Results tagged “Environment”

May 7, 2013

The Roanoke Times reports, "Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli took his campaign for governor to the Roanoke area today, telling a group at Titan Cement in Troutville that he favored allowing hydro-fracking for natural gas in the George Washington National Forest."

Progressive Point: What kind of legacy will we leave for our children? Under Ken Cuccinelli's plan to allow dangerous fracking in the George Washington National Forest, dirty energy companies profit while we take on all the risks. Fracking releases dangerous chemicals into the ground, threatening our water supply and our natural heritage. Cuccinelli's plan prioritizes corporate donors over Virginia families.

The best way to lower energy prices is by developing clean, safe resources that will create permanent Virginia jobs while preserving our unique environment. Clean energy is the fastest growing industry in the U.S. today. Virginia should be leading the country in creating renewable energy jobs. Fracking risks our natural heritage for the benefit of a few campaign donors.

Get the Facts:

• "Nearly all natural gas extraction today involves a technique called hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, in which dangerous chemicals are mixed with large quantities of water and sand and injected into wells at extremely high pressure. Fracking is a suspect in polluted drinking water in Arkansas, Colorado, Pennsylvania, Texas, Virginia, West Virginia and Wyoming, where residents have reported changes in water quality or quantity following fracturing operations." (NRDC)


• ThinkProgress reports:

"In the first quarter of 2013, Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli II (R) raised about $2.4 million for his gubernatorial campaign. Of that, a huge portion came from oil and gas interests -- likely impressed by his long record of active climate denial... Cuccinelli accepted about $200,000 from energy companies and executives. These included:

1. Murray Energy Corporation, $50,000
2t. CONSOL Energy Inc., $25,000
2t. Dominion Political Action Committee (Dominion Resources, Inc.), $25,000
4t. Marvin Gilliam (retired VP of Cumberland Resources Corp.), $25,000
4t. Koch Industries Inc., $25,000
6t. American Electric Power Committee for Responsible Government (American Electric Power), $10,000
6t. William B. Holtzman (president and owner of Holtzman Oil), $10,000
6t. Range Resources Corporation, $10,000
9t. Thomas Farrell (CEO of Dominion Resources, Inc.), $5,000
9t. Michael G. Morris (President and CEO of American Electric Power), $5,000
9t. Baxter F. Phillips Jr. (an executive with Alpha Natural Resources, Inc.), $5,000
9t. Clyde E. Stacy (an executive with Pioneer Group/Rapoca Energy.), $5,000

Between these donations and the RGA's funds, about half of Cuccinelli's contributions over the reporting period were tied to oil, gas, and coal."

• Offshore wind could create up to 10,000 jobs in Virginia according to a study cited by Delegate Joseph Morrissey and 13 fellow state legislators. (The Virginian-Pilot, May 8, 2012)


• "Wind power advocates have said Virginia is uniquely positioned to nurture the industry because of the relatively shallow waters offshore and strong winds. It also has the coastal infrastructure - a shipbuilding industry and a deepwater port - to allow for building and delivering turbines." (Associated Press, October 10, 2012)


• "Clean energy is the fastest growing industry in the U.S. today.Developing new clean energy technologies like wind and solar could support 20 million jobs by 2030 and trillions of dollars in revenue." (Media Matters)


• President Obama supports renewing tax incentives for new wind project while Mitt Romney opposes them. Despite wind energy's huge potential for Virginia jobs, Bob McDonnell has not taken a position on the issue because of the election. (Virginian-Pilot, October 10, 2012)

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December 4, 2012

Progressive Point: Communities from all corners of the Commonwealth have voiced their opposition to risking contaminating our drinking water with radioactive uranium waste. Elected officials who prioritize corporate greed above the safety of Virginia families do not share our values and priorities.

Ending the 30-year ban on uranium mining in Virginia would only help corporate bottom lines while endangering our homes and health.  Our communities have spoken and state officials should follow their lead: keep the ban on unsafe mining of hazardous uranium. Exposing Virginia to uranium means money for special interests, but it isn't in the interest of the health of our families.

Get the Facts:

• "Environmental groups are pledging to fight the bill hard, as are the South Hampton Roads cities of Norfolk, Virginia Beach, Chesapeake, Portsmouth and Suffolk. All five are worried about radioactive materials escaping the mine and contaminating water that downstream becomes a major drinking-water supply for the region." (Virginian-Pilot, December 4, 2012)

• Those communities against removing the uranium ban includes Chesapeake, Norfolk, Virginia Beach, and Suffolk. (Richmond Times-Dispatch, September 12, 2012) The South Boston Town Council also approved a second $5,000 contribution to help keep the ban. (Gazette-Virginian, Sept. 10, 2012)


• Virginia Uranium, the company seeing to mine uranium in Virginia, has hired over a dozen lobbyists from five different firms and has donated over $150,000 to political campaigns in the last 4 years. (VPAP)


• Del. Donald Merricks, Del. Danny Marshall III, Del. James Edmunds, Del. Tommy Wright, and Sen. Frank Ruff all said in a letter to Virginia's General Assembly that the risk of uranium mining to the people of Virginia and its environment is too great and that the ban should not be lifted. (Virginian-Pilot, January 3, 2012)


