern-day fairy tales to make them appear as sincere letters. It's only going to get more and more ridiculous in the days and months ahead...the "facts" will become the fantasies and the fantasies the facts.

Prepare yourself! It's going to be a bit like Alice as she stepped through the Looking Glass...nothing will be as it appears. It's important to remember, though, who's telling the truth...and can verify their stories through myriad respected sources: those anti-uranium advocates who Virginia Energy will continue to portray as "opponents spreading fear" (aka telling the hard, cold truth) and those pro-uranium advocates who will sing you to sleep with lullabyes of the goodness and wonder of radioactivity, illness, contamination and devastation.

You can continue to get your daily dose of "true truth" (honest facts backed up by science and history) here...I promise.

And now on with the show!

In a letter to the editor of the Virginian-Pilot, Mike Cohen - Virginia Beach resident and contract administrator with Northrop Grumman Shipbuilding - reassures Hampton Roads and Southside residents that they have nothing to fear from uranium mining in Pittsylvania County. Pittsylvania County is home to Coles Hill, the largest untapped uranium deposit in the U.S. Mr. Cohen tells residents that so much of the fear spread by opponents of mining the Coles Hill deposit is based on erroneous myths and complete fallacies that are easily invalidated by science.

Indeed, the premise that our water supply is in danger reflects an ignorance of the water chemistry and material characteristics of uranium and its related products, which make such long-distance transport virtually impossible…

Uranium is a naturally occurring component of soils, building materials and coal. It is already present in every source of our water supply, as well as our homes, office buildings and yards.

Radon, the decay product of uranium most frequently cited as a danger, is steadily emitted from the earth below us and accumulates in our buildings. The simple fact that we construct airtight buildings accounts for more human radon exposure than all of the mines in this country combined…

Finally, we are exposed to far more hazardous contaminants than uranium every day in [Hampton Roads]. Ships, trucks and trains carrying deadly chemicals come in and out of the port every day, many of which have the potential to contaminate our air and water supply in a severe accident. Yet we tolerate that risk because of the benefit to our economy.”

Mr. Cohen believes the development of the Coles Hill deposit will provide enormous economic benefits by creating as many as 1,000 new jobs and breaking our dependence on foreign energy.

So when you read in the coming months about Coles Hill, remember to keep the big picture. While there are potential risks with any large project, we stand to lose much more by leaving our natural resources in the ground.”

http://www.virginiaenergy.org/2009/06/23/northrop-grumman-administrator-va-has-nothing-to-fear-from-uranium/

Southside Virginia Targeted as 'Sacrifice Zone'; Wake Up, Southside

The video mentioned here is pure propaganda, masterfully made. Ominous music, scary faces of "unstable" foreign leaders...soothing music and lovely shots of beautiful Pittsylvania Co. and the lane to Coles Hill, the answer to all looming energy woes. "Virginia Energy" should be ashamed of itself for its blatant attempt to deceive the video's viewers.

From the Chatham Star-Tribune
May 20, 2009

From the Danville Register & Bee
May 24, 2009

Southside Virginia is being targeted as a sacrifice zone.

Don't believe it? Take a look at this seemingly all-American video produced by the Virginia Energy Independence Alliance: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PFScxZ8VozU.

It touts bringing in jobs and securing our energy independence from other countries like Russia, Venezuela and Saudi Arabia.

Sounds all good, doesn't it?

The video shows pristine views of Southside Virginia. But where, oh where, are the mountains of radioactive tailings piles and chemical-laden holding ponds that will also come with uranium mining and milling?

No panoramic views of them!

And there's no mention of air and groundwater pollution, sickness and cancer death that also follows the industry.

All U.S. states where the mining and milling of uranium has occurred seek federal funding to cleanup the radioactive toxic waste left behind by the industry.

It also touts, "Support the Study" by the National Academy of Sciences, which is to determine whether uranium mining and milling can be done safely in the state of Virginia.

Seems the pro-mining groups already know what the study's findings will be, doesn't it?

Wake up, Southside!

This may be a future that is a few years down the road in coming to fruition, but it's just like the holidays each year - they finally arrive.

I don't want to move away from Southside to protect my family's health. Do you?

