To the editor:
One of the great puzzlements of this election season has been the staunch stand against uranium taken by Democrat Hank Davis, a candidate for the state Senate. In light of all the economic stimulation and local tax revenues that would be generated by the project, it is baffling that he is against uranium no matter what we learn from the study being conducted by the National Academy of Sciences.
Davis was educated as an attorney and therefore should be in favor of educated scientific facts. It is bewildering that he stands opposed to uranium even before the results of the study by the National Academy of Sciences is completed. That alone, in my view, certainly makes Davis a poor choice to send to Richmond to represent us in the Senate.
However, Davis takes the grand prize for hypocrisy when it comes to his position on uranium mining. In the early 1980s, when much less was known about how to mine uranium safely, Davis earned thousands of dollars working for the Marline Corp. that was then trying to develop the Coles Hill Uranium Project.
Not only was he handsomely paid by Marline, the predecessor of Virginia Uranium where I work as chief geologist, he spoke in favor on the project at every turn. Take, for example, his appearance Oct. 23, 1984, before the Uranium Advisory Group that was soliciting opinions from area residents.
Noting that he represented a family of five, according to the record, Davis told the group that he “completely” agreed with studies showing “that there would be no degradation of water” in the event of uranium mining and milling. In describing his “personal opinion of uranium mining in Pittsylvania County,” Davis spoke of his “trust in both Marline and the Commonwealth of Virginia.”
Furthermore, it speaks volumes about Davis’s motives that modern science today knows far more about safe uranium mining and milling than was known when he supported it 25 years ago.
In Bill Stanley, who has the Republican nomination for the state Senate, we have a stable candidate who enjoys the strong endorsements of solid conservatives like U.S. Rep. Robert Hurt and Gov. Bob McDonnell. Whether or not you agree with Stanley on everything, you know that he is a man of steady principles who is backed by people we know we can trust.
JOE AYLOR
Gretna
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