• A recent NAS study validated the concern that a flood, hurricane, or earthquake could result in an uncontrolled release at a uranium facility--all three of which Virginia experienced last year. (Cale Jaffe, senior attorney, Southern Environmental Law Center, Keep the Ban, December 19, 2011)


• In 2009, the Pittsylvania County Board of Supervisors called for "a study to determine no harm would come to the county and its residents before the moratorium could be lifted... The resolution being discussed at Tuesday's board meeting stated the NAS study showed Virginia has no experience with uranium mining and there's no guarantee there would be no release of radioactive sediments downstream of the Coles Hill site and, therefore, the criteria of the original resolution in 2009 have not been satisfied." (Danville Register and Bee, September 5, 2012)

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November 29, 2012

Progressive Point: Communities across the Commonwealth are demanding we keep the nearly 30-year ban on uranium mining that keeps Virginia safe and protects our families' health. Foreign-backed special interests are trying to lift the ban so they can make money while we get all the risk. Trading the agenda of a few special interests for the health and safety of Virginia families is a bad deal.

Get the Facts:

• Those communities against removing the uranium ban will include Chesapeake this week, Norfolk, Virginia Beach, and Suffolk. (Richmond Times-Dispatch, September 12, 2012) The South Boston Town Council also approved a second $5,000 contribution this week to help keep the ban. (Gazette-Virginian, Sept. 10, 2012)


• Virginia Uranium, the company seeing to mine uranium in Virginia, has hired over a dozen lobbyists from five different firms and has donated over $150,000 to political campaigns in the last 4 years. (VPAP)


• Del. Donald Merricks, Del. Danny Marshall III, Del. James Edmunds, Del. Tommy Wright, and Sen. Frank Ruff all said in a letter to Virginia's General Assembly that the risk of uranium mining to the people of Virginia and its environment is too great and that the ban should not be lifted. (Virginian-Pilot, January 3, 2012)


• A recent NAS study validated the concern that a flood, hurricane, or earthquake could result in an uncontrolled release at a uranium facility--all three of which Virginia experienced last year. (Cale Jaffe, senior attorney, Southern Environmental Law Center, Keep the Ban, December 19, 2011)


• In 2009, the Pittsylvania County Board of Supervisors called for "a study to determine no harm would come to the county and its residents before the moratorium could be lifted... The resolution being discussed at Tuesday's board meeting stated the NAS study showed Virginia has no experience with uranium mining and there's no guarantee there would be no release of radioactive sediments downstream of the Coles Hill site and, therefore, the criteria of the original resolution in 2009 have not been satisfied." (Danville Register and Bee, September 5, 2012)

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November 1, 2012

The Roanoke Times editorializes, "While it is impossible to say that any single weather event was caused by climate change, Sandy has been just the sort of storm climate models forecast and serves as a terrible reminder of global warming's ever-growing threat... Sandy's well-earned nickname, Frankenstorm, is a not-so-subtle reminder that this week's suffering is partly of our own making. State and national leaders busying themselves today with disaster relief should continue that leadership tomorrow by openly discussing global warming and actually doing something about it."

Progressive Point: As we saw this week, climate change and sea level rise are very real problems for our country and Virginia. We also saw that disaster coordination is one of the most vital functions of our federal government, but Mitt Romney would privatize it and guarantee less funding for disaster response by turning it all over to cash-strapped states.

Denying climate change exists won't make it go away. Conservative politicians like Romney are playing politics rather than seeking out solutions for Virginia families. Failing to even acknowledge threats to our neighborhoods, economy, and environment is a failure of leadership. We can do something about climate change today. The overwhelming majority of voters agree we should start doing more with the energy technologies that we already have to run our economy cleanly and affordably.

Get the Facts:

• Last year, Republicans in Congress proposed cutting FEMA's budget by nearly $90 million; in 2012, they proposed over $180 million more in cuts. In fact, Republicans even threatened to shut down the entire government last year if funding for disaster relief wasn't offset by spending cuts elsewhere. (Media Matters, October 29, 2012)


• Scientific tide measurements in Norfolk show the sea level has risen by 14.5 inches in the last 100 years with the trend expected to continue. (Virginian-Pilot, June 10, 2012)


• The city of Norfolk spends $6 million a year to elevate roads, improve drainage, and help homeowners raise their houses. 5 percent to 10 percent of the city's lowest-lying neighborhoods have heavy flooding. Additionally, the naval base spends hundreds of millions of dollars brace piers to withstand rising water. (ThinkProgress, June 10, 2012)

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October 25, 2012

The Washington Post reports, "George Allen, the Republican fighting Democrat Tim Kaine in Virginia's closely watched battle for the U.S. Senate, caught some unexpected flak Wednesday over his energy policy in the form of friendly fire from a Republican congressman in Maryland. During a campaign stop in Gaithersburg on Wednesday, Rep. Roscoe Bartlett, who is in a tough election fight of his own in Maryland's 6th congressional district, was waxing passionately about the need to move the country beyond fossil fuels. Sometimes members of his own party don't seem to understand how critical the need is to push toward new, renewable and environmentally friendly energy sources, Bartlett said."