Scarier still, once the state of Virginia lifts the moratorium on the mining and milling of uranium, other uranium-rich areas beyond Southside will be subject to becoming sacrifice zones.

Where will we move where the air and drinking water will be safe?

Anne Cockrell

Danville

http://www.wpcva.com/articles/2009/05/20/chatham/opinion/opinion04.txt

http://www.godanriver.com/gdr/news/opinion/letters_to_the_editor/danville_letters/article/wake_up_southside/11229/

Virginia Energy's Tremendous Push for Uranium Mining Sells Out Southside

Oh, my God!! Virginia Energy, an energy coalition, has jumped on the "mine, baby, mine" bandwagon with both feet! Whew! Scare tactics, misinformation, half-truths, major-league spin...all timed to coincide with the Study Commission's meeting next week This video specifically talks about the uranium deposit in Pittsylvania County and how mining it will save Virginia! It even shows the lane into Coles Hill, Register & Bee headlines`and local unemployment statistics,. It calls on folks to support the mining study!! Virginia Energy is selling out Southside!

Southside, we have one week to get the rest of the Commonwealth on board the anti-uranium mining train...the mining study is going to focus on, and eventually open, the entire state to mining and at this point, most of Virginia is being portrayed as either disinterested or mining-friendly. That message really has to change...FAST.

Take a look...it's simply incredible!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PFScxZ8VozU

From the video's tag on YouTube...

"America is too dependent for its energy on unstable, even adversarial countries like Russia, Venezuela, Saudi Arabia and Nigeria. This puts America's national security and energy future at risk. Virginia's abundant, untapped supplies of vital energy resources can be part of the solution and will create thousands of new jobs. Find out more at www.VirginiaEnergy.org."

Uranium Mining Subcommittee to meet on issue May 21 in Richmond

Look at this...does it say anything about Coles Hill or Southside specifically? Nope...it's all state-wide. The public hearing...the request for Chambers of Commerce to participate in developing questions and identify areas of concern? All because Coles Hill has been identified as the first area that will be mined, not because anyone cares specifically about Southside. Folks, you've been duped!

By Staff

Published: May 9, 2009

The Virginia Coal & Energy Commission’s Uranium Mining Subcommittee has released the final draft of the first part of the study to be undertaken by the National Research Council to determine whether uranium can be safely mined and milled in the Commonwealth.

The Virginia Coal & Energy Commission’s Uranium Mining Subcommittee will meet regarding the final draft at 2:30 p.m. May 21 in the General Assembly Building in Richmond.

There has been a statewide moratorium on uranium mining and milling since 1982, but restricted uranium exploration has been allowed in Virginia since 2007. Virginia Uranium Inc. hopes to mine and mill a 119-million pound uranium ore deposit at Coles Hill, about six miles northeast of Chatham.

The NRC study will examine the scientific, technical, environmental, human health and safety, and regulatory aspects of uranium mining, milling and processing. A draft for the second part of the study, dealing with the socioeconomic aspects of uranium mining, has not been decided upon by the Uranium Mining subcommittee.

According to the Virginia Coal and Energy Commission, the study will:

Review global and national uranium market trends.

Identify and briefly describe the main types of uranium deposits worldwide, including, for example, geologic characteristics, mining operations, and best practices.

Review the geologic, environmental, geographic, climatic, and cultural settings and exploration status of uranium resources in the Commonwealth of Virginia.

Review the primary technical options and best practice approaches for uranium mining, milling, processing and reclamation that might be applicable within the Commonwealth of Virginia, including discussion of improvements made since 1980 in the design, construction and monitoring of tailings impoundments.

Review the state and federal regulatory framework for uranium mining, milling, processing and reclamation.

Review federal requirements for secure handling of uranium materials, including personnel, transportation, site security and material control and accountability.

Assess the potential short- and long-term occupational and public health and safety considerations from uranium mining, milling, processing and reclamation, including the potential human health effects from exposure to “daughter’ products of radioactive decay of uranium.

Identify the issues that may need to be considered regarding the quality and quantity of groundwater and surface water and the quality of soil and air from uranium mining, milling, processing and reclamation. As relevant, water and waste management and severe weather effects or other stochastic events may also be considered.

