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A local organization plans to roll out a petition Wednesday night demanding that the Pittsylvania County Board of Supervisors impose a ban on uranium mining.
The petition calls for an overthrow of the county’s government if the board “does not represent the majority of the people in the county” and renders itself “illegitimate under the Virginia Constitution.”
The Alliance, a group that formed in February after splitting from Southside Concerned Citizens, will give its first anti-mining presentation at 7 p.m. Wednesday at Averett University’s student center.
Shireen Parsons, a Christiansburg-based organizer for the Community Environmental Legal Defense Fund, said uranium mining opponents will try to gather signatures from a majority of county residents beginning at the meeting Wednesday.
“If this community wants to protect itself, that’s what they must do,” Parsons said Wednesday.
The petition calls for the board to ban uranium mining within three months after it’s submitted to supervisors. It also demands that local governments within the county adopt ordinances, such as chemical-trespass ordinances, to protect residents from uranium mining.
Parsons and Gregg Vickrey, a founder and the chairman of the Alliance, will speak at the event about the issues surrounding uranium mining and how a community can practice self governance. Vickrey’s presentation will be similar to seminars he gave in the past under SCC illustrating mining operations around the world and how mining could affect the area.
Virginia Uranium Inc. seeks to mine and mill a 119-million-pound uranium deposit at Coles Hill about six miles northeast of Chatham. Virginia currently has a moratorium on the practice, but the Virginia Coal & Energy Commission is overseeing a study to determine whether it can be done safely in the commonwealth.
Vickrey said the presentation will be updated with information about the merger between Santoy and VUI.
County Supervisor Hank Davis, who represents the Chatham-Blairs District, declined to comment about the petition. Neither Vice Chair and Tunstall District Supervisor Tim Barber nor Chairman Coy Harville could be reached for comment by press time Monday.
Patrick Wales, VUI geologist and spokesman, said the presentation will be a retread from Vickrey’s past seminars. Ordinances like those against chemical trespass resulting from mining operations are unconstitutional in a Dillon Rule state, Wales said. The Dillon Rule means that state law supersedes local laws.
The town of Chatham discussed a possible chemical trespass ordinance, but former Virginia Attorney General Bob McDonnell said in an opinion last year that it would be unconstitutional.
Parsons said the Dillon Rule flies in the face of the U.S. and Virginia constitutions.
“It’s no different from rules in favor of slavery,” Parsons said.
She said opponents’ intentions are not merely to oppose mining, but to return government control to the hands of citizens.
“Our goal is not to stop uranium,” Parsons said. “Our goal is to seize local governing authority.”
The six-part petition cites the Virginia Constitution, saying that if the Board of Supervisors does not pass the mining ban, the petitioners will call for a vote to elect 11 people to draft a constitution for Pittsylvania County that bans uranium mining and “recognizes the right to community self-government.” The Pittsylvania County Chapter of Southside Concerned Citizens would implement the voting process.
Parsons said she could not say how the process would take place.
“We would have to discuss how to do this,” she said.
The petitioners, representing a majority of county citizens, would call for a vote by residents to ratify the “county constitution” and would give supervisors the choice of adopting it. If the board doesn’t, the constitution would become law anyway and petitioners authorize a special election to replace the existing county supervisors.
Excerpts
Excerpts from the petition that a local group plans to roll out Wednesday at Averett University’s student center:
• “WE THE PEOPLE OF PITTSYLVANIA COUNTY, in order to secure local self-government, democracy, and protect the health, safety, and welfare of the residents and environment of Pittsylvania County, Hereby Demand:”
• “That the Pittsylvania County Board of Supervisors adopt an ordinance that bans uranium mining from occurring within the County ... “
• “That if the Pittsylvania County Board of Supervisors fails to take action to ban the mining, the Board will have failed to represent the majority of the people within the County ...”
• “That the undersigned, representing a majority of the residents in Pittsylvania County, hereby call for a vote of the residents to elect eleven people to draft a Constitution for the County of Pittsylvania ... “
• “If the County Supervisors refuse to adopt the new Constitution, the undersigned hereby authorize that another vote be taken to elect new County Supervisors ... “
• To read the full petition, go to GoDanRiver.com and click on this story’s link.
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Reader Reactions
Who gives a rat’s A$$ about these ordinances passed in other parts of the US and the world?
I think anyone that would oppose looking into ANY billion dollar industry today is wrong and selfish.
I surely believe it would a safe method of mining worked out before this would begin, and if you are so scared of this, pack your bags and move to these other places mentioned.
