Sunday, November 29, 2009
Areva trying to block TV documentary on residual contamination left around former uranium mine sites in France
Comments: According to web page of the local, Canadian uranium corporation, uses France as example of the perfect uranium mining, well, duh, France has ruin their land, air and water with uranium mining and nuke power! Thanks KM!
Areva trying to block TV documentary on residual contamination left around former uranium mine sites in France
Areva, once again, spares no efforts to prove that it rightly received the 2008 Public Eye Award as one of "the world's most irresponsible companies":
On Feb. 11, 2009, public service TV chain France 3 plans to air a programme on the residual contamination found at former uranium mine sites all over France.
The broadcast titled "Uranium : le scandale de la France contaminée" (Uranium: the scandal of contaminated France) is to be aired in the monthly programme Pièces à conviction (Incriminating evidence).
According to the programme's investigators, 300 million tonnes of radioactive waste have been left at 210 former uranium mining sites in France without any protective measures nor surveillance.
Areva announced on Jan. 29, 2009, to call the regulatory authority Conseil supérieur de l'audiovisuel (CSA) to prevent the airing of the programme. (AFP/Le Républicain Lorrain Jan. 30, 2009)
Wednesday, February 11 - 20h35
Pièces à Conviction n°72 Exhibits No. 72
Uranium : le scandale de la France contaminée Uranium: the scandal of contaminated France
Discreetly in the countryside, nearby villages or towns, highly dangerous radioactive waste have been scattered or buried methodically for decades.
Pire encore, ils ont parfois servi à construire des routes, des parkings, et même des logements, des écoles ou des aires de jeu pour les enfants... Worse, they sometimes used to build roads, parking lots, and even homes, schools or play areas for children ... Sans aucune mise en garde sur les risques encourus ! Without any warning about the risks!
Car entre 1945 et 2001, la France a exploité 210 mines d'uranium sur son territoire. For between 1945 and 2001, France has operated the 210 uranium mines on its territory. Elles ont produit 300 millions de tonnes de déchets radioactifs qui ont été abandonnés sans mesure de protection ou de surveillance particulière. They have produced 300 million tons of radioactive waste were left unprotected or special monitoring.
Qui sont les responsables ? Who is responsible? Pourquoi ceux qui ont tenté de donner l'alerte n'ont-ils jamais été écoutés ? Why those who tried to raise the alarm they have never been heard? Pourquoi l'Etat n'at-il pas alerté les riverains ? Why the State Has not alerted the residents?
Elise Lucet et l'équipe de Pièces à conviction ont mené l'enquête sur ce scandale, au coeur des campagnes et des villes françaises. Elise Lucet and team Exhibits led the investigation into the scandal at the heart of town and country French.
Read more at:
http://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=fr&u=http://programmes.france3.fr/pieces-a-conviction/51415247-fr.php&ei=PuMSS6jtK9CUtgeZwbTDBA&sa=X&oi=translate&ct=result&resnum=3&ved=0CBQQ7gEwAg&prev=/search%3Fq%3DUranium%2B:%2Ble%2Bscandale%2Bde%2Bla%2BFrance%2Bcontamin%25C3%25A9e%26hl%3Den%26rlz%3D1I7DMUS_en
http://www10.antenna.nl/wise/index.html?http://www10.antenna.nl/wise/378/3709.html
Saturday, November 28, 2009
Are We Running Out of Uranium? Let's Hope So
Comment: No to uranium mining and No to Nuke Plants!
by Naturally Savvy
11.27.09
Can a nuclear weary TreeHugger really believe what she's hearing? Could uranium mines be facing shortages? Earlier this week, New Scientist reported that nuclear power may be faced with a double blow: Uranium mine owners are talking shortages, and estimates for the amount of uranium that can be economically mined may be lower than once thought.
It's bad news for all those nuclear power plants being built around the world (at great expense to tax-payers, I might add), but it may be good news for green energy.
What's more, with the economical future of nuclear energy in question, governments and corporations may start to invest more resources in developing economical clean energy -- which could mean better clean energy technologies that avoid the problems we're currently dealing with (like water wars and the impact of wind turbines on human health).
Who knows -- maybe governments will stupidly throw money at an industry that generates vast amounts of toxic waste, and nuclear energy will continue to thrive. But maybe, just maybe, this is an opportunity for renewable energy to really take off.
Read more at:
http://www.treehugger.com/files/2009/11/are-we-running-out-of-uranium-lets-hope-so.php?campaign=th_rss
Indigenous leader maintains mining protest
Comment: No to uranium mining!
Posted Fri Nov 27, 2009 1:39pm AEDT
A Goldfields Aboriginal leader has vowed to continue opposing plans to establish uranium mining in the region.
Geoffrey Stokes was among a group of elders and conservationists protesting outside BHP Billiton's annual general meeting in Brisbane yesterday.
Mr Stokes is opposed to the development of the company's Yeelirrie uranium project near Wiluna.
State Government of failing to listen to the concerns of local Aboriginal people.
Read more at:
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/11/27/2755566.htm
Posted Fri Nov 27, 2009 1:39pm AEDT
A Goldfields Aboriginal leader has vowed to continue opposing plans to establish uranium mining in the region.
Geoffrey Stokes was among a group of elders and conservationists protesting outside BHP Billiton's annual general meeting in Brisbane yesterday.
Mr Stokes is opposed to the development of the company's Yeelirrie uranium project near Wiluna.
State Government of failing to listen to the concerns of local Aboriginal people.
Read more at:
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/11/27/2755566.htm
Friday, November 27, 2009
Democrat's efforts to lure green auto plant to southern Va. is fueling speculation
By Amy Gardner
Washington Post Staff Writer
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
Terry McAuliffe, the millionaire businessman who ran unsuccessfully for Virginia governor this year, is negotiating with investors and a U.S. automaker to lure a factory to southern Virginia -- raising speculation that the ambitious Democrat is not done with state politics
McAuliffe has talked with Gov. Timothy M. Kaine (D) to brief him about his plans, which are focused on luring thousands of jobs to a part of Virginia where unemployment is high. McAuliffe declined through a spokeswoman to comment on his efforts, but Kaine confirmed the meeting and said McAuliffe is in the "very preliminary" stages of trying to put together a deal involving a "green" automotive manufacturing plant.
"Terry and I talked about it once," Kaine said. "We have a process where my economic development team -- it's my understanding that they're working with him now to figure out the scope of the project."
A "green" factory, such as one where hybrid automobiles are made, would dovetail with McAuliffe's campaign promise in the spring to focus on producing green jobs in Virginia.
Attracting such an employer to southern Virginia would help offset the steepest unemployment rates in the state -- many of the cities and counties along Virginia's southern border have double-digit unemployment rates.
One possible location for a new factory is in Isle of Wight County in the southeastern part of the state, where International Paper announced last month that it would close a plant and eliminate 1,100 jobs.
"It was an education to those of us in rural Virginia," said Ben Davenport, a prominent business leader in Danville .
Read More:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/11/24/AR2009112403987.html
Greens Call for Ban on Uranium Mining
Comment: Ban Uranium everywhere, we want green energy, not the killing energy!
2009 November 27
by adelecarles
Greens MLA Adele Carles has given notice in Parliament that she will be introducing a bill to ban uranium mining when parliament resumes early next year.
The Fremantle MP plans to introduce a Bill, The Uranium Mining Prohibition (Keeping WA Free from the Nuclear Fuel Chain) Bill 2009, which will prohibit the mining of uranium and set a maximum penalty of up to $5 million for offences.
Ms Carles said the state government’s decision to give the green light to uranium mining is both dangerous and undemocratic.
“Now is the time for a full public debate on uranium mining in this State. We want this debate to happen before uranium mining begins. We need the debate before contracts are signed, so that this important issue doesn’t become overwhelmed by the question of how much compensation taxpayers would be liable for to break uranium contracts. We are currently seeing the Government introducing legislation to fast track the approvals process so that these mines can begin soon with very little public input.”
“This Bill reflects the massive community pressure for WA to stay out of the unsafe practices and outmoded thinking that define the nuclear industry.”
“Western Australians are demanding clean, long-term renewable energy alternatives to tackle the uncertain future that climate change is bringing us,” she said.
The Greens MP said uranium mining is a political, social, environmental and financial black hole.
“Mining companies are the ones who will reap economic benefits for a decade or so but Western Australians will bear the brunt of this toxic legacy indefinitely,” Ms Carles said.
The Bill is set to be introduced into parliament when it first sits next February.
Read more:
http://adelecarles.wordpress.com/2009/11/27/greens-call-for-ban-on-uranium-mining/
2009 November 27
by adelecarles
Greens MLA Adele Carles has given notice in Parliament that she will be introducing a bill to ban uranium mining when parliament resumes early next year.
The Fremantle MP plans to introduce a Bill, The Uranium Mining Prohibition (Keeping WA Free from the Nuclear Fuel Chain) Bill 2009, which will prohibit the mining of uranium and set a maximum penalty of up to $5 million for offences.
Ms Carles said the state government’s decision to give the green light to uranium mining is both dangerous and undemocratic.
“Now is the time for a full public debate on uranium mining in this State. We want this debate to happen before uranium mining begins. We need the debate before contracts are signed, so that this important issue doesn’t become overwhelmed by the question of how much compensation taxpayers would be liable for to break uranium contracts. We are currently seeing the Government introducing legislation to fast track the approvals process so that these mines can begin soon with very little public input.”
“This Bill reflects the massive community pressure for WA to stay out of the unsafe practices and outmoded thinking that define the nuclear industry.”
“Western Australians are demanding clean, long-term renewable energy alternatives to tackle the uncertain future that climate change is bringing us,” she said.
The Greens MP said uranium mining is a political, social, environmental and financial black hole.
“Mining companies are the ones who will reap economic benefits for a decade or so but Western Australians will bear the brunt of this toxic legacy indefinitely,” Ms Carles said.
The Bill is set to be introduced into parliament when it first sits next February.
Read more:
http://adelecarles.wordpress.com/2009/11/27/greens-call-for-ban-on-uranium-mining/
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
Earthquake hits Central Virginia (areas of Proposed Uranium Mining)
Comment: Virginia has earthquakes; our state should never consider lifting the ban on uranium mining!
WSLS News Staff
news@wsls.com
Published: November 25, 2009
The USGS has changed the earthquake’s epicenter to about 7 miles north of Appomattox.
The USGS still estimates that the earthquake was a 2.7 magnitude quake.
7:10 p.m.
Appomattox County dispatch says it has not received calls about damage in the county.
6:59 p.m.
The U.S. Geological Survey has confirmed that an earthquake hit our area Wednesday evening.
The USGS says a magnitude 2.7 earthquake hit about 5:27 p.m., with an epicenter about two miles east-southeast of Appomattox.
We received some calls to our newsroom from people in Amherst County who felt the earthquake there.
Some residents had reported pictures falling from the walls and one man reported the gutter on his roof had fallen during the tremors.
Roakes says no one has reported any incidents of personal injury.
Click Title or Link to whole:
http://www2.wsls.com/sls/news/local/lynchburg/article/earthquake_hits_near_appomattox/64722/
MPs to discuss uranium mining at December session
Comment: People of Virginia, we need a petition to stop uranium mining and tell Virginia Leaders we do not care about Dillion's Rule! No to Uranium Mining and Milling!
25 Nov 2009
Flash News
The Slovak Parliament will consider a petition opposed to uranium mining at its December session, the parliamentary committee for agriculture and the environment decided on November 24.
