Last Friday, the Uranium Study Group presented their report to Virginia’s Commission on Coal and Energy. The VCCE is holding public meetings to receive input on the questions that should be answered when The National Academy of Sciences and Virginia Tech concludes their study on the safety and viability of uranium mining in Southside Virginia.
The Uranium Study Group was formed by the Halifax Chamber of Commerce in September. According to The News & Record, The Halifax Chamber tasked the USG with soliciting “written input from area residents and to ascertain and present those related issues that are of concern to Halifax citizens”.
I’ve skimmed the 131-page report and it includes more arguments against uranium mining than actual questions they want answered. The VCCE isn’t asking the public to make arguments against mining; they just want the public to give them questions that should be answered in the study’s conclusion.
I’m still going to read the USG report because I’m open to reading arguments against uranium mining, but I wish they would have stuck to presenting the VCCE with questions only.
The Uranium Study Group was formed by the Halifax Chamber of Commerce in September. According to The News & Record, The Halifax Chamber tasked the USG with soliciting “written input from area residents and to ascertain and present those related issues that are of concern to Halifax citizens”.
I’ve skimmed the 131-page report and it includes more arguments against uranium mining than actual questions they want answered. The VCCE isn’t asking the public to make arguments against mining; they just want the public to give them questions that should be answered in the study’s conclusion.
I’m still going to read the USG report because I’m open to reading arguments against uranium mining, but I wish they would have stuck to presenting the VCCE with questions only.
3 comments:
Hi Chris,
I'm fairly certain several state lawmakers asked specifically for public input PRIOR to any study to help determine its scope and the types of questions that need to be addressed -- not after the study is "concluded" as you state here:
"The VCCE is holding public meetings to receive input on the questions that should be answered when The National Academy of Sciences and Virginia Tech concludes their study on the safety and viability of uranium mining in Southside Virginia."
Hence the purpose of the Halifax chamber committee report...
Cavalier - your right, state lawmakers are soliciting public input into the study.
Correct me if I'm wrong, but aren't they only asking for questions that Virginians want answered in the study? I think that's the kind of input that they're looking for when they solicited input.
Halifax County's public input mostly consists of articles and research that argue against uranium mining.
I really don't take issue with the excess material in the report, I was just trying to get readers to pay attention to important part of the report (the questions).
Proponents of mining finally got what they asked for -- and that's substance behind the questions that residents want answered (not merely speculation or blindly asking things out of right field). The committee provided substance, context and history to the basis of its questioning. What more could anyone ask for?
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