All we heard over and over again from all Presidential candidates and most others running for any government office is we MUST explore alternative fuel methods, and nuclear power has been used for years in US subs and used for many other things.
Without Uranium, where are we going to explore for the alternative power? Maybe we can build cars that run on windmills, or just go back to horse and buggies. Bet that couldn’t even happen for the groups that would be fighting the horse $hit on the roads.
USES:
a nuclear fuel
conversion into plutonium in “breeder” reactors
used in nuclear fuels to generate electrical power
synthesis of isotopes
nuclear explosive
X-ray targets for production of high-energy X-rays
the nitrate has been used as photographic toner
acetate is used in analytical chemistry
For acethecat - a clarification. Since you mentioned me by name I just want to clarify, briefly, my position. I am not for uranium mining. I am for economic development. If (and as I have repeatedly stated that is a big “if”) this uranium can be mined safely, then I favor it as an economic boost to our community.
You are opposed to uranium mining, even if it is deemed safe. I understand that and I respect that. What I don’t understand is your allegation that a lot of people posting supportive remarks here are, your words, Nuke Groups. Number 1, how do you know that? Isn’t it possible that, like me, they simply disagree with you? And, number 2, even if they are members of “Nuke Groups” (whatever that is), so what? Why in the world does that concern you? I mean, come on, if your position is so strong, if you are so right about this, why would you be so worried about what someone else says?
Also, of all the “ordinances” you listed, can you tell us which ones actually became law? Which ones survived the inevitable court challenges?
Of all the ordinances you listed, only one seemed to have anything to do with Uranium mining (Greeley City Council). What do the rest of them have to do with anything?
Of course, most clear-thinking citizens would discount your listing of a Nova-Scotia petition and European Parliament diatribe because, well , you see, we don’t live in Canada or Europe. We have no more right to tell them how to live than they have a right to do likewise to us.
You also said that you (the alliance) is “...against uranium mining & milling period!...“ and that you don’t want to overthrow the local government. However, in the article, Ms. Parsons is quoted as saying “Our goal is not to stop uranium ... Our goal is to seize local governing authority.“ So, who’s in charge here, you or Ms. Parsons?
not sure what local means to some. to me it means being from here in southside. someone said that shireen’s from christiansburg and vikrey’s from kansas. so why do these folks care so much about us and our health unless they got something in it for theirselves? i can see them asking to ban our guns and tobacco next since they think that’s not good for us either like.
I find out a lot of people that post remarks about supporting uranium mining are Nuke Groups!!
We know who Rockit is, is for Uranium Mining!
THE Alliance are against uranium mining & milling period!
THE Alliance did not say, they were going to overthrow local gov’t, that was Crane’s idea!
It is nothing new for local people to demand protection from Corporation’s taking huge amounts of water or mining!
Listed below are ordinances WE THE PEOPLE DEMANDED:
Maine Town Passes Ordinance Asserting Local Self-Governance and Stripping Corporate Personhood: Nestle Accused of Corporate Colonialism
PA Township Nullifies State Attorney General’s Authority to Enforce Rights-Denying Laws
Shrewsbury Takes a Stand for Community Self-Government; Adopts Sludge and Trespass Ordinance in face of Attorney General’s Threats to Sue PA Communities -
Packer Township Prepares to Nullify State Attorney General’s Authority to Deny Community Self-Governing Rights
Packer Township Prohibits Corporate Sludge Dumping, Chemical Trespass; and Asserts Nature Has Rights - 06-11-08
Nottingham, NH Bans Corporate Water-Taking; Joins Barnstead, NH in Adopting Law Recognizng Nature Has Rights
Mahanoy Township, PA - Bans Corporations from Land Applying Sewage Sludge; Second in Nation to Prohibit Chemical Bodily Trespass
Virginia Town Is First in U.S. to Ban Chemical and Radioactive Bodily Trespass, Also Strips Corporations of “Rights”
Donegal Township Makes New Laws: One Says Corporations Are Not “Persons,“ another Says No Corporate Mining!
