[1]…though sadly, we will have to go through the courts to do something common sense dictated [2] a decade ago:
Virginia Uranium seeks to develop a deposit of 119 million pounds under southern Virginia farmland that it says could fuel U.S. nuclear power plants for two years. It argues that federal — not state — agencies have jurisdiction over the activity.
Supporters of uranium mining said it would bring jobs and tax revenue to an economically struggling region, while opponents say the potential harm to drinking water and the environment isn’t worth the financial boost.
Of course, the fears are precisely that — fears. Completely unfounded ones when you do the research in places such as Canada and France et al. where uranium mining makes total sense.
Bear in mind that we’re not just talking $10 billion in uranium. There are other precious metals that surround uranium deposits as well — lead for instance. Hypothetically, there is could be as much as $30 billion of bonanza waiting for Virginia’s roads, schools, health care, and all the things liberals pretend to care about until it comes time to create the economy necessary to build such things.
Granted, McAuliffe is caught as a bit of a figurehead here (i.e. it’s the office of the governor that’s being sued, surely not any direct intransigence from McAuliffe). On energy, McAuliffe has to date been a quiet if not exactly a forceful supporter. Still, the local opposition to the project is baffling to say the least — a unique blend of fearmongering combined with an all-too-Virginian desire never to see a neighbor profit beyond his means.