Gen. John Douglass is running for Congress in the 5th District to help Virginia families get a fair chance at a better future after serving our country on President Reagan’s National Security Council and then as President Clinton’s Assistant Secretary of the Navy, before going on to promote air and space policies that grow our economy by creating manufacturing jobs and keeping our skies safe.
Chatham, VA – Congressional Challenger General John Douglass is urging Corporate Congressman Robert Hurt to introduce legislation in Congress to ban uranium mining near residential communities. If Hurt fails to act, families and farmers in our district could be at risk. Yet in response to news that the Virginia legislature is soon expected to consider lifting the ban, Hurt’s campaign said it’s “entirely a state issue,” leaving it up to the same politicians that tried to force painful procedures on expecting mothers. In Congress, Hurt got busted in his attempt to block oversight of what his campaign admits is “radioactive matter produced from uranium”. They tried to get away with claiming that the final Farm Dust bill keeps mining subject to the Clean Air Act, but refuse to come clean about the fact that Hurt opposed that very requirement. It has been widely reported that Hurt stands to gain politically and personally from mining in the district since uranium executives fund his campaigns and his family owns a financial stake in the mine itself. So share your concerns with Congressman Hurt by co-signing General Douglass’s letter urging Hurt to act now.
http://www.johndouglassforcong…
Congressman Robert Hurt
686 Berkmar Circle
Charlottesville, VA 22901
Dear Congressman Hurt,
I urge you to take action in Congress, before the Virginia legislature puts families and farmers at risk, by introducing federal legislation to ban uranium mining near residential communities. As you may be aware, the National Academy of Sciences report warns that there are “steep hurdles” in protecting the health of the surrounding area to the proposed mining at Coles Hill.
With the legislature expected to consider lifting the ban on mining, the people of the 5th District have very serious concerns about harmful toxins polluting our air and water. Even one natural disaster could disturb huge amounts of radioactive waste that could take decades to clean up, according Virginia Commonwealth University Professor Peter DeFur. Experts also point out that transporting radioactive material along major highways and railroads poses a high risk as well.
However difficult it may be to set aside your family’s ownership stake in the $7 billion uranium deposit, please consider the safety of our families, especially those who live in your hometown of Chatham. The more than $3,000 dollars in campaign funds you have now taken from Virginia Uranium executives, according to the FEC and VPAP, pales in comparison to the estimated $10 billion it took the German government to clean up the contamination at the Wismut mining site.
It is not enough to claim support for a temporary ban pending further studies because studies only measure risk — they don’t prevent it. Having put my life on the line in defense of our country, I’m running for Congress because our public safety comes first. So if you have the courage to call on Republicans in Congress to vote for a federal ban upon your return from the month-long adjournment, I will do all I can to help build some bipartisan support.
Our district is counting on you to show your opposition to uranium mining by taking Congressional action before the election. Should I be chosen by the people to serve, I would be honored to carry on this effort.
Very respectfully,
John W Douglass
Brig General USAF (ret)
Fifth District Congressional Candidate
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