“We don’t need to worry about highly improbable extreme weather events washing any radioactive materials into millions of people’s water supply” say proponents of lifting the ban on uranium mining in green, wet Virginia. Are they nuts???
The universe keeps telling us that uranium mining in Virginia is a bad idea. This Sky5 video of Roanoke Rapids on Saturday morning after an 11-inch, 4-hour rain should make it perfectly clear what could very easily happen on the nearby Cole’s Hill property where uranium mining and milling is proposed. Not only does news video footage – both past and present – confirm the likeliness of extreme weather in this area, but studies commissioned by the City of Virginia Beach also indicate that the area proposed for uranium mining is vulnerable to extreme rainfall events which could cause failure of uranium waste containment structures and result in the contamination of the downstream drinking water, i.e. Lake Gaston, the primary drinking water source for about 1 million people – in Virginia Beach, Norfolk, Chesapeake, and neighboring communities in Virginia and North Carolina. The City’s latest report finds that in the event of significant contamination, “the City of Virginia Beach may have to cease pumping water from Lake Gaston for up to 1.5 years.”
What can you do?
1. Please file electronic comments stating your opposing uranium mining by going to http://www.uwg.vi.virginia.gov/index.shtml and click on “Contact Us”.
2. If you live in the Hampton Roads area, please attend this important meeting:
Governor McDonnell’s Uranium Work Group Meeting
Tuesday, August 28th
6 PM – 8 PM
Virginia Beach Convention Center
1000 19th St. Virginia Beach, VA 23451It is essential that we have a big turnout on Tuesday, August 28th at 6pm to demonstrate uranium mining IS NOT AN OPTION!
3. Please help us spread the message: “KEEP THE BAN” by telling co-workers, friends, relative, and neighbors, but MOST IMPORTANT, our elected officials! Click here to send your Delegate and Senators TODAY!
For more detailed information, go to: www.keeptheban.org.
Sign up for the Blue Virginia weekly newsletter