Assess the potential ecosystem issues for uranium mining, milling, processing and reclamation.

Identify baseline data and approaches necessary to monitor environmental and human impacts associated with uranium mining, milling, processing and reclamation.

Briefly characterize a potential public education and outreach program in the Commonwealth of Virginia for a uranium mining operation (for example, health and safety issues, inspection and enforcement, community right-to-know, emergency planning.).

The study will take about two years. If the study finds uranium can be mined and milled safely in the Commonwealth, the General Assembly would decide whether to lift the moratorium on the practice.

http://www.godanriver.com/gdr/news/local/danville_news/article/uranium_mining_subcommittee_to_meet_on_issue_may_21_in_richmond/10895/

People Died Because of the Three Mile Island Nuclear Accident, Why Won't Corporate Media Admit It?

By Harvey Wasserman, AlterNet.
Posted April 6, 2009

Thirty years after the melt-down, an Iron Curtain has formed between corporate and independent media, with nuclear power at its center.

Chernobyl exploded and Three Mile Island missed by a whisker. They both killed people.

But thirty years after the Pennsylvania melt-down, a Soviet-style Iron Curtain has formed between the corporate media and the alternatives, with nuclear power at its center.

The Soviets denied for days that the Chernobyl accident had happened at all. America's parallel corporate media says "no one died at TMI."

Take National Public Radio's Scott Simon. On March 28, Simon smirked on air that "no one was killed or injured" at Three Mile Island, "not so much as a sprained ankle."

Except when people are fleeing them, as they did 30 years ago, radiation releases have never been linked directly to joint sprains.

But cancer, leukemia, birth defects, stillbirths, malformations, spontaneous abortions, skin lesions, hair loss, respiratory problems, sterility, nausea, cataracts, a metallic taste, premature aging, general loss of bodily function and more can be caused by radioactive emissions of the type that poured out of TMI. And all such ailments have been documented there outside the corporate media.

Simon and everyone else inside the corporate media missed the well-organized, well-executed press event in the statehouse at Harrisburg on March 26. Despite solid publicity from Eric Epstein and the long-standing Three Mile Island Alert, not a single corporate reporter covered presentations by nuclear engineer Arnie Gundersen and University of North Carolina epidemiologist Dr. Stephen Wing.

Once a top industry executive, Gundersen has shown that the containment at Three Mile Island Unit 2 did not completely hold, and that far more radiation was released than previously believed.

Dr. Wing reports that levels of radiation-related disease significantly rose in the downwind area. Wing and three co-authors looked at statistics used in a major study by Columbia University and other sources. They concluded that -- despite official denials -- the numbers clearly indicate serious potential health effects.

Gundersen and Wing were neither hiding nor alone. University of Pittsburgh radiology Professor Emeritus Dr. Ernest Sternglass and health researchers Joe Mangano and Jay Gould have long since documented that public health catastrophe. House-to-house surveys from local residents Jane Lee and Mary Osborne confirm the damage. Massive anecdotal evidence collected in a book and radio show by Robbie Leppzer appears at www.turningtide.com. Published in 1982 by DellDelta, Killing Our Own correlated the death toll at TMI with that from other mis-uses of radiation. Other books have followed with similar conclusions.

This tidal wave of proof about the TMI death toll spread through the "alternative" media prior to the accident's anniversary. Democracy Now!'s Amy Goodman and Juan Gonzales talked with me about it on March 27. Announced by the Institute for Public Accuracy, the story appeared on the Pacifica and Counterspin/Fair radio networks , and with Peter B. Collins on the Thomm Hartmann Show. It was also heard on stations such as WORT (Madison), KBOO (Oregon), KDKA (Pittsburgh), radioornot.com, and more. Websites like Huffington Post, CommonDreams, AlterNet, FreePress.org, NukeFree, CounterPunch, BuzzFlash, Smirking Chimp, Daily Kos, and dozens more got the story out, as did environmental groups like Greenpeace, NIRS and Beyond Nuclear.

