In lieu of a substantive response from Governor McDonnell
following their February 29 letter, the Piedmont Environmental Council (PED)[1]
and the Virginia League of Conservation Voters (VALCV)[2]
recently sent another letter to Gov. McDonnell voicing concerns about the lack
of stakeholder involvement and conflicts of interest regarding the Uranium
Working Group.[3]
In the world of politics, silence is usually a sign of guilt
or a lack of concern regarding an issue. With regards to the concerns raised by
PED and VALCV, the answer seems to be both.
For instance, one of the consultants hired by the Uranium
working Group, Wright Environmental Services, has a company record closely tied
to the uranium industry.[4]
Clearly, companies cannot give an unbiased report regarding an industry it has
ties to.
Maybe even more disturbingly, the Uranium Working Group has
consistently shrugged off formal participation by environmental advocates and
groups while publicly stating that these groups “have a seat at the table.” This
is a clear and demonstrable falsehood.[5]
As Rob Marmet of the Piedmont Environmental Council pointed out, "It doesn't appear to us whether
people are going to be able to see whether the hard questions are going to be
asked.”[6]
Indeed, it’s clear that this is precisely the point of excluding any individual
or group who may ask the tough questions that need to be asked, possibly derailing
the entire process.
As I’ve mentioned before, Gov.
McDonnell and his pals in the uranium mining industry are clearly attempting
to
subvert the democratic process, initiating a potentially hazardous project
without the input of citizens who stand to lose the most.
McDonnell is in many ways, then, an
undemocratic thug whose only allegiance is to his political and business
allies, not the people of Virginia. Were it not the case, peaceful protesters
would not have been arrested at the state Capitol[7]
nor would the uranium mining issue have been wrested from the hands of the
legislature into the sealed confines of the Uranium Working Group.
[3] http://pecva.org/library/documents/Our-Mission/Energy/Uranium-Ban/2012_June8_Letter2McDonnell.pdf
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