Progressive Point: Virginia needs leaders who work for the people who elected them, not the fossil fuel lobbyists bankrolling campaigns. George Allen stands with coal and Big Oil against clean energy jobs but that won't bring down gas prices or put Virginians back to work.

The middle class jobs of the future are in clean energy manufacturing. We need to create these jobs now to stay competitive with countries like China. Fossil fuel company CEOs don't need any extra help from taxpayers and George Allen. The best way to lower gas prices is to reduce our dependence on oil by developing clean, safe sources of energy that will create American jobs and never run out. It's time we start exporting energy, not jobs. Let's put Americans back to work building wind turbines, solar panels, and energy-efficient products that say "Made in America."

Get the Facts:

• Offshore wind could create up to 10,000 jobs in Virginia according to a study cited by Delegate Joseph Morrissey and 13 fellow state legislators. (The Virginian-Pilot, May 8, 2012)


• "Wind power advocates have said Virginia is uniquely positioned to nurture the industry because of the relatively shallow waters offshore and strong winds. It also has the coastal infrastructure - a shipbuilding industry and a deepwater port - to allow for building and delivering turbines." (Associated Press, October 10, 2012)


• "Clean energy is the fastest growing industry in the U.S. today. Developing new clean energy technologies like wind and solar could support 20 million jobs by 2030 and trillions of dollars in revenue." (Media Matters)


• President Obama supports renewing tax incentives for new wind project while Mitt Romney opposes them. Despite wind energy's huge potential for Virginia jobs, Bob McDonnell has not taken a position on the issue because of the election. (Virginian-Pilot, October 10, 2012)

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October 10, 2012

The Roanoke Times reports, "Nine of every 10 Roanoke City Public Schools teachers returned to work this school year, resulting in one of the lowest turnover rates in recent years. 'It appears the salary increase had an effect on that,' said Sandra Burks, the division's executive director of human resources... 'This is the best report we've ever seen,' school board member Lori Vaught said." The Associated Press also reports, "The large-scale development of wind power off the Mid-Atlantic coast would create more than 70,000 jobs from New York to Virginia, an industry-sponsored study concludes. The study released Wednesday said those jobs would be created by a new industrial base needed to manufacture, build, operate and maintain the towering wind turbines, and an additional 40,000 jobs would be needed to serve the supply chain."

Progressive Point: Home front investments - funding for our schools, police officers, and clean energy here at home - are our shared investment in Virginia's future. We invest in our schools and teachers so our children can get the best education, in our roads and bridges so our businesses can move their products, and in clean energy, the fastest growing industry in the U.S. today, because it creates jobs.

Investments in Virginia's home front strengthen and benefit us all. They drive our Commonwealth's competitiveness, create opportunities for new businesses, and help our families stay healthy and safe. Mitt Romney and Bob McDonnell want to keep cutting our investments in Virginia's home front, just to give the richest few even more special tax breaks the rest of us can't get. Romney wants to get rid of Obamacare and pass health care costs down onto the states. McDonnell keeps passing the buck on home front investments down from the state to our cities and counties. You don't invest less in the things you value, and Virginians value our Commonwealth's communities.

Get the Facts:

• Roanoke City Public Schools "gave employees minimum 1 percent raises this fiscal year after three years of frozen wages... Teacher retention as of Sept. 30 was 90.4 percent, which is up more than 3 percentage points from last year." (Roanoke Times, October 10, 2012)


• In addition to the 110,000 jobs created by wind power and its supply chain, 50,000 support jobs, such as restaurants and groceries could also be created. (Associated Press, October 10, 2012)


• "Large-scale wind development off the Atlantic coast would also have a combined economic impact for the states of $19 billion and increase local, state and federal government revenues by $4.6 billion, the study by information and analytics company IHS Inc. concluded." (Associated Press, October 10, 2012)


• "Wind power advocates have said Virginia is uniquely positioned to nurture the industry because of the relatively shallow waters offshore and strong winds. It also has the coastal infrastructure - a shipbuilding industry and a deepwater port - to allow for building and delivering turbines." (Associated Press, October 10, 2012)


• "Clean energy is the fastest growing industry in the U.S. today. Developing new clean energy technologies like wind and solar could support 20 million jobs by 2030 and trillions of dollars in revenue." (Media Matters)


• President Obama supports renewing tax insentives for new wind project while Mitt Romney is opposing them. Despite wind energy's huge potential for Virginia jobs, Bob McDonnell is playing politics and remaining silent and not taking a position on the issue because of the election. (Virginian-Pilot, October 10, 2012)

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October 2, 2012

The Virginian-Pilot reports, "Charging that Dominion Virginia Power has 'ripped off' ratepayers for $76 million, environmentalists are planning five days of protests in Richmond this week urging changes to state rules intended to encourage development of wind, solar and other green energy. The activists say the rules, known collectively as the Renewable Energy Portfolio Standard, or RPS, have done little to push utilities to invest more in cleaner energy supplies."

Progressive Point: Clean energy is the fastest growing industry in the U.S. today. Virginia should be leading the country in creating renewable energy jobs, not getting left behind. Instead of protecting Big Oil at the expense of taxpayers, let's invest in cleaner, safer sources of energy that won't ever run out and will put millions of Americans across the country and Virginians right here back to work.