The petition, signed by more than 113,000 Slovak citizens and 41 local authorities from areas between Nové Mesto nad Váhom (Trenčín Region) and Zemplín (Košice Region), was submitted in September by environmental organisations Greenpeace and Friends of the Earth, and civil associations Sozna and Brečtan.
The director of Greenpeace in Slovakia, Juraj Rizman, told the TASR newswire that Greenpeace welcomes the committee’s decision as well as the fact that the petition was supported by all the MPs on the committee.
The civic initiative is trying to persuade MPs to take all the environmental, health-related as well as economic risks of uranium mining into consideration.
According to the activists, the main risk from mining uranium comes from the handling of enormous amounts of radioactive materials.
Uranium waste rock also contains several toxic substances such as arsenic, lead and other heavy metals, they said.
Compiled by Zuzana Vilikovská from press reports
Click Title or Link to whole:
http://www.spectator.sk/articles/view/37216/10/mps_to_discuss_uranium_mining_at_december_session.html
Judge sides with environmental groups in coal case
Comment: Look at the years the Corps broke the Clean Water Act, Public Notice and other problems but they still can mine for 60 days! People of Virginia do not trust the Uranium Corps and the untruths about how safe uranium mine is because the NRC and the EPA will protect us! The EPA did not protect our Mountain Families!
By TIM HUBER (AP)
CHARLESTON, W.Va. — The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers violated federal environmental laws by failing to give the public enough of a say before issuing permits for mountaintop removal coal mines in West Virginia, a federal judge ruled Tuesday.
The decision by U.S. District Judge Chuck Chambers involves permits issued to subsidiaries of Consol Energy and Penn Virginia Resources. But it could have far-reaching implications for the ongoing debate over mountaintop removal coal mining.
Environmental groups have been pushing the Obama administration to ban the highly efficient practice as too damaging. The coal industry argues that would devastate parts of Appalachia by eliminating thousands of jobs and cut coal supplies, pushing up electricity prices for American consumers.
"Most of the pending permits in West Virginia may need to go back through the public process," said Oliver Bernstein, a spokesman for the Sierra Club, one of the plaintiffs in the case.
The corps, Penn Virginia, Consol and the National Mining Association had no immediate comment. Approximately 23 applications for West Virginia surface mines are pending before the corps.
Chambers held that the corps violated the Clean Water Act and National Environmental Policy Act when it issued permits for Penn Virginia's Nellis surface mine and Consol's Ike Fork mines. He ruled that public notices for the permits failed to provide a clear understanding of the nature and magnitude of the mines or allow the public to be involved sufficiently in the permitting process.
Chambers ordered the corps to correct the problem with the permits, though he allowed both companies to continue "limited" mining for 60 days.
"The Court realizes that the procedural flaw identified by Plaintiffs did not stem from any wrong-doing on the part of the mining companies," Chambers wrote.
Click Title or Link to whole:
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5ilNqXcMDBLf-ayRrvcQm9sSC04hgD9C66B9G0
By TIM HUBER (AP)
CHARLESTON, W.Va. — The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers violated federal environmental laws by failing to give the public enough of a say before issuing permits for mountaintop removal coal mines in West Virginia, a federal judge ruled Tuesday.
The decision by U.S. District Judge Chuck Chambers involves permits issued to subsidiaries of Consol Energy and Penn Virginia Resources. But it could have far-reaching implications for the ongoing debate over mountaintop removal coal mining.
Environmental groups have been pushing the Obama administration to ban the highly efficient practice as too damaging. The coal industry argues that would devastate parts of Appalachia by eliminating thousands of jobs and cut coal supplies, pushing up electricity prices for American consumers.
"Most of the pending permits in West Virginia may need to go back through the public process," said Oliver Bernstein, a spokesman for the Sierra Club, one of the plaintiffs in the case.
The corps, Penn Virginia, Consol and the National Mining Association had no immediate comment. Approximately 23 applications for West Virginia surface mines are pending before the corps.
Chambers held that the corps violated the Clean Water Act and National Environmental Policy Act when it issued permits for Penn Virginia's Nellis surface mine and Consol's Ike Fork mines. He ruled that public notices for the permits failed to provide a clear understanding of the nature and magnitude of the mines or allow the public to be involved sufficiently in the permitting process.
Chambers ordered the corps to correct the problem with the permits, though he allowed both companies to continue "limited" mining for 60 days.
"The Court realizes that the procedural flaw identified by Plaintiffs did not stem from any wrong-doing on the part of the mining companies," Chambers wrote.
Click Title or Link to whole:
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5ilNqXcMDBLf-ayRrvcQm9sSC04hgD9C66B9G0
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
Cleanup plan released for Grants-era mine site
Associated Press - November 24, 2009 8:35 AM ET
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) - The U.S. Forest Service is seeking public comments on a recommendation on how to clean up waste rock piles from past uranium mining activities at the San Mateo mine site northeast of Grants.
The waste then would be covered, revegetated and topped with what the agency calls an armor of rock.
The Forest Service says that would reduce the potential for erosion during storms and reduce the potential risk of exposure to gamma radiation and direct contact with the waste.
Public comments will be accepted through Jan. 15.
On the Net:
Waste cleanup documents: http://www.fs.fed.us/r3/cibola/projects/index.shtml
Click Title or Link to whole:
http://www.newswest9.com/Global/story.asp?S=11563872
100 protest in Alice against uranium mine
Comment: No to Uranium Mining!
By Kirsty Nancarrow
Posted Tue Nov 24, 2009 1:41pm AEDT
The Northern Territory Resources Minister has agreed to meet with a group of Alice Springs residents concerned about a proposed uranium mine near the town.
Kon Vatskalis approved an exploration licence for the Angela and Pamela deposit just over a year ago and the mining company Cameco has finished its 2009 drilling program.
About 100 anti-nuclear protesters assembled outside the Alice Springs parliamentary sittings this morning, urging the Government not to approve a mine at the site.
One of the protesters, Rita Apelt, says she has health concerns about the project.
"There's a lot of dust in Alice Springs and as we know, it went to the east coast a couple of months ago," she said.
Click Title or Link to whole:
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/11/24/2751998.htm
By Kirsty Nancarrow
Posted Tue Nov 24, 2009 1:41pm AEDT
The Northern Territory Resources Minister has agreed to meet with a group of Alice Springs residents concerned about a proposed uranium mine near the town.
Kon Vatskalis approved an exploration licence for the Angela and Pamela deposit just over a year ago and the mining company Cameco has finished its 2009 drilling program.
About 100 anti-nuclear protesters assembled outside the Alice Springs parliamentary sittings this morning, urging the Government not to approve a mine at the site.
One of the protesters, Rita Apelt, says she has health concerns about the project.
"There's a lot of dust in Alice Springs and as we know, it went to the east coast a couple of months ago," she said.
Click Title or Link to whole:
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/11/24/2751998.htm
Canadian mining firms face abuse allegations
Comment: The Canadian's mining corporations are invading America and have threatened the state of Colorado with threats about CO mining laws. The Canadians will be invading Virginia to mine uranium. Does Virginians want this type of Corporations, Heck NO!!! Write the state and local leaders to ban uranium mining now!(thanks KM)
Published On Sun Nov 22 2009
A private member's bill aims to impose controls on powerful Canadian mining companies that operate overseas
Canadian mining companies are facing allegations of abuse and assault on local citizens in dozens of developing nations.
The companies say they have done nothing wrong – mining copper, gold and other metals brings only prosperity to these poor regions.
Yet locals in countries like Ecuador allege some companies have used armed guards to violently trample their opposition to mines that threaten rainforests and their way of life.
The word "Canada" is so reviled in some places that travelling Canadians mask their citizenship by wearing American flags on their caps and backpacks.
In Ottawa this week, at a House of Commons committee, MPs will continue debating a Liberal private member's bill designed to put controls on mining companies overseas.
THE ALLEGATIONS are severe: From Ecuador comes a lawsuit, filed in Ontario, alleging that in 2006 a Canadian company's armed security forces attacked unarmed locals with pepper spray first, then fired guns to dampen protest near a proposed mining site.
In El Salvador, allegations of violent attacks against anti-mining activists. In Mexico, allegations of human rights and environmental abuse that led a Mexican court to close a Canadian-owned mine.
While MPs in Canada consider controls, foreign pension funds have signalled they will not invest in Canadian mining companies unless they adopt firm corporate responsibility rules abroad.
International Trade Minister Stockwell Day says there will be no legislative action because it would not work, and the companies do not need it.
"As you know, one country doesn't develop laws that apply in another country," he said in an interview.
The allegations of human rights abuses come from at least 30 of the world's poorest countries and have named companies of all sizes, from giant corporations to junior mining companies.
Company spokesmen at some firms say they are the target of false allegations that stem from poorly run or corrupt governments where mines are located.
"The biggest challenge out there is a lack of governance capacity in developing countries," says Gordon Peeling, CEO of the Mining Association of Canada, which represents the interests of Canada's largest mining companies.
"If (countries) had the capacity to protect civil rights and live up (to) their international obligations with appropriate justice systems, etc. we wouldn't have much to talk about."
Forty-three per cent of the mining exploration around the world can be attributed to Canadian mining companies.
"In many countries, when foreign investors arrive, it happens too often that local, even national governments will wash their hands of these regions," says Louise Léger, director general of Foreign Affairs Canada's Trade Commissioner Service.
"In other words a company wants to invest, and all of a sudden it becomes responsible for building schools, roads, setting up health-care services, and providing basic services that all governments must ensure their citizens."
But watchdog groups like MiningWatch Canada and the Halifax Initiative, both based in Ottawa, allege some companies spend money buying guns, employing paramilitaries, bribing officials and forcefully relocating entire communities.
Allegations like these caused John McKay, Liberal MP for Scarborough-Guildwood, to introduce the private member's bill being debated in committee.
"Not only is there a behavioural risk to an individual company, but there is also a risk to our national reputation."
POLITICIANS HAVE long squabbled over how best to deal with the accusations of abuse.
Debate kicked up in 2002 after a United Nations report called on the Canadian government to investigate the actions of seven Canadian companies accused of illegally exploiting resources from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, which has been in a state of civil war since 1996.
The Canadian government didn't investigate.
Then in 2004 came reports of bloodshed.
From Africa: Where the UN says 73 people were killed in Kilwa, a fishing town in the Congo. Killed, according to a UN report, by the Congolese military, which used vehicles, supplies, pilots and drivers from a Canadian-Australian mining company to transport them to the site of the massacre.
To Southeast Asia: Where 15 Canadian-employed mine workers were gunned down in a remote Philippine jungle strip, victims of a feud between Canada's TVI Pacific Inc. and the indigenous peoples of Mindanao.
The committee called for an investigation. The Liberal government at the time responded, saying it recognized "the difficulties Canadian companies can face when operating in foreign jurisdictions" and said the TVI case "highlights the complexities of evaluating company activities against standards that may be either unclear or inconsistent between governments."
Again, the government didn't investigate.
MININGWATCH CANADA and the Halifax Initiative, both roundtable signatories, have criticized Day's response to the recommendations.
But Day says: "They need to get a real look at what is going on. They need to see the high quality of work that Canadian companies do and how they respect host governments and local communities."
Richard Janda, a law professor at McGill University and co-author of Corporate Social Responsibility: A Legal Analysis, says Day's initiatives are weak and disregard the severity of the allegations.