Read the rest of this article here: http://www.alternet.org/environment/135278/people_died_because_of_the_three_mile_island_nuclear_accident%2C_why_won%27t_corporate_media_admit_it_/?page=entire

A Clean, Energy-Driven Economy Will Create New Opportunities for Virginia

Oh, yeah...this guy's been paying attention. What is it with some of these folks? They can write but they can't read? One more time...uranium is NOT clean.

March 27, 2009 12:50 AM
by Bernie Niemeier, Publisher

The public’s acceptance of environmental sustainability is past the tipping point. The temporary retreat of $4 per gallon gasoline has done little to diminish the lines of consumers carrying reusable shopping bags or postpone the need to develop better alternative fuels.

Many business leaders are among those promoting sustainability. That’s a fact you would not expect given current stereotypes. Business executives are a maligned bunch. Too often they are portrayed as fat cats, interested in little more than spending time on the golf course and in private jets or, particularly of late, collecting big bonuses.

Like most stereotypes, these fit too easily to be true. It’s been awhile since many executives have seen bonuses. In fact, business has been pretty tough lately. The Wall Street Journal reports that 61 companies in the S&P 500 index replaced their CEOs last year. In the first five weeks this year, 11 more were added to those ranks.

In coping with the stress of managing in a difficult economy, many business leaders that I know take advantage of Virginia’s wealth of outdoor recreational opportunities. We have a set of robust state and national parks; one of the best trout stocking programs in the country; and easy access to mountains, rivers and the Chesapeake Bay. Business leaders understand that these natural resources contribute to the Virginia’s outstanding quality of life.

Virginia also is a state of diverse energy resources. Coal and nuclear power provide the vast majority of our energy needs. Despite opposition in some quarters, these sources are being continually improved. The development of clean-coal technology, for example, is a major opportunity for Virginia to leverage the research of its outstanding universities.

After a 30-year wait on new construction, expansion of nuclear facilities in Virginia and around the country appears likely. Despite its detractors, nuclear is the cleanest and most efficient source of energy available. Companies like Areva in Lynchburg are poised to become global suppliers of the latest nuclear equipment and technology.

In addition, alternative fuel projects such as wind turbines and biodiesel are increasingly common around the state.

Although controversial, natural-gas drilling off the Atlantic coast and uranium mining in Pittsylvania County are also possibilities for Virginia to create economic opportunities in the emerging new-energy landscape.

Smart-grid technology, which would distribute all available energy sources efficiently to consumers, is another area where our university research can excel.

Energy will be the driver of future growth. The good news is that energy production helps all sectors of our economy. Power is a real product. Research provides the kind of jobs that Virginia is well positioned to provide.

The emphasis placed on the energy sector by the Obama Administration presents an opportunity. Virginia’s record of benefiting from federal investment is an asset we hold in abundance compared to other states.

The prospect of an energy-based economic revival is more than welcome after the failure of an economy characterized by financial manipulations, many of which had more in common with casino gambling than with job-producing industries.

At Virginia Business, our view is that investments in energy production and green technologies will be good for the environment.

Today’s executives understand the full value of sustainable business practices. We enjoy a green environment and all it has to offer, as a resource for recreation and as a new business opportunity for Virginia.

http://www.virginiabusiness.com/index.php/opinion/article/a-clean-energy-driven-economy-will-create-new-opportunities-for-virginia/199614/

Hats Off to Virginia Uranium! [Says Cole]

Oh, my...the VUI Kool-Aid is running like water here. Whew!

Mr. Cole must not have read the recent statement by Walter Coles that the study must only establish that it's "fairly clear" that the mining will be safe. Thus we needn't be reading any more quotes about "If it can't be done safely, it won't be done at all"; the new standard must now be quoted as "If it can't be done fairly safely...blah, blah blan." All we need to determine is what "fairly" means. With uranium, particularly with radon and water contamination, it's pretty much all or nothing...there's no "fairly safe" to it.

I live in KY...lots of mines and miners in KY. I've never yet met a wealthy miner. Wealthy mine owners, yes. Fairly wealthy off-site mining supervisors, yes. Comfortable mine inspectors, yes. But wealthy miners, never.

Chatham Star-Tribune
Opinion

Just to set the record straight, I recall it was Virginia Uranium that originally said, "If it can't be done safely, it won't be done at all" in reference to the feasibility and possible development of a mine in the area.