Over the past five years, Big Oil raked in over half a trillion dollars in profits and laid off more than 10,000 Americans. Clean energy is the fastest growing industry in the U.S. today and creates three times as many jobs as fossil fuels. This should be obvious: the oil industry is no longer a new start-up that needs help getting off the ground. Big Oil is raking in billions in profits but still taking billions in taxpayer handouts, keeping our nation hooked on oil, and lobbying to kill off their clean energy competitors. It couldn't be any clearer: Big Oil is leaving us behind while clean energy is creating jobs.

Get the Facts:

• Offshore wind could create up to 10,000 jobs in Virginia according to a study cited by Delegate Joseph Morrissey and 13 fellow state legislators. (The Virginian-Pilot, May 8, 2012)


• "Clean energy is the fastest growing industry in the U.S. today. Developing new clean energy technologies like wind and solar could support 20 million jobs by 2030 and trillions of dollars in revenue." (Media Matters)


• Scaling Green reports:

•  
  • "A nearly unanimous 92% of voters feel it is very important (58%) or somewhat important (34%) for the United States to develop and use solar power," including 98% of Democrats, 95% of Independents, and 84% of Republicans.
  
  
  • 85% of voters have a favorable view of solar power, with 82% of voters also holding a favorable view of wind power. This support is nearly universal, "regardless of party or demographics."

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September 18, 2012

The Danville Register & Bee reports, "The governor's office and state Sen. Bill Stanley are denying that Gov. Bob McDonnell worked behind the scenes to convince the Pittsylvania County Board of Supervisors to table a proposed resolution on uranium mining. Callands-Gretna Supervisor Jerry Hagerman taped an Aug. 31 phone call in which Stanley tried to persuade Hagerman to hold off on passing the resolution... In the 20-minute conversation that began at about 10:30 p.m. on Aug. 31, Stanley told Hagerman the governor told him to 'reach out' to supervisors on the matter. Stanley now says he 'misspoke' and the governor did not tell him to call board members."

Progressive Point: Leaders should be upfront with us on where they stand on issues that affect our health and safety. Bob McDonnell says he's not sure about uranium mining, but then why is he bullying local officials on behalf of his uranium industry campaign donors? Keeping the ban on uranium protects clean drinking water and keeps Virginia safe without risking our communities' health. Special interests want to remove the ban to make money off of risking our health.

Uranium mining isn't just a potential disaster for Southside. The operation could contaminate drinking water for families as far away as Chesapeake. We need honest leaders who work for us but Bob McDonnell isn't being straight with Virginians. He tells us one thing and then turns around and goes to bat for his campaign donors behind the scenes. We cannot afford to trade the agenda of a few special interests for the health and safety of Virginia families.

Get the Facts:

• Those communities against removing the uranium ban will include Chesapeake this week, Norfolk, Virginia Beach, and Suffolk. (Richmond Times-Dispatch, September 12, 2012) The South Boston Town Council also approved a second $5,000 contribution this week to help keep the ban. (Gazette-Virginian, Sept. 10, 2012)


• Virginia Uranium, the company seeing to mine uranium in Virginia, has hired over a dozen lobbyists from five different firms and has donated over $150,000 to political campaigns in the last 4 years. (VPAP)


• Del. Donald Merricks, Del. Danny Marshall III, Del. James Edmunds, Del. Tommy Wright, and Sen. Frank Ruff all said in a letter to Virginia's General Assembly that the risk of uranium mining to the people of Virginia and its environment is too great and that the ban should not be lifted. (Virginian-Pilot, January 3, 2012)


• A recent NAS study validated the concern that a flood, hurricane, or earthquake could result in an uncontrolled release at a uranium facility--all three of which Virginia experienced last year. (Cale Jaffe, senior attorney, Southern Environmental Law Center, Keep the Ban, December 19, 2011)


• In 2009, the Pittsylvania County Board of Supervisors called for "a study to determine no harm would come to the county and its residents before the moratorium could be lifted... The resolution being discussed at Tuesday's board meeting stated the NAS study showed Virginia has no experience with uranium mining and there's no guarantee there would be no release of radioactive sediments downstream of the Coles Hill site and, therefore, the criteria of the original resolution in 2009 have not been satisfied." (Danville Register and Bee, September 5, 2012)

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September 12, 2012

Jeff Schapiro of the Richmond Times-Dispatch editorializes, "The city of Chesapeake this week is expected to join Norfolk, Virginia Beach and Suffolk in opposing uranium mining. This may not get the attention of local legislators, many of whom are Republicans and tend to tut-tut environmental concerns. But the worries of Greens are being spun as a threat to a different kind of green: cash generated by tourism, the military and global shipping. The Hampton Roads Chamber of Commerce, perhaps by next month, could come out against mining as an economic peril, making it a lot easier for self-styled pro-business Republicans to just say no to [uranium mining at] Coles Hill."

Progressive Point: Our leaders are elected to promote and protect our safety. Corporate interests and their lobbyists are pushing politicians to get rid of the ban on uranium mining, a ban that protects our clean drinking water. Communities across Virginia are rejecting uranium mining in Virginia and it's time for our leaders to do the same.