He also questions Day's appointment of Marketa Evans as Canada's first corporate social responsibility counsellor, a recently appointed bureaucrat who answers to Day and who is the closest thing to an ombudsman the Harper government has produced.
He says Evans' position is "toothless" because, under the mandate given to her by Day, she requires consent from a mining company before she can review any allegations against that company.
The Conservatives have vowed to kill it and McKay says some Liberals are weary of attaching themselves to a bill opposed by some of the richest companies in the country. "The mining industry in Canada is too powerful a lobby," McKay says.
But he won't say much else.
"I have to be extremely careful because the mining companies have made it very plain to me that, `We will sue your ass off if, in fact, you make any allegation of our companies and cause reputational damage.'
"But I will say, if they think they can treat a Canadian MP this way, you can imagine what they say about Third World countries where they can walk in and say, `How much to buy you?'"
Click Title or Link to whole:
http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/article/729147--one-man-s-defence-of-a-national-reputation
Monday, November 23, 2009
We will quit if uranium mine opens, say doctors
Alice SpringsComment: Doctors of Virginia, you need to protest the proposed uranium mining and milling! No Uranium Mining and Milling!
DEBRA JOPSON
November 23, 2009
DOCTORS at the only Aboriginal medical service in Alice Springs have threatened to leave if the Federal Government allows a Canadian company to mine uranium near the town.
Protesters will press Northern Territory MPs to stop their support when Parliament sits in Central Australia tomorrow. They say it threatens the town's future and could set a precedent for other urban centres.
''It's a big issue … It is unprecedented to have exploration for uranium so close to an established city,'' said Isabelle Kirkbride, of Families for a Nuclear Free Future.
Opposition to the mine, 23 kilometres south of the town, at which the Canadian company Cameco has done exploratory drilling, is mounting.
DEBRA JOPSON
November 23, 2009
DOCTORS at the only Aboriginal medical service in Alice Springs have threatened to leave if the Federal Government allows a Canadian company to mine uranium near the town.
Protesters will press Northern Territory MPs to stop their support when Parliament sits in Central Australia tomorrow. They say it threatens the town's future and could set a precedent for other urban centres.
''It's a big issue … It is unprecedented to have exploration for uranium so close to an established city,'' said Isabelle Kirkbride, of Families for a Nuclear Free Future.
Opposition to the mine, 23 kilometres south of the town, at which the Canadian company Cameco has done exploratory drilling, is mounting.
Sixteen doctors from the town's only Aboriginal medical service have written to the federal and Northern Territory governments warning that some will quit if the mine is given the go-ahead.
''They are thinking about the health hazards potentially in contaminated water and radon dust,'' said Koen De Decker, a spokesman for the doctors at the Central Australian Aboriginal Congress.
The doctors wrote to the Prime Minister, Kevin Rudd, and other relevant ministers, because he had promoted closing the gap between the health of indigenous and other Australians, Dr De Decker said.
Allowing the mine would mean the loss of crucial senior medical staff who would be difficult to replace, potentially widening the gap, he said.
''Next year we will probably follow up with further drilling and a feasibility study.''
Jane Clark, a Greens councillor on Alice Springs Town Council, said some saw uranium as an alternative energy source and jobs generator, but locals worried that a mine could pollute the water supply, destroy the growing eco-tourism industry, affect pastoral lands and lead to an exodus.
Click Title or Link to whole:
http://www.smh.com.au/environment/we-will-quit-if-uranium-mine-opens-say-doctors-20091122-isvy.html
''They are thinking about the health hazards potentially in contaminated water and radon dust,'' said Koen De Decker, a spokesman for the doctors at the Central Australian Aboriginal Congress.
The doctors wrote to the Prime Minister, Kevin Rudd, and other relevant ministers, because he had promoted closing the gap between the health of indigenous and other Australians, Dr De Decker said.
Allowing the mine would mean the loss of crucial senior medical staff who would be difficult to replace, potentially widening the gap, he said.
''Next year we will probably follow up with further drilling and a feasibility study.''
Jane Clark, a Greens councillor on Alice Springs Town Council, said some saw uranium as an alternative energy source and jobs generator, but locals worried that a mine could pollute the water supply, destroy the growing eco-tourism industry, affect pastoral lands and lead to an exodus.
Click Title or Link to whole:
http://www.smh.com.au/environment/we-will-quit-if-uranium-mine-opens-say-doctors-20091122-isvy.html
Stuck in the mud: State finds lax oversight of erosion control
Comment: State and local government cannot enforce simple rules, how in the world are they going to control uranium mining, they will not, they will take the money and turn their heads!
By Sarah Watson
Lynchburg News & Advance
Published: November 22, 2009
Mud clogs our streams and rivers.
In lower Blackwater Creek, orange islands of barren ooze scar a stream that once ran clear over rocks and pebbles.
In upper Ivy Creek, gritty red guck has piled several feet high in some locations — the remnants of damage from sediment pouring off Bedford County construction sites during big storms.
In the James River, a ribbon of silty orange water stretches from the mouth of Blackwater Creek in downtown Lynchburg to Percival’s Island and beyond after heavy rains.
While state and local officials can’t pinpoint the exact sources or amount of the sediment pouring into the streams, there is little question that runoff from developments large and small is a key factor.
That conclusion is backed by a review of hundreds of documents obtained through Freedom of Information Act requests, which show a near across-the-board struggle by planning departments statewide in enforcing Virginia’s standards for erosion and sediment control at construction sites.
An investigation by The News & Advance also showed that during the Lynchburg-area building boom of the mid-2000s, local departments charged with enforcing those standards were flooded with inspection requirements far outpacing their ability to carry out.
The state Department of Conservation and Recreation this summer completed a five-year review of every local program in Virginia. An analysis of that review by The News & Advance shows:
• Local erosion and sediment control programs in Lynchburg and the counties of Appomattox, Bedford, Campbell, Pittsylvania and Nelson counties all failed to meet state standards and were ordered to make major changes. Only Amherst County passed its review, which was completed in July.
• In more than 30 percent of area site inspections by state officials over a three-year period, critical erosion-control measures such as silt fences and sediment traps were not maintained. Another 30 percent were not installed correctly.
• 40 percent of local site plans in the state review failed to adequately protect waterways downstream of development projects during planning and construction. That requirement is one of the most critical state standards, according to John McCutcheon, erosion and sediment control program manager with DCR.
In many instances inspections were not done as required. If they were done, required written reports weren’t always prepared. At one point in Bedford County, three inspectors were responsible for keeping an eye on nearly 1,500 active sites.
The region ranks similarly to most other localities statewide, especially in deficiencies, McCutcheon said. Programs in Roanoke City, Fairfax County, Albemarle County and Virginia Beach were among only a handful statewide to pass their reviews.
“You can have the best plan done by the best engineers and the best thought-out erosion control,” McCutcheon said. “But if you don’t have good inspection and those measures are not installed properly and they’re not maintained, you just don’t have anything.”
This lack of oversight left developers facing little scrutiny of erosion control measures that can have far-reaching effects downstream.
Even when that oversight exists, contractors have little to fear. Some localities, like Lynchburg, have authority to fine violators and revoke bonds used by developers for building permits, but rarely do.
Inspection records show some developers and builders have violated the law by failing to comply even when inspectors order corrections.
Developers say they do the best they can with regulations that don’t always work on Central Virginia’s steep topography and highly erosive soil. They also say they don’t intentionally cause environmental damage, but it’s a side effect of development.
Enforcing the Law
Part of the struggle over the Bay’s future plays out in local planning offices, where site-by-site erosion control enforcement is key. This is time-consuming, politically charged and technical work.
As suburbs in the greater Lynchburg region sprouted rapidly over the past decade or so, erosion and sediment controls were often lax as area planning and enforcement officers were overwhelmed. Local ordinances were not stringent enough, nor were there enough people on the ground to keep up with demand.
“One of the problems is once a place gets really developed, then they may have the resources to do a good job,” said David Sligh, the James River Association’s Upper James Riverkeeper.
“But by then a lot of the damage has been done. The folks starting into a big rush of development are still very often behind knowing what’s going on and having the resources to do it and it gets ahead of them real quick.”
Local enforcement officials also say some contractors resisted following laws because they were rarely enforced until recently.
Click Title or Link to whole:
http://www2.wsls.com/sls/news/state_regional/article/stuck_in_the_mud_state_finds_lax_oversight_of_erosion_control/63958/
By Sarah Watson
Lynchburg News & Advance
Published: November 22, 2009
Mud clogs our streams and rivers.
In lower Blackwater Creek, orange islands of barren ooze scar a stream that once ran clear over rocks and pebbles.
In upper Ivy Creek, gritty red guck has piled several feet high in some locations — the remnants of damage from sediment pouring off Bedford County construction sites during big storms.
In the James River, a ribbon of silty orange water stretches from the mouth of Blackwater Creek in downtown Lynchburg to Percival’s Island and beyond after heavy rains.
While state and local officials can’t pinpoint the exact sources or amount of the sediment pouring into the streams, there is little question that runoff from developments large and small is a key factor.
That conclusion is backed by a review of hundreds of documents obtained through Freedom of Information Act requests, which show a near across-the-board struggle by planning departments statewide in enforcing Virginia’s standards for erosion and sediment control at construction sites.
An investigation by The News & Advance also showed that during the Lynchburg-area building boom of the mid-2000s, local departments charged with enforcing those standards were flooded with inspection requirements far outpacing their ability to carry out.
The state Department of Conservation and Recreation this summer completed a five-year review of every local program in Virginia. An analysis of that review by The News & Advance shows:
• Local erosion and sediment control programs in Lynchburg and the counties of Appomattox, Bedford, Campbell, Pittsylvania and Nelson counties all failed to meet state standards and were ordered to make major changes. Only Amherst County passed its review, which was completed in July.
• In more than 30 percent of area site inspections by state officials over a three-year period, critical erosion-control measures such as silt fences and sediment traps were not maintained. Another 30 percent were not installed correctly.
• 40 percent of local site plans in the state review failed to adequately protect waterways downstream of development projects during planning and construction. That requirement is one of the most critical state standards, according to John McCutcheon, erosion and sediment control program manager with DCR.
In many instances inspections were not done as required. If they were done, required written reports weren’t always prepared. At one point in Bedford County, three inspectors were responsible for keeping an eye on nearly 1,500 active sites.
The region ranks similarly to most other localities statewide, especially in deficiencies, McCutcheon said. Programs in Roanoke City, Fairfax County, Albemarle County and Virginia Beach were among only a handful statewide to pass their reviews.
“You can have the best plan done by the best engineers and the best thought-out erosion control,” McCutcheon said. “But if you don’t have good inspection and those measures are not installed properly and they’re not maintained, you just don’t have anything.”
This lack of oversight left developers facing little scrutiny of erosion control measures that can have far-reaching effects downstream.
Even when that oversight exists, contractors have little to fear. Some localities, like Lynchburg, have authority to fine violators and revoke bonds used by developers for building permits, but rarely do.
Inspection records show some developers and builders have violated the law by failing to comply even when inspectors order corrections.
Developers say they do the best they can with regulations that don’t always work on Central Virginia’s steep topography and highly erosive soil. They also say they don’t intentionally cause environmental damage, but it’s a side effect of development.
Enforcing the Law
Part of the struggle over the Bay’s future plays out in local planning offices, where site-by-site erosion control enforcement is key. This is time-consuming, politically charged and technical work.
