Newly elected Virginia Governor Terry McAuliffe's public opposition to uranium mining in Virginia shouldn't come as a surprise to anyone who has observed the numerous and consistent opposition posed by academic, local, and regional governmental bodies towards lifting the moratorium on uranium mining in Virginia.
The only real surprise in the debate surrounding the issue of the governor's position on uranium mining in Virginia is lame-duck Gov. Bob McDonnell's unwillingness to strongly oppose uranium mining in Virginia until considerable safety controls have been put in place and the people of Southside Virginia have given the green light.
That the debate around the moratorium on uranium mining in Virginia has gone on for this long is a testament to the political influence Virginia Uranium Inc. (VUI) has inside Virginia's capitol, not the legitimacy or soundness of their arguments in favor of lifting the moratorium on uranium mining.
What Gov. McAuliffe did in announcing his opposition to uranium mining is what any governor or public servant should do: assess the evidence supporting and/or not supporting the issue in question and make a final decision based upon the overall benefits versus costs to the people.
In so doing, Gov. McAuliffe has already demonstrated his willingness to set powerful special interests aside based upon sound and consistent evidence for the common good of Virginia and Virginians. Gov. McAuliffe's opposition also shines an even brighter spotlight on the policy decisions (or lack thereof) of his predecessor, Gov. McDonnell.
Gov. McAuliffe has reignited a belief in the idea that the "David's" of the world can triumph over the "Goliath's" if enough energy, determination, and truth is infused in the public debate. It may take years, maybe even decades, but policy decisions for the greater good of society are still possible in a world of domineering special interests.
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