We need leaders who work for us--and will prioritize keeping us and the water we drink safe from radioactive waste--not the special interests who paid for their campaigns and have the most lobbyists. The middle class jobs of the future are in clean energy manufacturing. We should be creating these jobs now to stay competitive with countries like China. Clean energy will keep our economy moving forward and keeping the ban will keep Virginia safe without risking our communities' health.

Get the Facts:

• Those communities against removing the uranium ban will include Chesapeake this week, Norfolk, Virginia Beach, and Suffolk. (Richmond Times-Dispatch, September 12, 2012) The South Boston Town Council also approved a second $5,000 contribution this week to help keep the ban. (Gazette-Virginian, Sept. 10, 2012)

• Virginia Uranium, the company seeing to mine uranium in Virginia, has hired over a dozen lobbyists from five different firms and has donated over $150,000 to political campaigns in the last 4 years. (VPAP)


• Del. Donald Merricks, Del. Danny Marshall III, Del. James Edmunds, Del. Tommy Wright, and Sen. Frank Ruff all said in a letter to Virginia's General Assembly that the risk of uranium mining to the people of Virginia and its environment is too great and that the ban should not be lifted. (Virginian-Pilot, January 3, 2012)


• A recent NAS study validated the concern that a flood, hurricane, or earthquake could result in an uncontrolled release at a uranium facility--all three of which Virginia experienced last year. (Cale Jaffe, senior attorney, Southern Environmental Law Center, Keep the Ban, December 19, 2011)


• In 2009, the Pittsylvania County Board of Supervisors called for "a study to determine no harm would come to the county and its residents before the moratorium could be lifted... The resolution being discussed at Tuesday's board meeting stated the NAS study showed Virginia has no experience with uranium mining and there's no guarantee there would be no release of radioactive sediments downstream of the Coles Hill site and, therefore, the criteria of the original resolution in 2009 have not been satisfied." (Danville Register and Bee, September 5, 2012)

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September 5, 2012

The Danville Register and Bee reports, "As it has so many times before, the uranium mining question dominated much of the public comments portion of the most recent meeting of the Pittsylvania County Board of Supervisors The comments Tuesday night were about a resolution on uranium mining and milling on the agenda for the meeting but taken off at the start by Banister District Supervisor Jessie Barksdale."

Progressive Point: Virginia leaders should put our health and safety ahead of corporate profits. Virginia's ban on uranium mining protects our families by keeping our water clean, safe, and drinkable. Eliminating those protections might help big corporate campaign contributors, but at the expense of our families.

Corporate special interests are trying to undo the rules we put in place after learning the hard way, from our broken health care system to the Wall Street meltdown, that cutting corners doesn't create jobs, it kills them. Common sense safeguards protect the food we eat, the water we drink, and the air we breathe. Our Commonwealth will move forward when we focus on creating jobs and not cutting common sense safeguards.

Get the Facts:

• Virginia Uranium, the company seeing to mine uranium in Virginia, has hired over a dozen lobbyists from five different firms and has donated over $150,000 to political campaigns in the last 4 years. (VPAP)


• Del. Donald Merricks, Del. Danny Marshall III, Del. James Edmunds, Del. Tommy Wright, and Sen. Frank Ruff all said in a letter to Virginia's General Assembly that the risk of uranium mining to the people of Virginia and its environment is too great and that the ban should not be lifted. (Virginian-Pilot, January 3, 2012)


• A recent NAS study validated the concern that a flood, hurricane, or earthquake could result in an uncontrolled release at a uranium facility--all three of which Virginia experienced last year. (Cale Jaffe, senior attorney, Southern Environmental Law Center, Keep the Ban, December 19, 2011)


• In 2009, the Pittsylvania County Board of Supervisors called for "a study to determine no harm would come to the county and its residents before the moratorium could be lifted... The resolution being discussed at Tuesday's board meeting stated the NAS study showed Virginia has no experience with uranium mining and there's no guarantee there would be no release of radioactive sediments downstream of the Coles Hill site and, therefore, the criteria of the original resolution in 2009 have not been satisfied." (Danville Register and Bee, September 5, 2012)

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July 25, 2012

The Virginian-Pilot reports, "The City Council called unanimously on Tuesday for a continuation of the state's moratorium on uranium mining to safeguard rivers and reservoirs that provide Norfolk's drinking water. 'This is a vote for us to stand up for the system and against anything that may somehow taint the quality of the water,' Mayor Paul Fraim said after the vote at the council's regular meeting."

Progressive Point: When we grab a glass of water from the tap, we assume that water is safe to drink. Uranium mining in Virginia could change all that, contaminating our drinking water supplies with radioactive waste. Our Commonwealth needs leaders, like those in Norfolk, who are serious about protecting clean drinking water.

With uranium mining, a few big corporations get the profits while Virginians take all the risk. Mining for uranium threatens clean water not just for family farmers in Southside, but also families and naval bases all the way through Tidewater. Corporate interests are only interested in their bottom line, not the health and safety of our families. The risks of uranium mining are simply too high and hazardous.