As suburbs in the greater Lynchburg region sprouted rapidly over the past decade or so, erosion and sediment controls were often lax as area planning and enforcement officers were overwhelmed. Local ordinances were not stringent enough, nor were there enough people on the ground to keep up with demand.
“One of the problems is once a place gets really developed, then they may have the resources to do a good job,” said David Sligh, the James River Association’s Upper James Riverkeeper.
“But by then a lot of the damage has been done. The folks starting into a big rush of development are still very often behind knowing what’s going on and having the resources to do it and it gets ahead of them real quick.”
Local enforcement officials also say some contractors resisted following laws because they were rarely enforced until recently.
Click Title or Link to whole:
http://www2.wsls.com/sls/news/state_regional/article/stuck_in_the_mud_state_finds_lax_oversight_of_erosion_control/63958/
Meeting: Virginia Commission on Energy and Environment
Virginia Commission on Energy and Environment
Monday, November 30, 2009, 1:00 p.m.
Senate Room A, General Assembly Building
Richmond, Virginia
Agenda
I. Welcome & Call to Order
Senator Mary Margaret Whipple, Chairman
II. Offshore Wind Energy Development
Senator Frank W. Wagner
III. Mandatory vs. Voluntary Renewable Portfolio Standard
Joe Gorberg, LS Power
IV. Impacts of Biodiesel Fuel Use
Chelsea Jenkins, Virginia Clean Cities
V. Discussion and Presentation of Legislative Initiatives
Staff, Division of Legislative Services
VI. Public Comment
Members
The Honorable Mary Margaret Whipple, Chair Mr. Patrick G. Hatcher
The Honorable J. Chapman Petersen Ms. Karen Kennedy Schultz
The Honorable Richard H. Stuart Mr. Hugh E. Montgomery, Jr.
The Honorable Samuel A. Nixon, Jr. Mr. August Wallmeyer
The Honorable Clarke N. Hogan Mr. Arlen K. Bolstad
The Honorable Charles D. Poindexter Mr. David K. Paylor, ex officio
The Honorable Joseph P. Johnson, Jr. Mr. Stephen A. Walz, ex officio
The Honorable Mark D. Sickles
Staff
I. Welcome & Call to Order
Senator Mary Margaret Whipple, Chairman
II. Offshore Wind Energy Development
Senator Frank W. Wagner
III. Mandatory vs. Voluntary Renewable Portfolio Standard
Joe Gorberg, LS Power
IV. Impacts of Biodiesel Fuel Use
Chelsea Jenkins, Virginia Clean Cities
V. Discussion and Presentation of Legislative Initiatives
Staff, Division of Legislative Services
VI. Public Comment
Members
The Honorable Mary Margaret Whipple, Chair Mr. Patrick G. Hatcher
The Honorable J. Chapman Petersen Ms. Karen Kennedy Schultz
The Honorable Richard H. Stuart Mr. Hugh E. Montgomery, Jr.
The Honorable Samuel A. Nixon, Jr. Mr. August Wallmeyer
The Honorable Clarke N. Hogan Mr. Arlen K. Bolstad
The Honorable Charles D. Poindexter Mr. David K. Paylor, ex officio
The Honorable Joseph P. Johnson, Jr. Mr. Stephen A. Walz, ex officio
The Honorable Mark D. Sickles
Staff
Ellen Porter, Patrick Cushing & Ann Louise Mason, Division of Legislative Services, 786-3591
Patty Lung, Senate Committee Operations, 698-7450
Patty Lung, Senate Committee Operations, 698-7450
Dominion Virginia Power CFL Bulb Instant Discount Program Saves Enough Energy Thus Far to Power 72,000 Homes
Comment: Ace's light bill was cut in half when he switch all the bulbs iwth CFLs!
- Nearly 3.8 million CFLs purchased will save Virginians $150 million in energy costs
- Program offers discount prices in single, multi-pack sales of CFLs
Press Release
Source: Dominion Virginia Power
On 8:00 am EST, Tuesday November 17, 2009
RICHMOND, Va., Nov. 17 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Virginians are saving about 1 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity through Dominion Virginia Power's compact fluorescent light bulb instant discount program.
That is enough energy to serve 72,000 typical Virginia homes, based on 1,000 kilowatt-hours of electricity a month, per home.
Click here to learn more: http://www.dom.com/dominion-virginia-power/customer-service/energy-conservation/save-big-on-cfls.jsp.
http://finance.yahoo.com/news/Dominion-Virginia-Power-CFL-prnews-817605637.html?x=0&.v=1
- Nearly 3.8 million CFLs purchased will save Virginians $150 million in energy costs
- Program offers discount prices in single, multi-pack sales of CFLs
Press Release
Source: Dominion Virginia Power
On 8:00 am EST, Tuesday November 17, 2009
RICHMOND, Va., Nov. 17 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Virginians are saving about 1 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity through Dominion Virginia Power's compact fluorescent light bulb instant discount program.
That is enough energy to serve 72,000 typical Virginia homes, based on 1,000 kilowatt-hours of electricity a month, per home.
Click here to learn more: http://www.dom.com/dominion-virginia-power/customer-service/energy-conservation/save-big-on-cfls.jsp.
http://finance.yahoo.com/news/Dominion-Virginia-Power-CFL-prnews-817605637.html?x=0&.v=1
Saturday, November 21, 2009
Nailed: EPA finally ties toxic water to old mine (Uranium)
Comment: Looks so pretty, an old copper mine leaking uranium and other bad minerals into people's water supply! Will this be Virginia's future with uranium mining ruining our wells, it may be happening now with the uranium drilling holes!
BP, which acquired the Nevada site, now acknowledges some impact
updated 4:54 p.m. ET, Sat.,
updated 4:54 p.m. ET, Sat.,
Nov . 21, 2009
YERINGTON, Nev. - Peggy Pauly lives in a robin-egg blue, two-story house not far from acres of onion fields that make the northern Nevada air smell sweet at harvest time.
But she can look through the window from her kitchen table, just past her backyard with its swingset and pet llama, and see an ominous sign on a neighboring fence: "Danger: Uranium Mine."
For almost a decade, people who make their homes in this rural community in the Mason Valley 65 miles southeast of Reno have blamed that enormous abandoned mine for the high levels of uranium in their water wells.
They say they have been met by a stone wall from state regulators, local politicians and the huge oil company that inherited the toxic site — BP. Those interests have insisted uranium naturally occurs in the region's soil and there's no way to prove that a half-century of processing metals at the former Anaconda pit mine is responsible for the contamination.
That has changed. A new wave of testing by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has found that 79 percent of the wells tested north of the World War II-era copper mine have dangerous levels of uranium or arsenic or both that make the water unsafe to drink.
And, more importantly to the neighbors, that the source of the pollution is a groundwater plume that has slowly migrated from the six-square-mile mine site.
The new samples likely never would have been taken if not for a whistleblower, a preacher's wife, a tribal consultant and some stubborn government scientists who finally helped crack the toxic mystery that has plagued this rural mining and farming community for decades.
"They have completely ruined the groundwater out here," said Pauly, the wife of a local pastor and mother of two girls who organized a community action group five years to seek the truth about the pollution.
"It almost sounds like we are happy the contamination has moved off the site," she said. "But what we are happy about is ... they have enough data to now answer our questions."
"Prior to this, we didn't really have an understanding of where water was moving," said Steve Acree, a highly regarded hydrogeologist for the EPA in Oklahoma, who was brought in to examine the test results. "My interpretation at this stage of the process is yes, you now have evidence of mine-impacted groundwater."
100 times above standard at mine site
But she can look through the window from her kitchen table, just past her backyard with its swingset and pet llama, and see an ominous sign on a neighboring fence: "Danger: Uranium Mine."
For almost a decade, people who make their homes in this rural community in the Mason Valley 65 miles southeast of Reno have blamed that enormous abandoned mine for the high levels of uranium in their water wells.
They say they have been met by a stone wall from state regulators, local politicians and the huge oil company that inherited the toxic site — BP. Those interests have insisted uranium naturally occurs in the region's soil and there's no way to prove that a half-century of processing metals at the former Anaconda pit mine is responsible for the contamination.
That has changed. A new wave of testing by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has found that 79 percent of the wells tested north of the World War II-era copper mine have dangerous levels of uranium or arsenic or both that make the water unsafe to drink.
And, more importantly to the neighbors, that the source of the pollution is a groundwater plume that has slowly migrated from the six-square-mile mine site.
The new samples likely never would have been taken if not for a whistleblower, a preacher's wife, a tribal consultant and some stubborn government scientists who finally helped crack the toxic mystery that has plagued this rural mining and farming community for decades.
"They have completely ruined the groundwater out here," said Pauly, the wife of a local pastor and mother of two girls who organized a community action group five years to seek the truth about the pollution.
"It almost sounds like we are happy the contamination has moved off the site," she said. "But what we are happy about is ... they have enough data to now answer our questions."
"Prior to this, we didn't really have an understanding of where water was moving," said Steve Acree, a highly regarded hydrogeologist for the EPA in Oklahoma, who was brought in to examine the test results. "My interpretation at this stage of the process is yes, you now have evidence of mine-impacted groundwater."
100 times above standard at mine site
The tests found levels of uranium more than 10 times the legal drinking water standard in one monitoring well a half mile north of the mine. Though the health effects of specific levels are not well understood, the EPA says long-term exposure to high levels of uranium in drinking water may cause cancer and damage kidneys.
At the mine itself, wells tested as high as 3.4 miligrams per liter — more than 100 times the standard. That's in an area where ore was processed with sulfuric acid and other toxic chemicals in unlined ponds.
She said the new evidence doesn't change the state's opposition to Superfund listing. Nevada has a long tradition of supporting mining and now produces more gold than anywhere in the world except China, South Africa and Australia.
Copper first was discovered around Yerington in 1865. Anaconda bought the property in 1941 and — fueled by demand after World War II — produced nearly 1.75 billion pounds of copper from 1952-78.
A mineral firm launched a then-secret plan to produce yellowcake uranium from the mine's waste piles in the 1970s. An engineer reported in 1976 that they weren't finding as much uranium as anticipated in the processing ponds. "Where could it be now?" he wrote. "Should we continue to look for it?"
Had they continued the search outside the processing area, Wyoming Mineral Corp. likely would have detected the movement of the contamination. But the market for uranium dipped and the company scuttled the venture.
Pauly never suspected the mine was leaking contamination when she and her husband finished building their home in 1990. They drank water from their well until 2003 — and used it to mix formula for a baby from 1996-98 — before becoming suspicious as rumors swirled about the contaminated mine.
"Everybody said it was fine," she said. "Legally they didn't have to disclose anything because technically there was nothing definitive then that showed the contamination was moving off the site."
BP acknowledges 'an impact'
At the mine itself, wells tested as high as 3.4 miligrams per liter — more than 100 times the standard. That's in an area where ore was processed with sulfuric acid and other toxic chemicals in unlined ponds.
She said the new evidence doesn't change the state's opposition to Superfund listing. Nevada has a long tradition of supporting mining and now produces more gold than anywhere in the world except China, South Africa and Australia.
Copper first was discovered around Yerington in 1865. Anaconda bought the property in 1941 and — fueled by demand after World War II — produced nearly 1.75 billion pounds of copper from 1952-78.
A mineral firm launched a then-secret plan to produce yellowcake uranium from the mine's waste piles in the 1970s. An engineer reported in 1976 that they weren't finding as much uranium as anticipated in the processing ponds. "Where could it be now?" he wrote. "Should we continue to look for it?"