Instead of raking Virginia Uranium over the coals with unfounded accusations, anti-mining groups should applaud a company that makes a statement like that and wants to stand behind it.

In the next decade the supply for domestic energy will nearly double and alternative energy just won't meet the demand.

But oddly enough, the SCC, Alliance and other naysayers insist that uranium - the very mineral that produces 30 percent of the domestic electricity in Virginia - should not be mined.

Simply put, these groups don't like mining, whether uranium, coal or otherwise, but they enjoy the daily benefits of a warm house, lights, computer, etc.

If you are so adamant, please call the power company and disconnect your electric service.

Better yet, stop driving your car and move into a mud hut, because those are all made from mined materials.

Although the existing moratorium is what carries the real weight, agencies and supervisors are being pestered with proposals for bans and resolutions.

A detailed study is being overseen by the Coal and Energy Commission and the opportunity to comment was given.

Yet before the study even started, the naysayers declared it "bogus" and publicly accused sub-committee members of taking bribes, which is untrue.

If opposers had any integrity, they would either prove their accusations or make a public apology.

Some accuse Virginia Uranium of greed, then turn around and want to tax a mineral deposit before it's even mined. How reasonable is that?

Until the study is completed all this posturing and conjecturing is a waste of time and money.

Homer Hickham, NASA engineer and author of "Rocket Boys," which was made into the movie "October Sky," gave a most stirring and inspirational speech last Monday at a benefit dinner for the Boys and Girls Clubs of Danville and Chatham.

His roots go deep into the coal-mining town of Coalville, West Virginia, and he is proud of his heritage.

He said that this nation has been carried on the backs of coal miners like those of West Virginia.

So why don't we honor the mining industry instead of demeaning it?

Let me salute Virginia Uranium and Walter Coles for trying to do the right thing in the face of such opposition.

Frank Cole

Sheva

http://www.wpcva.com/articles/2009/03/25/chatham/opinion/opinion03.txt

Subcommittee Reviews Proposed Uranium Study Draft

When the first several inches of a list of study goals, like the one below, cover nothing pertinent to safety, then it's crystal clear that safety is not a primary goal of the study. When that list starts out with economics, then that's the primary focus of the study. This is just so wrong...so very wrong. ...SB

By TIM DAVIS/Star-Tribune Editor
Wednesday, March 25, 2009 9:26 AM EDT

The Virginia Coal and Energy Commission subcommittee studying the dangers and benefits of uranium mining voted unanimously Tuesday to proceed with a tentative draft of the study's objectives.

Dr. Michael Karmis, a professor in the Department of Mining and Minerals Engineering and director of the Virginia Center for Coal and Energy Research at Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, presented the proposed study draft to the Uranium Mining Subcommittee in Richmond.

Karmis has been reviewing information from two earlier public hearings, including one in Chatham, and will work with the National Academy of Sciences before presenting a final draft of the study to the subcommittee in 30 to 60 days.

"This tentative scope is a framework for a comprehensive study," said Del. Don Merricks, who traveled to the state capital Tuesday to speak to the subcommittee. "By design it's broad to allow the subcommittee to expand it if they need to. At least it gives them a starting point."

Del. Danny Marshall of Danville and Sen. Robert Hurt of Chatham also addressed the subcommittee.

"I'm pleased with what's been done so far," said Marshall. "I think the questions they have brought forth are good. My questions now are what do we do next and what's the time line."

Marshall also believes it's important to look at the safety of uranium mining first, a point made by subcommittee member Del. William R. Janis of Glen Allen.

"He hit the nail on the head," said Marshall. "It's about the safety of our citizens. Whether uranium is selling for $1 or $1,000 an ounce doesn't make any difference."

Hurt described the study draft as a "working document" and said the subcommittee still wants input from citizens.

Once approved, the study is expected to take about two years.

Merricks said questions remain about who will pay for the study, which could cost $1 million.

The subcommittee meeting was open to the public, and residents were given time to speak.

Katie Whitehead, chairman of the Dan River Basin Association Mining Task Force, said the study should first answer the basic question of whether it is safe to live near uranium mining and milling.