Get the Facts:

• Norfolk's water system serves 700,000 people and naval bases in area every day.  (Virginian-Pilot, July 25, 2012)


• The Norfolk City Council's backing of continuing the moratorium on uranium mining "echoed a similar resolution approved by Virginia Beach last month." (Virginian-Pilot, July 25, 2012)


• A recent NAS study validated the concern that a flood, hurricane, or earthquake could result in an uncontrolled release at a uranium facility--all three of which Virginia has experienced in 2011 year. (Cale Jaffe, senior attorney, Southern Environmental Law Center, Keep the Ban, December 19, 2011)


• Virginia Uranium, the company seeing to mine uranium in Virginia, has hired over a dozen lobbyists from five different firms and has donated over $150,000 to political campaigns in the last 4 years. (VPAP)


• Offshore wind could create up to 10,000 jobs in Virginia according to a study cited by Delegate Joseph Morrissey and 13 fellow state legislators. (The Virginian-Pilot, May 8, 2012)


• "Clean energy is the ;fastest growing industry in the U.S. today. Developing new clean energy technologies like wind and solar could support 20 million jobs by 2030 and trillions of dollars in revenue." (Media Matters)

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June 27, 2012

The Richmond Times-Dispatch reports, "A legal challenge to the Environmental Protection Agency's greenhouse gas regulations by Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli, energy industry groups and several other states was rejected Tuesday by the U.S. Court of Appeals in Washington. The three-judge panel, composed of one Republican and two Democratic appointees, ruled that the EPA was 'unambiguously correct' in using existing federal law to address global warming. 'This is how science works,' the unsigned opinion said."

Progressive Point: Virginians expect our Attorney General to spend his time making our lives better--focusing on crime prevention and consumer protection. Instead of doing his job, Ken Cuccinelli has used the Attorney General's office to chase frivolous and ideological lawsuits with our taxpayer dollars. But even after the U.S. Court of Appeals in Washington flatly rejected his crusade against the EPA, Ken Cuccinelli is still determined to spend our taxes on his own partisan priorities rather than doing his job.

Most Virginians would get the message if a three-judge panel told them the EPA was "unambiguously correct" in addressing global warming and, "this is how science works." By using his office for his personal agenda, Ken Cuccinelli is neglecting the job he was elected to do--represent the Commonwealth and the people of Virginia. Ken Cuccinelli shouldn't have to be told how science or democracy works.

Get the Facts:

• Yesterday's decision also comes just two days before a ruling on another ideological lawsuit for which Ken Cuccinelli is also using the office of Virginia Attorney General. Tomorrow the U.S. Supreme Court is expected to rule on health care reform legislation which Cuccinelli is also using taxpayer dollars to challenge. (Richmond Times-Dispatch, June 27, 2012)


• Cuccinelli has also used the office of the Attorney General to influence the regulatory process of women's health clinics in order to, in effect, end a woman's right to choose and access to safe and legal abortion services in the Commonwealth. (Virginia Coalition to Protect Women's Health, December 3, 2011)


• In another ideologically centered case where Ken Cuccinelli abused the powers of his office to pursue political priorities, he used his office to launch a two-year investigation into a professor at UVA where he put, "himself and his opinions above thousands of conscientious Virginians who are trying to maintain our wonderful streams, forests, oceans, and summer days for our children and grandchildren -- and that's elitist... A UVA professor named Michael Mann believes human activity is driving global warming. Ken Cuccinelli does not -- or, at least, the big donors, national extremists, and Tea Partyers who he likes to cater to don't. So Cuccinelli decided that because Professor Mann (an employee of a public university) was a beneficiary of taxpayer dollars, that his research (which Cuccinelli disagreed with) was 'fraudulent' -- and that the Attorney General's office could subpoena Mann's emails and records to prove the fraud. It was a breathtaking overreach, a plain abuse of power." (New Dominion Project, March 12, 2012)


• Also regarding the UVA case, "The university had to raise nearly $600,000 for legal fees -- money the cash-strapped university should have been able to use for something productive. On top of that are the public resources of the attorney general's office that Mr. Cuccinelli wasted." (Washington Post, March 11, 2012)


• Cuccinelli is also refusing to resign from office while he simultaneously runs for Governor. "Having announced his intention to run for governor, Mr. Cuccinelli (R) is bucking more than 60 years of bipartisan Virginia history by refusing to do the right thing and resign. Instead, he is insisting on remaining the state's top lawyer 'until the last day of my term,' even as he holds fundraisers, attends events and campaigns for governor. Thus Mr. Cuccinelli will inevitably further politicize his office, adding a partisan cast to every significant move it makes." (Washington Post, December 7, 2011)

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June 18, 2012

The News & Advance reports, "A state panel that is amid a wide-ranging examination of the prospect of uranium mining in Virginia is headed to the Southside county where a proposal to mine one of the world's largest deposits of the radioactive ore has ignited a fierce environmental debate. The Uranium Working Group will outline its progress to date and hear from the public during a meeting Monday in Chatham."

Progressive Point: Virginia's economy is strongest when focused on sustainable solutions such as continuously improving our infrastructure and creating new jobs in the growing renewable energy industry. Our Commonwealth's government is most accountable when its meetings and processes are open to the public. Mining for uranium puts Virginia families at long term risk for a short term corporate payout.