Had they continued the search outside the processing area, Wyoming Mineral Corp. likely would have detected the movement of the contamination. But the market for uranium dipped and the company scuttled the venture.
Pauly never suspected the mine was leaking contamination when she and her husband finished building their home in 1990. They drank water from their well until 2003 — and used it to mix formula for a baby from 1996-98 — before becoming suspicious as rumors swirled about the contaminated mine.
"Everybody said it was fine," she said. "Legally they didn't have to disclose anything because technically there was nothing definitive then that showed the contamination was moving off the site."
BP acknowledges 'an impact'
BP and Atlantic Richfield, which bought Anaconda Copper Co. in 1978, have stopped claiming there is no evidence the mine caused any contamination, but they aren't conceding anything about how much.
So who will pay for the cleanup?
"That is the million-dollar question," Dixon said. "Every Superfund site needs an advocate or two or three and in my view there are none for Yerington except for Peggy Pauly."
Regardless of who pays, Acree said, it likely will take decades to clean up.
Click Title or Link to whole:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/34081733/ns/us_news-environment/
So who will pay for the cleanup?
"That is the million-dollar question," Dixon said. "Every Superfund site needs an advocate or two or three and in my view there are none for Yerington except for Peggy Pauly."
Regardless of who pays, Acree said, it likely will take decades to clean up.
Click Title or Link to whole:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/34081733/ns/us_news-environment/
MEETING NOTICE: State Water Commission
COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA
HOUSE OF DELEGATES
OFFICE OF THE CLERK
RICHMOND
November 20, 2009
MEETING NOTICE
TO: State Water Commission
FROM: Lori L. Roper, House Committee Operations, (804) 698-1547
RE: Meeting Date/Time/Location
Please be advised that the State Water Commission will hold a meeting on
Please be advised that the State Water Commission will hold a meeting on
Tuesday, January 12, 2010 at 2:00 PM
in House Room D of the General Assembly Building.
Should you have any questions regarding the meeting agenda, please contact Marty Farber in the Division of Legislative Services at (804) 786-3591. If you are unable to attend this meeting or have questions regarding scheduling, please contact our office at (804) 698-1540.
Members:
The Honorable Harvey B. Morgan The Honorable John C. Miller
The Honorable John M. O'Bannon, III The Honorable Richard H. Stuart
The Honorable Mathew J. Lohr The Honorable Frank M. Ruff, Jr.
The Honorable David L. Bulova The Honorable Patricia S. Ticer
The Honorable Paul F. Nichols The Honorable R. Creigh Deeds
The Honorable Watkins Abbitt, Jr. R. James Incenhour
The Honorable Christopher B. Saxman Michael T. McEvoy
The Honorable Thomas C. Wright, Jr.
cc: The Honorable Bruce Jamerson
The Honorable Susan C. Schaar
Martin G. Farber, Division of Legislative Services
Ellen Porter, Division of Legislative Services
State Water Commission Mailing List
Individuals requiring interpreter services or other special assistance should contact Committee Operations at (804) 698-1540, TDD (804) 786-2369. Persons making audio-visual presentations to the committee should call for specifications.
http://dela.state.va.us/Dela/ComOpsStudy.nsf/82965f555b18a72185256c330058a983/8029F68D18633FA485257674004E4F91?OpenDocument
Should you have any questions regarding the meeting agenda, please contact Marty Farber in the Division of Legislative Services at (804) 786-3591. If you are unable to attend this meeting or have questions regarding scheduling, please contact our office at (804) 698-1540.
Members:
The Honorable Harvey B. Morgan The Honorable John C. Miller
The Honorable John M. O'Bannon, III The Honorable Richard H. Stuart
The Honorable Mathew J. Lohr The Honorable Frank M. Ruff, Jr.
The Honorable David L. Bulova The Honorable Patricia S. Ticer
The Honorable Paul F. Nichols The Honorable R. Creigh Deeds
The Honorable Watkins Abbitt, Jr. R. James Incenhour
The Honorable Christopher B. Saxman Michael T. McEvoy
The Honorable Thomas C. Wright, Jr.
cc: The Honorable Bruce Jamerson
The Honorable Susan C. Schaar
Martin G. Farber, Division of Legislative Services
Ellen Porter, Division of Legislative Services
State Water Commission Mailing List
Individuals requiring interpreter services or other special assistance should contact Committee Operations at (804) 698-1540, TDD (804) 786-2369. Persons making audio-visual presentations to the committee should call for specifications.
http://dela.state.va.us/Dela/ComOpsStudy.nsf/82965f555b18a72185256c330058a983/8029F68D18633FA485257674004E4F91?OpenDocument
The Coming Nuclear Crisis:The world is running out of uranium and nobody seems to have noticed
Comment: We do not nuke power plants, therefore, NO to Uranium Mining!
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
The world is about to enter a period of unprecedented investment in nuclear power. The combined threats of climate change, energy security and fears over the high prices and dwindling reserves of oil are forcing governments towards the nuclear option. The perception is that nuclear power is a carbon-free technology, that it breaks our reliance on oil and that it gives governments control over their own energy supply.
That looks dangerously overoptimistic, says Michael Dittmar, from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich who publishes the final chapter of an impressive four-part analysis of the global nuclear industry on the arXiv today.
Perhaps the most worrying problem is the misconception that uranium is plentiful.
The world's nuclear plants today eat through some 65,000 tons of uranium each year. Of this, the mining industry supplies about 40,000 tons. The rest comes from secondary sources such as civilian and military stockpiles, reprocessed fuel and re-enriched uranium. "But without access to the military stocks, the civilian western uranium stocks will be exhausted by 2013, concludes Dittmar.
It's not clear how the shortfall can be made up since nobody seems to know where the mining industry can look for more.
That means countries that rely on uranium imports such as Japan and many western countries will face uranium .shortages, possibly as soon as 2013. Far from being the secure source of energy that many governments are basing their future energy needs on, nuclear power looks decidedly rickety.
But what of new technologies such as fission breeder reactors which generate fuel and nuclear fusion? Dittmar is pessimistic about fission breeders. "Their huge construction costs, their poor safety records and their inefficient performance give little reason to believe that they will ever become commercially significant," he says.
Ref: The Future of Nuclear Energy: Facts and Fiction
Click Title or Link to whole:
http://www.technologyreview.com/blog/arxiv/24414/
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
The world is about to enter a period of unprecedented investment in nuclear power. The combined threats of climate change, energy security and fears over the high prices and dwindling reserves of oil are forcing governments towards the nuclear option. The perception is that nuclear power is a carbon-free technology, that it breaks our reliance on oil and that it gives governments control over their own energy supply.
That looks dangerously overoptimistic, says Michael Dittmar, from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich who publishes the final chapter of an impressive four-part analysis of the global nuclear industry on the arXiv today.
Perhaps the most worrying problem is the misconception that uranium is plentiful.
The world's nuclear plants today eat through some 65,000 tons of uranium each year. Of this, the mining industry supplies about 40,000 tons. The rest comes from secondary sources such as civilian and military stockpiles, reprocessed fuel and re-enriched uranium. "But without access to the military stocks, the civilian western uranium stocks will be exhausted by 2013, concludes Dittmar.
It's not clear how the shortfall can be made up since nobody seems to know where the mining industry can look for more.
That means countries that rely on uranium imports such as Japan and many western countries will face uranium .shortages, possibly as soon as 2013. Far from being the secure source of energy that many governments are basing their future energy needs on, nuclear power looks decidedly rickety.
But what of new technologies such as fission breeder reactors which generate fuel and nuclear fusion? Dittmar is pessimistic about fission breeders. "Their huge construction costs, their poor safety records and their inefficient performance give little reason to believe that they will ever become commercially significant," he says.
Ref: The Future of Nuclear Energy: Facts and Fiction
Click Title or Link to whole:
http://www.technologyreview.com/blog/arxiv/24414/
Friday, November 20, 2009
Roads, funding top city wish list, Suffolk, Virginia (Uranium Mining )
By Tracy Agnew (Contact) Suffolk News-Herald
Published Thursday, November 19, 2009
Suffolk City Council unanimously approved the city’s legislative agenda during its meeting on Wednesday.
Chief among the city’s concerns on the federal level is transportation funding, leaders said. Council also discussed various ways to fund road improvements during its meeting.
Finally, Suffolk wants the state to designate a portion of the Blackwater River as a component of the Virginia Scenic Rivers System. Council passed a resolution earlier in the year supporting the river’s inclusion in the program, which helps protect rivers and streams that possess scenic and historical significance.
In addition, the city will monitor statewide issues that especially affect the city, including stormwater regulations and uranium mining.
“We want to monitor any legislation that’s proposed pertaining to uranium mining, because it may have potential downstream impact to our water supply,” Hunt said.
Click Title or Link to whole:
http://www.suffolknewsherald.com/news/2009/nov/19/roads-funding-top-city-wish-list/
Published Thursday, November 19, 2009
Suffolk City Council unanimously approved the city’s legislative agenda during its meeting on Wednesday.
Chief among the city’s concerns on the federal level is transportation funding, leaders said. Council also discussed various ways to fund road improvements during its meeting.
Finally, Suffolk wants the state to designate a portion of the Blackwater River as a component of the Virginia Scenic Rivers System. Council passed a resolution earlier in the year supporting the river’s inclusion in the program, which helps protect rivers and streams that possess scenic and historical significance.
In addition, the city will monitor statewide issues that especially affect the city, including stormwater regulations and uranium mining.
“We want to monitor any legislation that’s proposed pertaining to uranium mining, because it may have potential downstream impact to our water supply,” Hunt said.
Click Title or Link to whole:
http://www.suffolknewsherald.com/news/2009/nov/19/roads-funding-top-city-wish-list/
Doctors threaten to leave over uranium mine
By Eric Tlozek
Posted Fri Nov 20, 2009 2:00pm AEDT
A group of Alice Springs doctors say they will leave the town if a uranium mine goes ahead in the area.
Uranium company Cameco (Canadian Mining Corp) is exploring a uranium deposit 25 kilometres south of Alice Springs.
"The prompt for writing the letter was borne out of concern, out of deep concern, for the implications of having a uranium mine here, especially in terms of the loss of workforce which could be one of the consequences of having a mine here in town," said one of the signatories, Dr Koen de Decker.
Click Title or Link to whole:
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/11/20/2748844.htm
Posted Fri Nov 20, 2009 2:00pm AEDT
A group of Alice Springs doctors say they will leave the town if a uranium mine goes ahead in the area.
Uranium company Cameco (Canadian Mining Corp) is exploring a uranium deposit 25 kilometres south of Alice Springs.
"The prompt for writing the letter was borne out of concern, out of deep concern, for the implications of having a uranium mine here, especially in terms of the loss of workforce which could be one of the consequences of having a mine here in town," said one of the signatories, Dr Koen de Decker.
Click Title or Link to whole:
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/11/20/2748844.htm
Virginia waterways ranks second-dirtiest in country (Uranium Mining will make it worse)
Flooding in Pittsylvania County, VA, area of proposed uranium tailing ponds!Comment: The best State for Business because Virginia leaders does not care for her people or the earth. The leaders of Virginia just want to line their pockets with money and leave Virginia once they have molested Virginia! Just wait, once these greedy and unethical so call Virginia leaders open up Virginia for uranium mining, our rivers will be dead and the Chesapeake Bay will be completely dead plus North Carolina will suffer the same fate of river death!