"We should ask the National Academy of Sciences upfront to consider the health issue," she said. "If the necessary epidemiological studies have not been done, we don't need to get into the technical aspects of mining engineering and the global market for uranium. We should not be lured by potential benefits if we do not have sound scientific evidence to evaluate potential risks."

Whitehead also is a member of the Halifax Chamber Uranium Study Group, which produced a lengthy and detailed report on uranium mining that was presented to the subcommittee.

She warned that the National Academy of Sciences may not be able to determine whether uranium mining is safe by reviewing scientific studies because the necessary research has not been done to determine the health risks of exposure to heavy metals from living near uranium operations.

Del. Lee Ware of Powhatan is the subcommittee's chairman. Members include Del. Watkins Abbitt of Appomattox, Sen. John Watkins of Midlothian, Del. William R. Janis of Glen Allen, Del. Charles W. Carrico Sr. of Galax, Sen. Phillip P. Puckett of Tazewell, Del. Clarence E. Phillips of Castlewood, Del. Kristen J. Amundson of Fairfax County, Sen. Frank Wagner of Virginia Beach and Harry D. Childress.

Childress, a citizen member on the Coal and Energy Commission, is the former head of the Virginia Department of Mines, Minerals and Energy.

Abbitt was a member of the original commission that studied uranium mining in the 1980s.

The commission's chairman, Del. Terry Kilgore of Scott County, also serves on the subcommittee as an ex-officio member.

Pittsylvania County is home to one of the largest uranium deposits in the United States.

The Coles Hill uranium deposit, about six miles northeast of Chatham, was discovered in the early 1980s.

In 2007, the Coles and Bowen families, who own the ore, formed Virginia Uranium Inc. in hopes of mining the uranium, which at that time was worth between $8 billion and $10 billion.

Before the deposit can be mined, however, the General Assembly would have to lift Virginia's moratorium on uranium mining, which has been in place since 1982.

The Uranium Mining Subcommittee held a public hearing at Chatham High School in early January to receive input on the study. More than 400 people attended the meeting.

The study objectives are "to assess the scientific and technical aspects of uranium mining, milling and processing in Virginia and associated environmental, human health, safety and regulatory issues."

According to the draft, the study will review:

Uranium supply and demand trends and projections

_ Global, national and state

_ Short-term and long-term trends

_ Costs, prices and markets

Worldwide uranium deposits and operations

_ Deposit characteristics and locations (geology, climate, etc.)

_ Operation characteristics

_ Costs and markets

_ Best practices

_ Current issues and concerns

Uranium deposits in Virginia

_ Occurrence

_ Geologic, environmental, cultural, climatic and geographic settings

_ Physical and chemical characteristics

_ Status of current exploration

_ Available baseline data

_ Economic feasibility

_ Comparison of potential uranium operations in Virginia with global deposits and practices

Uranium mining, milling

and processing technologies

_ Review of current technologies and potential new technologies

_ Application of technologies/practices to Virginia deposits

_ Problems and issues

_ Available information

_ Knowledge gaps and areas for research

In addition, the study will assess:

Occupational and

public health and safety

_ Radiological hazards and risks

_ Occupational health and safety concerns

_ Considerations for local communities

_ Short- and long-term considerations

Security standards

and procedures

_ Hazardous materials management

_ Personnel safety

_ Material control and accountability

_ Transportation security

_ Information security

_ Site security

Environmental considerations

_ Potential impacts on air and land

_ Ground and surface water impacts and protection

_ Water management, including net consumption/recycling

_ Waste management, including overburden, waste rock and tailings

_ Ecosystem effects

_ Other environmental health issues

_ Risk modeling and impacts of severe weather effects

_ Noise, aesthetics, traffic and other local considerations

Closure and post-mining land use and monitoring

_ Mine site monitoring

_ Monitoring of tailings and other waste

_ Monitoring of local groundwater and surface waters

_ Site reclamation

_ Long-term land use impacts and restrictions

_ Off-site ecological monitoring

_ Post-closure financial responsibility and liabilities

Regulatory considerations

and public outreach in Virginia

_ Health and safety regulations

_ Environmental and mining laws and regulations

_ Inspection and enforcement

_ Community right-to-know and emergency planning

_ Education and outreach

According to the draft, the study will also look at the socio-economic impacts of uranium mining in Virginia.