Virginia Uranium is paying over a dozen high powered lobbyists to try to gloss over the risk uranium mining poses to our supply of clean drinking water. The General Assembly this year failed to lift the ban thanks to the severe risks that uranium mining creates.  Bob McDonnell's push to regulate uranium mining out of site of public scrutiny risks Virginians health for the sake of campaign donors' profits. Safety and accountability are nonpartisan priorities.

Get the Facts:

• In response to anti-transparency criticism, Gov. McDonnell announced a meeting on the issue but gave less than 24 hours notice. (Washington Post, April 4, 2012)


• Virginia Uranium, the company seeing to mine uranium in Virginia, has hired over a dozen lobbyists from five different firms and has donated over $150,000 to political campaigns in the last 4 years. (VPAP)


• "The Uranium Working Group's work plan presented at a March 7 meeting of the Uranium Mining Subcommittee drew instant, sharp criticism for its lack of transparency, which was deemed particularly reprehensible in light of the report by the National Academy of Sciences, which told us that international best practices are 'founded on principles of openness, transparency, and public involvement in oversight and decision-making.'" (GoDanRiver.com, April 1, 2012)


• Del. Donald Merricks, Del. Danny Marshall III, Del. James Edmunds, Del. Tommy Wright, and Sen. Frank Ruff all said in a letter to Virginia's General Assembly that the risk of uranium mining to the people of Virginia and its environment is too great and that the ban should not be lifted. (Virginian-Pilot, January 3, 2012)


• A recent NAS study validated the concern that a flood, hurricane, or earthquake could result in an uncontrolled release at a uranium facility--all three of which Virginia has experienced this year. (Cale Jaffe, senior attorney, Southern Environmental Law Center, Keep the Ban, December 19, 2011)

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June 11, 2012

ThinkProgress reports, "Virginia's legislature commissioned a $50,000 study to determine the impacts of climate change on the state's shores. To greenlight the project, they omitted words like 'climate change' and 'sea level rise' from the study's description itself. According to the House of Delegates sponsor of the study, these are 'liberal code words,' even though they are noncontroversial in the climate science community."

Progressive Point: Climate change and sea level rise are very real problems for Virginians and the many military men and women who live in the Tidewater region. Five to ten percent of Norfolk's neighborhoods are subject to storm flooding and sea level rise is already measurably impacting the readiness of our military ships. The danger is here and must be dealt with.

Denying climate change exists won't make it go away. Conservative politicians are playing politics rather than seeking out solutions for Virginia families. Failing to even acknowledge threats to our neighborhoods, economy, and environment is a failure of leadership. It's time for lawmakers to face climate change head on and deliver solutions for Virginia families rather than kicking the can down the road. 

Get the Facts:

• Scientific tide measurements in Norfolk show the sea level has risen by 14.5 inches in the last 100 years with the trent expected to continue. (Virginian-Pilot, June 10, 2012)


• The city of Norfolk spends $6 million a year to elevate roads, improve drainage, and help homeowners raise their houses. 5 percent to 10 percent of the city's lowest-lying neighborhoods have heavy flooding. Additionally, the naval base spends hundreds of millions of dollars brace piers to withstand rising water. (ThinkProgress, June 10, 2012)

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May 31, 2012

CBS 6 WTVR reports, "'In 2010 and 2011 Richmond was voted the asthma capital of the United States,' said the Virginia League of Conservation Voters' Henry Symons. In fact, Richmond's asthma rate sits at 33 percent. Symons warns those numbers are far too high."

Progressive Point: New lifesaving protections from President Obama and the EPA are essential in keeping our kids, families and communities safe. Carbon pollution has been linked to increases in smog which triggers asthma attacks and other serious health problems. Reducing risk and exposure to carbon pollution from new power plants is central to improving the health of Richmonders and Virginians from across the Commonwealth.

Virginia needs a reliable electricity system, but one that stabilizes our climate, economy, and our health. Big coal is using millions of dollars in advertising and lobbying to oppose health protections. The EPA's proposed carbon pollution standard is a commonsense step toward addressing a major health problem that is already hurting many Virginians.

Get the Facts:

• "The standards will save tens of thousands of American lives, prevent hundreds of thousands of cases of childhood asthma symptoms, and avoid tens of thousands of heart attacks, according to the EPA. These health benefits are expected to generate up to billions of dollars of savings." (Frances Beinecke, President of the NRDC)


• "The mercury and air toxics standard will save as many as 11,000 lives, prevent as many as 130,000 asthma attacks among children, and prevent as many as 4,700 heart attacks each year, according to the EPA." (NRDC Press Release)

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May 29, 2012

The Washington Post reports, "Gov. Robert F. McDonnell's administration has started examining how the nation's largest known uranium deposit could be mined. But some critics complain that the study, which is expected to be completed by the end of the year, is being conducted behind closed doors with little input from the public."

Progressive Points: Virginians need good jobs but polluting our water with radioactive waste isn't the way to get there. Bob McDonnell is playing politics and putting corporate profits ahead of public safety, forging ahead with plans for uranium mining in Southside without public input.