Posted to: Environment News Virginia
By Julian Walker
The Virginian-Pilot
Virginia has the second-dirtiest waterways among the 50 states.
That's according to a recent study by the Environment America advocacy group tallying the amount of pollutants discharged into bodies of water across the nation.
Based on numbers reported to federal authorities, only Indiana had more toxic chemicals released into its waterways by industry than Virginia's 18 million-plus pounds in 2007.
That is the most recent year for which discharge figures are publicly available from the Environmental Protection Agency, which collects the data.
The report also awards this dubious distinction to the Old Dominion: It is home to a portion of the nation's second-most-polluted waterway, the roughly 320-mile New River, which snakes through southwest Virginia and two other states. The most polluted waterway, it says, is the Ohio River.
Across the nation in 2007, 232 million pounds of toxic chemicals were dumped into 1,900 waterways, the report finds.
In Hampton Roads, most waterways are low in the state rankings. The Elizabeth River, for example, had about 14,257 pounds of toxics dumped into it in 2007, making it the 18th-most-polluted waterway in Virginia.
Other local bodies of water such as the Nansemond and Pagan rivers also are low on the study's toxic discharge rankings; the Lynnhaven River doesn't make the list.
In contrast, the James River, which cuts across Virginia's midsection, had nearly 1.7 million pounds of pollutants pumped into it two years ago, making it the second-dirtiest in the state (after the Clinch River) and 31st-worst nationally, according to the study.
The bad news, she said, is that the river still contains toxic chemicals dumped in it years ago.
Julian Walker, (804) 697-1564, julian.walker@pilotonline.com
Click Title or Link to whole:
http://hamptonroads.com/2009/11/virginia-waterways-ranks-seconddirtiest-country
Posted to: Environment News Virginia
By Julian Walker
The Virginian-Pilot
Virginia has the second-dirtiest waterways among the 50 states.
That's according to a recent study by the Environment America advocacy group tallying the amount of pollutants discharged into bodies of water across the nation.
Based on numbers reported to federal authorities, only Indiana had more toxic chemicals released into its waterways by industry than Virginia's 18 million-plus pounds in 2007.
That is the most recent year for which discharge figures are publicly available from the Environmental Protection Agency, which collects the data.
The report also awards this dubious distinction to the Old Dominion: It is home to a portion of the nation's second-most-polluted waterway, the roughly 320-mile New River, which snakes through southwest Virginia and two other states. The most polluted waterway, it says, is the Ohio River.
Across the nation in 2007, 232 million pounds of toxic chemicals were dumped into 1,900 waterways, the report finds.
In Hampton Roads, most waterways are low in the state rankings. The Elizabeth River, for example, had about 14,257 pounds of toxics dumped into it in 2007, making it the 18th-most-polluted waterway in Virginia.
Other local bodies of water such as the Nansemond and Pagan rivers also are low on the study's toxic discharge rankings; the Lynnhaven River doesn't make the list.
In contrast, the James River, which cuts across Virginia's midsection, had nearly 1.7 million pounds of pollutants pumped into it two years ago, making it the second-dirtiest in the state (after the Clinch River) and 31st-worst nationally, according to the study.
The bad news, she said, is that the river still contains toxic chemicals dumped in it years ago.
Julian Walker, (804) 697-1564, julian.walker@pilotonline.com
Click Title or Link to whole:
http://hamptonroads.com/2009/11/virginia-waterways-ranks-seconddirtiest-country
Pa. Residents Sue Gas Driller for Contamination, Health Concerns
by Abrahm Lustgarten, ProPublica -
November 20, 2009 10:00 am EST
Dimock resident Julie Sautner, seen here in her basement with her water filtration system, flushed her toilet one day to find a rush of earth-brown water.
Tests showed her drinking water was high in aluminum, iron and methane.
She is now part of a lawsuit against driller Cabot Oil and Gas. (Abrahm Lustgarten/ProPublica)Pennsylvania residents whose streams and fields have been damaged by toxic spills and whose drinking water has allegedly been contaminated [1] by drilling for natural gas are suing the Houston-based energy company that drilled the wells. A worker at the company is among the 15 families bringing suit.
The civil case, filed Thursday in U.S District Court in Scranton, Pa., seeks to stop future drilling in the Marcellus Shale by Cabot Oil and Gas near the town of Dimock. It also seeks to set up a trust fund to cover medical treatment for residents who say they have been sickened by pollutants. Health problems listed in the complaint include neurological and gastrointestinal illnesses; the complaint also alleges that at least one person's blood tests show toxic levels of the same metals found in the contaminated water.
The suit alleges that Cabot allowed methane [2] and metals to seep into drinking water wells, failed to uphold terms of its contracts with landowners, and acted fraudulently when it said that the drilling process, including the chemicals used in the underground manipulation process called hydraulic fracturing [3], could not contaminate groundwater and posed no harm to the people who live there.
"We've been lied to, we've been pushed around, and enough is enough," said Julie Sautner, whose drinking water began showing high levels of methane, iron and aluminum in February and who is receiving fresh water deliveries from Cabot. "We need to push back."
Ely's relatives, who have lived in Dimock for generations, own several properties where Cabot has wells. In January a well at the home of Michael Ely, one of Nolan Ely's relatives who is also part of the lawsuit, caught fire after methane leaked underground into the water supply. At the top of the hill near Michael Ely's home is Cabot's Ely 6H well, which is among the most productive horizontal wells drilled in the Marcellus Shale. Cabot has touted Ely 6H as being one of the company's most profitable.
Click Title or Link to whole:
http://www.propublica.org/feature/pa-residents-sue-gas-driller-for-contamination-health-concerns-1120
November 20, 2009 10:00 am EST
Dimock resident Julie Sautner, seen here in her basement with her water filtration system, flushed her toilet one day to find a rush of earth-brown water.
Tests showed her drinking water was high in aluminum, iron and methane.
She is now part of a lawsuit against driller Cabot Oil and Gas. (Abrahm Lustgarten/ProPublica)Pennsylvania residents whose streams and fields have been damaged by toxic spills and whose drinking water has allegedly been contaminated [1] by drilling for natural gas are suing the Houston-based energy company that drilled the wells. A worker at the company is among the 15 families bringing suit.
The civil case, filed Thursday in U.S District Court in Scranton, Pa., seeks to stop future drilling in the Marcellus Shale by Cabot Oil and Gas near the town of Dimock. It also seeks to set up a trust fund to cover medical treatment for residents who say they have been sickened by pollutants. Health problems listed in the complaint include neurological and gastrointestinal illnesses; the complaint also alleges that at least one person's blood tests show toxic levels of the same metals found in the contaminated water.
The suit alleges that Cabot allowed methane [2] and metals to seep into drinking water wells, failed to uphold terms of its contracts with landowners, and acted fraudulently when it said that the drilling process, including the chemicals used in the underground manipulation process called hydraulic fracturing [3], could not contaminate groundwater and posed no harm to the people who live there.
"We've been lied to, we've been pushed around, and enough is enough," said Julie Sautner, whose drinking water began showing high levels of methane, iron and aluminum in February and who is receiving fresh water deliveries from Cabot. "We need to push back."
Ely's relatives, who have lived in Dimock for generations, own several properties where Cabot has wells. In January a well at the home of Michael Ely, one of Nolan Ely's relatives who is also part of the lawsuit, caught fire after methane leaked underground into the water supply. At the top of the hill near Michael Ely's home is Cabot's Ely 6H well, which is among the most productive horizontal wells drilled in the Marcellus Shale. Cabot has touted Ely 6H as being one of the company's most profitable.
Click Title or Link to whole:
http://www.propublica.org/feature/pa-residents-sue-gas-driller-for-contamination-health-concerns-1120
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
FEMA Tours Flood Damaged Areas (Areas of Proposed uranium mining)
Danville, VA - FEMA (web | news) agents made their way around parts of Southside Virginia Wednesday, working with the Virginia Department of Emergency Management to assess flood damage.
Officials say they need to get to the flood-affected areas as quickly as possible because seeing the full extent of the damage, could determine how much federal and state relief, our area sees.
"I think as a whole Virginia somewhat dodged a bullet," Bob Spieldenner with VDEM said.
But the Dan River didn't leave this area unnoticed. Two feet of water destroyed a control panel at Danville's water treatment plant.
Ronald Ketteman at Severn Trent Services (Water Treatment Plant) said, "We're still maintaining treatment. We're just looking at a severe cost for that replacement of around $30,000-50,000."
And you would never recognize this, as part of the city's Riverwalk trail. That's because of what receding river water left behind.
Jim Henderson with Danville Parks and Recreation said, "A lot of silt and sand on the trail, some places even three or four feet deep,"
Jamilah Fraser with FEMA said, "We're trying to make sure that we assess everything, to make sure if federal assistance can be given to this community, we want to make sure that it is."
"It'll help repair, money for overtime for workers that helped directly after the event, to help repair the infrastructure, things of that nature," Fraser said.
FEMA also made damage assessment stops in South Boston and Halifax County Wednesdsay afternoon.
Click Title or Link to whole post:
http://www.wset.com/news/stories/1109/679599.html
Uranium mining company protests proposed regulations, public input
Comment: Tell these greedy and ugly Uranium Mining Canadian Carpetbaggers to get out of American and that means Virginia too!
By Associated Press
12:45 PM MST, November 18, 2009
DENVER (AP) — A company that wants to mine uranium in Weld County claims that proposed state rules on protecting groundwater might be illegal.
Powertech USA also questions the legality of allowing public comment on setting rules such issues as groundwater quality and mine reclamation. The company argues the proposed rules are too broad.
Information from: Fort Collins Coloradoan, http://www.coloradoan.com
Click Title or Link to whole post:
http://www.2thedeuce.com/news/sns-ap-co--uraniummining-rules,0,6964323.story
Time to Speak Out Against the Biggest Polluters
This is the weekly post from Bruce Nilles, director of Sierra Club's Beyond Coal Campaign.
Wednesday and Thursday of this week are big days if you live in Arlington, Virginia, or Chicago, Illinois.
Those are the two days of public hearings on the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) “Big Polluters” rule. But of course, this whole issue is huge whether you live in Virginia, Illinois, or anywhere else in the U.S. – it affects everyone.
Right now only a handful of pollution sources, including coal-fired power plants, are responsible for more than half of all of the global warming pollution in the United States.
Cleaning these up is a large step towards stopping global warming, so EPA is proposing a new rule to start cleaning up these Big Polluters under the Clean Air Act. By targeting the worst offenders, the Big Polluters rule is an important step that will cut global warming pollution while still helping our economy grow.
That’s why we’ve helped organize crowds of folks to turn out to the Wednesday and Thursday hearings: These mega-polluters should be held responsible for their share. (You can also check in on the hearings by following the #bigpolluters hashtag on twitter. We’ll have lots of folks tweeting from inside the hearing rooms)
This rule will bring the most bang for the buck—resulting in real pollution reductions and helping spur growth and development of clean energy technologies.
Again, this proposed EPA rule uses the time-tested Clean Air Act, which has already succeeded at cleaning up other sorts of pollution all over the country, to help control global warming pollution.
The sources that EPA will focus on under this rule already have decades of experience with this process. Having used best available control technology to reduce many other types of pollution, they have the engineering expertise to work with EPA and community groups to select appropriate, cost-effective controls.