The study objectives will be "to address site- and region-specific social, economic and environment impacts and sustainability factors such as quality of life, infrastructure, local economic opportunities and property and real estate values."

Study components will include:

Social impacts

_ Aesthetics and overall quality of life issues

_ Availability of and impacts on social infrastructure (police, fire, roads, schools etc.)

_ Effects on local population and commercial activity

_ Effects on internal and external image of the region

_ Marketability of the region for other industry and population

_ Fear of potential health and environmental effects

_ Short- vs. long-term effects and community sustainability

_ Educational opportunities

Economic impacts

_ Job creation and local income effects

_ Infrastructure development

_ Effects of changes in income and local economic activity

_ Tax revenues over life of mine and beyond

_ Impacts on government expenditures

_ Overall economic development effects, parallel and support businesses, etc.

_ Property values vs. distance from mine or processing facility

_ Impacts on real estate values in the area and on local communities

_ Long-term economic sustainability

Environmental impacts

_ Integration with the technical study (i.e. Nuclear Regulatory Commission

_ Environmental impacts on social and economic factors

_ Monitoring during operations/closure

tim.davis@chathamstartribune.com

Comment from a Reader:

Mike Roberts wrote on Mar 25, 2009 12:48 PM:

" Dont even let this study begin. Dont waste any time or money, scrap it now before it even gets off the ground. Its just not worth the worry. The residents of Pittsylvania County will stand together against this in every way to win on this issue and we will win. Uranium mining causes deaths and long-term environmental hazards. I dont care how safe they are mining it. Wake up people, we don't need any more weapons of mass destruction like contaminated water, cancer, and everything thing that goes along with it. Families of Pittsylvania County doesnt need to be made guinea pigs to prolonged exposure to various radionuclides in dust and water that is caused by this unneeded uranium mining. We have plenty of natural gas in this area to provide every home for the next hundred years. Who ever does this scientific engineering study will not let you know the full extent or the warnings, dangers and long term outcome of mining this dangerous product? The mining companies will tell how safe it is and the Government if it chooses, it can refuse to protect or warn against dangers it could bring. The land owners want it mined because they want the money it brings. No matter where we live these same people never change over generations they come around wanting something out of our land sometime with promises of jobs and economic strength. No matter what assurances are given, or what scientific common sense of the time tells us, think of the pass similar situations that have been the cause to kill thousands of people. Im a small land owner and have built my retirement home less then ten miles from the mining area and I want, and so does the people of Pittsylvania County to live in a safe environment worry free of any future exposure to any radioactive remnants in our air or water supply. We all need to wake up on this matter and all stand against this un-needed uranium mining. We have plenty other means of natural safe energy sources. Keep this stuff in the ground were it belongs. Give the people of Pittsylvania County the million thats going to be wasted on the study. "

http://www.wpcva.com/articles/2009/03/25/chatham/news/news50.txt

Uranium Committee Creates Hotline for Questions...24/7

Good grief!...a whole new form of propaganda! 4 a.m.? Can't sleep? Worried about health and safety hazards coming your way, compliments of uranium mining? Let a uranium industry expert put your mind at ease!

March 11, 2009 - 8:24 p.m.

AUSTIN - Residents who want to talk to industry experts about uranium mining now have a 24-hour resource.

With Uranium Energy Corp.'s uranium exploration and proposed uranium mining in Goliad County, residents have questioned the safety of the in situ recovery process. Others wonder how mining would affect their water wells.

So, the Texas Mining and Reclamation Association's Uranium Committee established a 24-hour hotline for South Texas residents, according to the group's news release.

"Knowledge can help minimize misunderstanding," Shannon Lucas, executive director, said via the release.

Residents call and leave a recorded message, then a representative will call within 24 hours and connect the resident with an expert. Experts can discuss anything from regulations and groundwater restoration to site reclamation and landowner rights, the release continued.

The uranium committee is a pro-industry group that attempts to balance developing resources with the environment and public welfare.

http://www.victoriaadvocate.com/news/local/story/429384.html