Tamaqua Is First Again: Bans Corporate Waste
East Brunswick Township Citizens Drive Ordinance Into Law: Sludge Corporations Are Not “Persons” and Nature Has Rights
PA Township Is First To Ban Corporations From Mining
Tamaqua Law Is First In Nation To Recognize Rights Of Nature
Rush Township Joins Tamaqua, Strips Sludge Corporation “Rights”; Gives Them To Nature
Nova Scotia municipalities petition province to ban uranium mining
The European Parliament
recalling the provisions on the rights of Indigenous peoples made of the Vienna Declaration adopted by the World Conference on Human Rights stressing the protection of Indigenous peoples, economic, social and cultural well-being including their distinct identities and cultures;
The Greeley City Council has joined the movement against a proposed Uranium mine near Nunn saying it comes with too many unanswered questions and could hurt people and business in northern Colorado
UTAHVILLE - A hundred-plus residents in Beccaria Township left the municipal building red faced, tear-stained and generally disgusted with the board of supervisors last night for failing to act on a “Local Control, Sewage Sludge and Chemical Trespass Ordinance” presented for the board’s consideration by the “Not in My Backyard” committee. Residents were hopeful the adoption of the ordinance would stand in the way of efforts to apply biosolid material as a fertilizer during the reclamation project at Lyncroft Mine.
The above ordinances are just a few rules WE THE PEOPLE demanded from their local gov’t!
This is not radical, I had 400 signatures in a few hours from the local people of our county demanding “Chemical Trepass” ordinance.
Most people do not want Uranium Mining.
Like I said, people who supports uranium mining, the same ones write this paper all the time.
I found out most of the Pro uranium bloggers of this paper, do not live here or are part of the local uranium group!
Community organizer at work. Shireen must be getting ready for her White House run. That would be a joke, but here lately it’s not funny anymore.
I agree with almost everything MedMan said. In fact, for the most part, I don’t think I could have said it better.
My only disagreement with MedMan is about the role of the newspaper. While I think these activists are quite a few bricks shy of a full load, reporting their activities and intentions is responsible journalism in the sense that we the public can be alerted to those activities and intentions. Once alerted, it is up to us to counter their shrilling hype with our own opinions and, if necessary, votes. With that in mind, and with deepest respect to MedMan, I say well done Register and Bee—keep’em coming!
It’s hard to pinpoint the most disturbing aspect of your story, but I’d like to list the candidates:
1) The utter irresponsibility of your newspaper for showcasing the ridiculous and discredited ideas of some “overthrow-the-govt” fringe group whose leader is not even part of our community.
2) I know and respect the people who are running Averett University. If the truth ever emerges, I’ll bet that Dr. Franks and her people have been tricked into allowing these people to launch their petition drive at Averett. And I’d bet they have been tricked from the inside, because the Luddites quoted in your article would never get into Dr. Frank’s office to present such bat-brained ideas for a petition drive.
3) As for uranium mining, this issue will sort itself out once good science has been put before responsible people in the community. Of course it can be done safely, and if done in the right way, it could have a powerful and positive impact on the region. But as one of people said, uranium mining is really secondary to the greater importance of overthrowing the government.
Of these possibilities, I think your newspaper bears the greatest responsibility. Your lack of judgment in showcasing something as absurd as the idea of “overthrowing” the local government is as witless as it is bizarre. Without the newspaper’s incessant coverage of the same nonsensical statements—screamed over and over for at least two years—no one would pay any attention to people like this. Instead of leading and bringing greater light to the subject, your lazy coverage allows the community to be led further and further into the darkness of ignorance.
That said, you may have committed an even greater disservice by driving sensible people with thoughtful comments and ideas from the forum of public discussion. The public deserves to be educated about this issue, and education is impossible when your newspaper simply sits back and rehashes every screwball idea these people come up with.
Thank you.
If this really is about uranium mining and not treason, this group of lazy, know-nothing loudmouths are probably against uranium because then they would not have an excuse to sit around and complain because they can’t find a job. What a collection of losers.
And Averett University wants to give them a platform??????? Gimme a break!
Why would this objection to the mining surprise anyone? I agree that once it is determined the proper and safe way to mine this valuable commodity here it should be no stopping it.
This is nothing but stopping the future which is what this area is famous for.
IMHO, if this is stopped in an area where there is constant BIT$%&NG;and griping about the economy, then cut off all their federal subsidies until they can come to their senses.
You have got to be kidding me! It is hard to believe that a respectable newspaper would give such a fringe group any attention at all. I guess we all know now what is really at play with this group - good old Bolshevik tactics to “seize power” - their words, not mine. At first I thought that all of the fury over uranium mining was just an ego trip for them; now I am pretty sure they have slipped off the deep end. As Jack Nicholson said in the movie “As Good as it Gets,“ “Go seel crazy somewhere else, we are all stocked up here.“
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