Global warming pollution controls will also reduce emissions of other pollutants, including those that cause smog, heart attacks, and lung disease.
By focusing on these big sources, EPA is spending its resources wisely. Although global warming pollution comes from many places, EPA can cut down on the lion’s share by taking on the largest sources first.
The Big Polluters Rule marks one of EPA’s most important commitments yet to moving us towards a clean energy economy and away from dirty power sources like coal.
If you can’t make it in person to the hearings Wednesday and Thursday, you can still send in your comments to EPA on this important rule – simply use our Big Polluters website:
And don’t forget to follow along with the #bigpolluters hashtag on Twitter for tweets from inside the hearing.
For a recap of how these hearings went, be sure to check in on my colleague Greg Haegele’s column later this week for photos and a wrap-up.
Click Title or Link to whole post:
http://sierraclub.typepad.com/compass/2009/11/time-to-speak-out-against-the-biggest-polluters.html
Wednesday and Thursday of this week are big days if you live in Arlington, Virginia, or Chicago, Illinois.
Those are the two days of public hearings on the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) “Big Polluters” rule. But of course, this whole issue is huge whether you live in Virginia, Illinois, or anywhere else in the U.S. – it affects everyone.
Right now only a handful of pollution sources, including coal-fired power plants, are responsible for more than half of all of the global warming pollution in the United States.
Cleaning these up is a large step towards stopping global warming, so EPA is proposing a new rule to start cleaning up these Big Polluters under the Clean Air Act. By targeting the worst offenders, the Big Polluters rule is an important step that will cut global warming pollution while still helping our economy grow.
That’s why we’ve helped organize crowds of folks to turn out to the Wednesday and Thursday hearings: These mega-polluters should be held responsible for their share. (You can also check in on the hearings by following the #bigpolluters hashtag on twitter. We’ll have lots of folks tweeting from inside the hearing rooms)
This rule will bring the most bang for the buck—resulting in real pollution reductions and helping spur growth and development of clean energy technologies.
Again, this proposed EPA rule uses the time-tested Clean Air Act, which has already succeeded at cleaning up other sorts of pollution all over the country, to help control global warming pollution.
The sources that EPA will focus on under this rule already have decades of experience with this process. Having used best available control technology to reduce many other types of pollution, they have the engineering expertise to work with EPA and community groups to select appropriate, cost-effective controls.
Global warming pollution controls will also reduce emissions of other pollutants, including those that cause smog, heart attacks, and lung disease.
By focusing on these big sources, EPA is spending its resources wisely. Although global warming pollution comes from many places, EPA can cut down on the lion’s share by taking on the largest sources first.
The Big Polluters Rule marks one of EPA’s most important commitments yet to moving us towards a clean energy economy and away from dirty power sources like coal.
If you can’t make it in person to the hearings Wednesday and Thursday, you can still send in your comments to EPA on this important rule – simply use our Big Polluters website:
And don’t forget to follow along with the #bigpolluters hashtag on Twitter for tweets from inside the hearing.
For a recap of how these hearings went, be sure to check in on my colleague Greg Haegele’s column later this week for photos and a wrap-up.
Click Title or Link to whole post:
http://sierraclub.typepad.com/compass/2009/11/time-to-speak-out-against-the-biggest-polluters.html
What would heavy rains do ? (Uranium Mining in Virginia)
Comment: Please review the modern uranium mining in Australia and the government control tailings ponds and open pit flooding in previous articles on the blog! The linings are leaking, plus during heavy rains, the over wash of tailings ponds! Mother Nature wrecks good plans, like the dikes on the Mississippi River during hurricanes! The Wales guy, have you seen any uranium mining or is this just theory? Plus uranium mining will be all over our county and Virginia!
By John Crane
Published: November 17, 2009
Updated: November 17, 2009
Uranium mining opponents say flooding like the type that occurred in Pittsylvania County last week would pollute the water supply if uranium mining and milling take place at Coles Hill.
But officials at Virginia Uranium Inc., who want to mine and mill a massive ore deposit at Coles Hill near Chatham, say tailings management would ensure an environmentally-friendly operation there.
“This will be done in a safe and sustainable manner,” said Patrick Wales, geologist and spokesman with VUI.
VUI hopes to mine and mill a 119 million-pound uranium ore deposit at Coles Hill, about six miles northeast of Chatham.
The study, if approved, would take about 18 months. Jennifer Walsh, NAS spokeswoman, said Tuesday the agency has no comment on the matter.
“They’re still working out the scope of the study,” Walsh said.
Last week, Pittsylvania County officials declared a state of emergency after heavy rains and flooding forced the closure of dozens of roads, including parts of Coles Road — which bisects the VUI project area.
Jack Dunavant, head of Halifax-based Southside Concerned Citizens, which opposes uranium mining, said alpha radiation from tailings, which contain 86 percent of the radiation found in natural uranium, would be washed downstream in a flood and be deposited in fertile low lands where animals graze and crops grow.
“All the animals would be subject to it,” Dunavant said.
Alpha radiation is “the most insidious and dangerous of all” types of radiation that causes birth defects and affects the genetic code, Dunavant said. It can be ingested when consumed in food, drank from water or breathed from mist while a person takes a shower, he said.
VUI would build a tailings-management system meeting stringent guidelines under the Environmental Protection Agency, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality and other agencies, Wales said.
Tailings-management facilities have separated the tailings from interaction with the environment at locations all over the world, Wales said. Tailings are typically covered and lined underground with multiple layers of synthetic and clay liners to prevent interaction with surrounding groundwater, Wales said.
“These facilities are designed for severe weather,” Wales said.
A few feet of water can also be kept on top of the tailings to prevent dust.
Also, flooding that took place last week occurred downstream from Coles Hill, Coles said.
Karen Maute, a county resident and uranium mining opponent, said last week’s flooding should “give pause” to people downstream and give notice to everyone of the consequences of the long-term storage of waste.
Mining and milling will be a finite operation, but the resulting waste will be around for thousands of years, she said.
Crane is a staff writer with the Danville Register & Bee.
Click Title or Link to whole:
http://www2.godanriver.com/gdr/news/local/danville_news/article/what_would_heavy_rains_do/15656
New Mexico compared to Chernobyl–in an art review
Comment: Is this history repenting itself with uranium mining, keep the ban on uranium mining!
By Marjorie Childress
11/17/09 10:55 AM
“Ground Zero. In some ways, New Mexico comes a close second to Chernobyl.”
So begins a review, published this week in the Akron Beacon Journal, of an exhibit of photographs of Patrick Nagatani. The New Mexico photographer’s work is on display at the Akron Art Museum for the next few months, in an exhibition titled “Nuclear Enchantment.”
Nagatani’s work is “…all about questioning society’s blind faith in the so-called experts, in particular the expertise of science.” Nagatani’s work not only questions that faith but ridicules it, the piece states.
It then labels the New Mexico moniker “Land of Enchantment” as more accurately our “Better Business Bureau nickname.”
Known by its Better Business Bureau nickname as ”Land of Enchantment,” New Mexico is also the birthplace of the nuclear age. It has sites linked to research and development, weapon stockpiles, uranium mines, test sites and reactors alarmingly close not only to large population areas, but also to the tribal lands of the Hopi and Pueblo Indians, the oldest continuous culture in our country.
While the piece doesn’t show the actual pictures, it has great descriptions of the work. Here’s an example:
Uranium Tailings, Anaconda Minerals Corporation, Laguna Pueblo Reservation, New Mexico is a 1990 lifocolor print that illustrates a common misconception.
”If you’re on the right side of a Southwest Airlines 737 heading west and look down [if you're not over the wing],” Nagatani noted, ”you see beautiful white deposits below that make a striking contrast with the gray-brown landscape.
”I have to laugh to myself when I hear people around me admiring these ‘natural’ formations. They’re uranium tailings deposits, acres and acres of them.
”They’re all hot, they’re all radioactive.” And they’re mostly on the Laguna Pueblo Reservation, believed to have been settled in 1699.
Various academic and individual scientific studies combined with oral histories and community based assessments over the years don’t make the comparison to Chernobyl a stretch.
A contentious debate over the future of uranium mining in New Mexico is currently underway. The Navajo Nation in 2005 banned uranium mining on its land, but mining companies are pursuing the development of new mines on the public and private land that snakes into and around Navajo land due to an expectation that a new uranium boom is looming.
Click Title or Link to whole:
http://newmexicoindependent.com/41851/new-mexico-compared-to-chernobyl-in-an-art-review
IHS to participate in uranium exposure monitoring
Copyright © 2009
Gallup Independent
By Kathy Helms
Diné Bureau
WINDOW ROCK — By the end of the year, Indian Health Service will begin medical monitoring clinics across the Navajo Nation to screen individuals for non-job-related exposure to uranium.
Dr. Douglas Peter, chief medical officer and deputy director for the Navajo Area Indian Health Service, said IHS was charged with conducting the study during discussions with U.S. Rep. Henry Waxman, D-Calif., a part of a five-year plan to address uranium contamination on the Navajo Nation.
http://www.gallupindependent.com/2009/11November/111609ihs.html
Gallup Independent
By Kathy Helms
Diné Bureau
WINDOW ROCK — By the end of the year, Indian Health Service will begin medical monitoring clinics across the Navajo Nation to screen individuals for non-job-related exposure to uranium.
Dr. Douglas Peter, chief medical officer and deputy director for the Navajo Area Indian Health Service, said IHS was charged with conducting the study during discussions with U.S. Rep. Henry Waxman, D-Calif., a part of a five-year plan to address uranium contamination on the Navajo Nation.
http://www.gallupindependent.com/2009/11November/111609ihs.html
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Lawsuit Challenges Uranium Mine That Threatens Water and Wildlife of the Grand Canyon
Comment: People of Virginia, please take notes of the lawsuit for future reference of proposed uranium mining’s throughout Virginia!
For Immediate Release, November 16, 2009
Contacts: Taylor McKinnon, Center for Biological Diversity, (928) 310-6713
Roger Clark, Grand Canyon Trust, (928) 774-7488
Sandy Bahr, Sierra Club Grand Canyon Chapter, (602) 999-5790
Lawsuit Challenges Uranium Mine That Threatens Water and Wildlife of the Grand Canyon
FLAGSTAFF, Ariz.— Today the Center for Biological Diversity, Grand Canyon Trust, and Sierra Club filed suit in an Arizona federal court challenging the Bureau of Land Management’s approval of the restart of a defunct uranium mine just north of Grand Canyon National Park.
The conservation groups are suing over the Bureau’s failure to update 1980s-era environmental reviews and mining plans prior to allowing Denison Mines Corporation to begin mining at the “Arizona 1” mine. The mine was partially constructed in the late 1980s and early 1990s but was closed due to market conditions in 1992 without producing any uranium ore.
The Bureau of Land Management did not respond to a September legal notice from conservation groups urging the agency to correct course in order to avoid today’s litigation. The mine is within the same area that Interior Secretary Ken Salazar placed off-limits to new mining claims and operations in an order issued in July of this year.
Today’s suit cites violations of National Environmental Policy Act provisions that require the land-management agency to consider new information regarding the hydrology, spring ecology, and biodiversity of the area in order to accurately evaluate the impacts of the mine.
An update to an outdated 1988 environmental assessment, as well as a more thorough analysis, is warranted given new information, circumstances, and public controversy about renewed uranium mining near Grand Canyon.