The General Assembly refused to lift the ban on uranium mining this year--but Bob McDonnell is trying to bypass the public to move the process forward. Making decisions in the dark guarantees that Virginia families' concerns about protecting our health and clean water won't be heard.

Get the Facts:

• The Piedmont Environmental Council, the Virginia League of Conservation Voters and the Sierra Club sent a letter to Governor McDonnell criticizing him for "taking the process away from the commonwealth's elected representatives and placing it behind closed doors," and stated they "are troubled by the possibility of little public involvement in this critical process." (The Washington Post, May 28, 2012)


• In response to anti-transparency criticism, Gov. McDonnell announced a meeting on the issue but gave less than 24 hours notice. (The Washington Post, April 4, 2012)


• Virginia Uranium, the company seeing to mine uranium in Virginia, has hired over a dozen lobbyists from five different firms and has donated over $150,000 to political campaigns in the last 4 years. (VPAP)


• "The Uranium Working Group's work plan presented at a March 7 meeting of the Uranium Mining Subcommittee drew instant, sharp criticism for its lack of transparency, which was deemed particularly reprehensible in light of the report by the National Academy of Sciences, which told us that international best practices are 'founded on principles of openness, transparency, and public involvement in oversight and decision-making.'" (GoDanRiver.com, April 1, 2012)

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May 18, 2012

The Martinsville Bulletin reported today that at a recent townhall meeting Del. Charles Poindexter attacked Environmental Protection Agency regulations designed to protect clean air and clean water.

Progressive Point: We all want a strong and healthy Virginia. Creating new jobs in the clean economy and ensuring we keep in place safeguards to keep our communities safe is a best way to get there. Loose regulations lead to the Gulf oil spill--devastating both the environment and the economy. Uranium mining, tracking, and increased reliance on fossil fuels come with known dangers that threaten Virginia families.

We need to look forward to new ideas and job-creating clean energy solutions. Protecting wasteful tax giveaways to big oil campaign contributors is the wrong direction for our Commonwealth. Virginia needs a strong economy and healthy communities. Focusing on clean energy job creation will ensure both.

Get the Facts:

• Offshore wind could create up to 10,000 jobs in Virginia according to a study cited by Delegate Joseph Morrissey and 13 fellow state legislators. (The Virginian-Pilot, May 8, 2012)


• "Clean energy is the fastest growing industry in the U.S. today. Developing new clean energy technologies like wind and solar could support 20 million jobs by 2030 and trillions of dollars in revenue." (Media Matters)

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May 9, 2012

The Virginian-Pilot reports, "Dominion Virginia Power's long-range energy plans were criticized Tuesday for relying too heavily on fossil fuels at the expense of renewables such as wind and solar and energy efficiency. Activists, grandparents, physicians and solar power producers were among the two dozen speakers at a hearing before the State Corporation Commission on the utility's integrated resource plan."

Progressive Point: Clean energy is the fastest growing job sector in the world, and Virginia needs energy solutions that will create jobs and grow our economy. Building renewable energy solutions right here in the Commonwealth will do exactly that.

Continuing to rely on fossil fuels and foreign oil will move us in the wrong direction: polluting our air and water, weakening our infrastructure, and shipping money and jobs overseas. Investments in solar and wind energy will add Virginia jobs while protecting our health and energy independence. We should be leading the world in creating renewable energy jobs right here in Virginia.

Get the Facts:

• Offshore wind could create up to 10,000 jobs in Virginia according to a study cited by Delegate Joseph Morrissey and 13 fellow state legislators. (The Virginian-Pilot, May 8, 2012)


• "Clean energy is the fastest growing industry in the U.S. today. Developing new clean energy technologies like wind and solar could support 20 million jobs by 2030 and trillions of dollars in revenue." (Media Matters)

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May 1, 2012

The Institute for Southern Studies reports, "After the massive TVA Kingston disaster inundated a Tennessee community and two rivers with a billion gallons of coal ash in 2008, it appeared the tide was turning for the largely unregulated toxic waste produced by burning coal for electricity. But for four years, the energy industry has successfully fought off federal regulations -- thanks in part to the American Legislative Exchange Council, which has close ties to energy companies with a financial interest in blocking strict oversight of coal ash."

Progressive Point: Putting profits above public safety is just plain wrong. But corporate front-group ALEC and their legislative allies have been working behind the scenes to kill environmental regulations designed to protect us from the life-threatening dangers of coal ash--all for the sake of protecting coal company profits.

Our elected officials cannot mistake our well-being for the well-being of coal companies. Our representatives need to put our health and safety above coal industry bottom lines.

Get the Facts:

• Coal ash is "waste that contains heavy metals and other health-damaging pollutants and has been linked to over 150 cases of environmental damages, most involving water contamination." (Institute for Southern Studies, April 30, 2012)


• American Electric Power, which has operations in Virginia, "is a member of ALEC's Energy, Environment and Agriculture Task Force and was a financial sponsor of ALEC's 2011 conference, according to ALEC Exposed." (Institute for Southern Studies, April 30, 2012)


• ALEC has spent over $70,000 feting Virginia legislators. (ProgressVA)


• Over 50 bills drawn from ALEC sources have been introduced in the Virginia General Assembly in the past few years. (ProgressVA)

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