The suit also cites violations of the Endangered Species Act in the federal government’s failure to ensure that new mining will not jeopardize threatened and endangered species or their critical habitat — including Colorado pikeminnow, humpback chub, bonytail, razorback sucker, southwestern willow flycatcher, and Mexican spotted owl.
“The Bureau of Land Management’s refusal to redo outdated environmental reviews is as illegal as it is unethical,” said Taylor McKinnon, public lands campaigns director at the Center for Biological Diversity. “It should be eager to protect the Grand Canyon and its endangered species; instead, it has chosen to shirk environmental review on behalf of the uranium industry.”
The suit also cites violations of mining laws and the Federal Land Policy and Management Act over the agency’s failure to require validity exams for the mine’s claims and a new plan of operations for the mine; the old plan expired with the mine’s 1992 closure. The Interior Department’s July 2009 one-million-acre land segregation order, now in force, and its proposed 20-year mineral withdrawal prohibit new mining claims and the exploration and mining of existing claims for which valid existing rights have not been established. Although the Arizona 1 mine falls within the segregation boundary, valid rights have not been established for the mine’s claims.
“Arizona 1’s original mine owners went bankrupt and thus never established an economically viable uranium deposit required to establish a valid and existing right,” noted Roger Clark with the Grand Canyon Trust. “It’s time for the BLM to serve the public interest by complying with the law.”
“The Grand Canyon, other public lands, and native peoples are still suffering from the impacts of past uranium mining activities,” said Sandy Bahr, chapter director of the Sierra Club’s Grand Canyon Chapter. “We need to ensure that we do not repeat that history and allow harm to one of our nation’s treasures or to the millions of people who enjoy the lands and rely on the water.”
Attorneys representing the plaintiff groups in today’s litigation are Amy Atwood of the Center for Biological Diversity, Neil Levine of Grand Canyon Trust, and Roger Flynn of the Western Mining Action Project.
Click Title or Link to whole post:
http://www.biologicaldiversity.org/news/press_releases/2009/uranium-mining-11-16-2009.html
Uranium too low to incentivise new mines – Uranium One
By: Liezel Hill
17th November 2009
TORONTO (miningweekly.com) - Uranium prices will need to firm significantly to justify the development of many of the mining projects being considered around the world, Jean Nortier, the CEO of Vancouver-based Uranium One, said on Monday.
Nortier said he believes the market is underestimating the volume of uranium that will be needed to fuel new reactors being built or planned, especially in Asia, and overestimating the supply, both from mines and other sources, that will be available over the coming decade.
"In our view, current prices are much too low to provide the incentive needed to bring on sufficient new supply to meet the medium and long term demand for uranium," he said on a conference call.
Edited by: Liezel Hill
Click Title or Link to whole post:
http://www.miningweekly.com/article/uranium-price-too-low-to-incentivise-new-mines-uranium-one-2009-11-17
17th November 2009
TORONTO (miningweekly.com) - Uranium prices will need to firm significantly to justify the development of many of the mining projects being considered around the world, Jean Nortier, the CEO of Vancouver-based Uranium One, said on Monday.
Nortier said he believes the market is underestimating the volume of uranium that will be needed to fuel new reactors being built or planned, especially in Asia, and overestimating the supply, both from mines and other sources, that will be available over the coming decade.
"In our view, current prices are much too low to provide the incentive needed to bring on sufficient new supply to meet the medium and long term demand for uranium," he said on a conference call.
Edited by: Liezel Hill
Click Title or Link to whole post:
http://www.miningweekly.com/article/uranium-price-too-low-to-incentivise-new-mines-uranium-one-2009-11-17
Uranium Companies Moving Forward As Old Mines Are Cleaned Up
By Kathy Helms
Dine Bureau
Gallup Independent
WINDOW ROCK – New Mexico Mining and Minerals Division has approved Uranium Resources Inc.'s request for renewal of an exploration permit application in the Ambrosia Lake District and also has approved cleanup plans for two closed mines.
The permit for URI's Section 13 in-situ exploration project near Grants, originally approved in November 2008, allows URI to drill up to 10 holes for the purpose of extracting core samples to evaluate the suitability of the property for in-situ recovery of uranium. URI owns the Section 13 property in fee and the permit renewal is now valid until November 2010.
“This permit renewal is important in that it will allow us to determine the suitability of whether a portion of our Ambrosia Lake reserves are amenable to ISR mining methods,” URI President and CEO Don Ewigleben stated in a press release.
URI’s Section 13 property is located in McKinley County, about 10 miles northeast of Grants. The property, along with three other parcels owned in fee by URI, hold the company’s Ambrosia Lake resources, estimated at 2.4 million pounds of uranium mineralized material.
The Mining and Minerals Division also approved reclamation plans for the Section 27 Mine, once operated by the United Nuclear Corp. of Gallup and JJ No. 1/L-Bar Mine, formerly operated by Sohio Western Mining Co., and now under the responsibility of Rio Tinto Energy of America in Salt Lake City.
Click Title or Link to whole post:
http://nativeunity.blogspot.com/2009/11/exploration-permit-request-clean-up.html
Dine Bureau
Gallup Independent
WINDOW ROCK – New Mexico Mining and Minerals Division has approved Uranium Resources Inc.'s request for renewal of an exploration permit application in the Ambrosia Lake District and also has approved cleanup plans for two closed mines.
The permit for URI's Section 13 in-situ exploration project near Grants, originally approved in November 2008, allows URI to drill up to 10 holes for the purpose of extracting core samples to evaluate the suitability of the property for in-situ recovery of uranium. URI owns the Section 13 property in fee and the permit renewal is now valid until November 2010.
“This permit renewal is important in that it will allow us to determine the suitability of whether a portion of our Ambrosia Lake reserves are amenable to ISR mining methods,” URI President and CEO Don Ewigleben stated in a press release.
URI’s Section 13 property is located in McKinley County, about 10 miles northeast of Grants. The property, along with three other parcels owned in fee by URI, hold the company’s Ambrosia Lake resources, estimated at 2.4 million pounds of uranium mineralized material.
The Mining and Minerals Division also approved reclamation plans for the Section 27 Mine, once operated by the United Nuclear Corp. of Gallup and JJ No. 1/L-Bar Mine, formerly operated by Sohio Western Mining Co., and now under the responsibility of Rio Tinto Energy of America in Salt Lake City.
Click Title or Link to whole post:
http://nativeunity.blogspot.com/2009/11/exploration-permit-request-clean-up.html
Saturday, November 14, 2009
Areva's uranium mining : Ranua Rescue Action project
Comment: Please visit the site below because people all over the world are fighting against uranium mining! Demand our world leaders to stop the insane chase of uranium mining and Nuke plants! People of the world want true green power not dangerous, expensive nuke plants! No to Uranium Mining and Nuke Plants!
Welcome at the Ranua Rescue Action project!
Beautiful countryside of Ranua threatened by Areva's uranium mining plans.
The Story: As the tapped uranium reserves are limited and today's uranium mines can't provide at least half of the fuel requirements nuclear companies like Areva are undertaking a global offense to search for new uranium mines.
In Finland the French nuclear company Areva enforces their mining plans in the sparsely populated North after being driven away from southern Finland's countryside (Area 32!).
Local people of the threated region of Ranua in Finnish Lapland joined the international Nuclear Climate Camp in Tervola in summer 2009 and asked for support for their struggle against Areva.
After the camp Finnish anti-nuclear activists decided to focus on uranium mining and construction plans of a new NPP in the North - the Ranua Rescue group was created. An international action day was announced at short notice only one week before the expected municipality decision about Areva's application to drill in Ranua to examine the uranium ore in the region.
You may find more detailled information in Finnish at the Ranua Rescue Blog.
Click Title or Link to whole post:
http://www.greenkids.de/europas-atomerbe/index.php/Ranua_Uranium_Exploration_Action
Meeting: Danville-Pittsylvania Regional Industrial Facility Authority
Danville-Pittsylvania Regional Industrial Facility Authority
City of Danville, VA
County of Pittsylvania, VA
AGENDA:
MONDAY, NOVEMBER 16, 2009
12:00 NOON
DAN RIVER BUISNESS DEVELOPMENT CENTER CONFERENCE ROOM
300 RINGGOLD INDUSTRIAL PARKWAY
Danville, VA 24540
Lawsuit accuses Virginia power company of poisoning Dominican community with toxic coal ash
Comment: Virginia is for lovers and friendly to huge, greedy, evil corporations who ruin people's lives all over the world! Virginia blows up her Mountains for coal to be shipped to China and plans to blow up our hills for uranium by greedy Canadian uranium corporations. Remember, uranium mining has the same poison as coal but a million times worst waste products! Are the babies above, our babies in the future if uranium mining is allowed in our state?
By Sue Sturgis
on November 10, 2009 12:28 PM
A civil lawsuit filed last week in state court in Delaware charges Arlington, Va-based AES Corp. -- one of the world's largest power companies -- with illegally dumping 160 million pounds of toxic coal ash waste onto beaches in the Caribbean nation of the Dominican Republic, leading to serious health problems for nearby residents.
Filed by a team of attorneys from law firms in New York, Pennsylvania and Delaware, the suit alleges that between 2003 and 2004 AES Corp. and its subsidiaries dumped 100 million pounds of coal ash on the beach near the small village of Arroyo Barril and another 60 million pounds in the Port of Manzanillo near Montecristi -- and that serious health problems resulted:
Since the dumping, babies have been born with severe birth defects including missing limbs, missing organs, cranial malformations and gastrointestinal deformities. Some of these children have died as a result of their injuries. A failed Siamese twin with two heads died shortly after birth.
Many women have suffered miscarriages at various stages of their pregnancies. Today, in addition to the severe birth defects, men, women and children of this proud and struggling community continue to suffer with respiratory illnesses and skin rashes.
The child pictured above is believed to be one of those affected. The attorneys say half of the 42 nearby residents it tested had unsafe blood levels of arsenic, a major contaminant of concern in coal ash. There is evidence that inhaled or ingested arsenic can injure the fetus.
A byproduct of burning coal to generate electricity, coal ash contains dangerous levels of known poisons that also include beryllium, cadmium, chromium, lead, mercury, nickel and vanadium. Workers who handle coal ash at power plants typically wear respirators and other protective equipment.
According to the complaint, authorities there allowed AES to build the plant in 2002 only under the condition that most of the ash generated at the plant was deposited somewhere other than Puerto Rico. The company allegedly chose dumping the waste onto beaches in the Dominican Republic -- where some 30% of citizens live in poverty -- as the cheapest alternative.
The lawsuit also claims that AES and its partners misrepresented to the Dominican government the toxicity of the coal ash and how it would be handled. In 2004, that government found the AES dumping to be in violation of Dominican law as well as the international Basel Convention on hazardous wastes and pursued criminal and civil actions against AES and other responsible parties.
The Miami Herald reports that it was a contractor from Delray Beach, Fla. -- Roger C. Fina -- who hauled the coal ash to the Dominican Republic and dumped it on the beaches:
The lawsuit filed last week on behalf of the injured Dominicans seeks damages from AES and its companies for the human toll caused by the illegal dumping. It also seeks to compel AES to provide a comprehensive medical monitoring program for the plaintiffs during their lifetimes.
(Photos of the deformed Dominican child is from a photo gallery related to the lawsuit.)
Click Title or Link to whole post:
http://www.southernstudies.org/2009/11/lawsuit-accuses-virginia-power-company-of-poisoning-dominican-community-with-toxic-coal-ash.html
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