Virginia Energy Resources Inc.: National Academy of Sciences Signs Contract for Uranium Study

Town of Chatham, VA

Comment:  By DL:  It seems Virginia Energy Resources, Inc. is so pleased to announce that only half of the study is going to be done. The half they paid for! What about the Socio-Economic part of the study which they have stated they will not pay for? The citizens of the Commonwealth of Virginia deserve to have both parts of the study not just a part that would only benefit profit making for an individual company partly owned by a Canadian Corporation. We need to demand and take into consideration ALL studies be done!

Feb. 26, 2010, 2:30 p.m. EST

VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA, Feb 26, 2010 (MARKETWIRE via COMTEX) -- Virginia Energy Resources Inc. is pleased to learn that the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) has signed a contract with Virginia Tech to conduct a study on uranium mining.

The purpose is to determine whether uranium mining and milling could be undertaken in a manner that safeguards the environment and public health in the Commonwealth of Virginia. The Company looks forward to the conclusions of the forthcoming independent scientific study regarding the safety of mining at the Coles Hill site.

Virginia Energy will own an approximate 28% indirect equity interest in the Coles Hill uranium deposit in southern Virginia after funding the 2010 operating budget for the project. Coles Hill is considered to be one of the largest undeveloped uranium deposits in the United States.
Virginia Energy Resources Inc. President and CEO, Norm Reynolds, commented on the study's significance, saying, "We welcome the opportunity to have preeminent scientists provide independent and credible information about the development of a uranium mining and milling industry in Virginia. We expect that this study by the National Academy of Sciences will serve as part of the foundation of work which will provide Virginia with enough information to confidently bring uranium mining legislation and permitting framework into being."

On Behalf of the Board of Directors

VIRGINIA ENERGY RESOURCES INC.

Norman Reynolds, President & CEO

Read more:
http://www.marketwatch.com/story/virginia-energy-resources-inc-national-academy-of-sciences-signs-contract-for-uranium-study-2010-02-26?reflink=MW_news_stmp

Southern Virginia Bioenergy: Research & Commercialization Conference

Virginia Cooperative Extension is pleased to announce that the

Southern Virginia Bioenergy: Research & Commercialization Conference

is scheduled for Friday, March 26, 2010, 8:45 a.m. - 5 p.m.

at the Institute for Advanced Learning and Research (IALR) in Danville, Virginia.

Many of you attended the conference held in October 2009 and were part of over 230 participants who heard presentations from Auburn, University of Tennessee, and Mississippi State as well as a review of local co-firing, ethanol, biofuel, and anaerobic digester projects.

At the 2010 conference, Virginia Tech and the Oak Ridge National Laboratory will outline bioenergy research at their institutions. Afternoon sessions will focus on the process of moving the region from the planning stage to widespread implementation. Presentations include a discussion of ethanol production of Appomattox Bioenergy, mini-biorefineries, Piedmont Geriatric Hospital direct-firing strategies using warm season grasses, and combined heat and power projects of Western Virginia Water Authority. The Honorable Todd P. Haymore, Secretary of Agriculture and Forestry has also been invited.

To Register:

Although the conference is free to the participant, registrations must be received by Friday, March 19, 2010.

To register, visit https://www.ialr.org/event-information

Or call Pat Eldridge at 434.766.6761 or email her at pat1@vt.edu.
For more information, please contact Dr. Martha A. Walker at 434-766-6761 or by e-mail at walker53@vt.edu.

Read more:
http://www.ialr.org/index.php?option=com_eventlist&view=eventlist&Itemid=28

Uranium mining opponents react to study

By John Crane
Published: February 24, 2010

Uranium mining opponents reacted with trepidation — and determination — to the National Academy of Sciences’ agreement to perform a study to determine whether uranium can be mined and milled safely in Virginia.

Karen Maute, who’s against uranium mining and milling in Pittsylvania County, said she would like to see all studies on the process complete — including those conducted by the NAS, the Danville Regional Foundation, Virginia Beach and the second part of the NAS study which would examine the socioeconomic aspects of mining and milling — before the state’s moratorium on uranium mining is lifted.

In addition, the Pittsylvania County Board of Supervisors and residents must have the chance to review and question all the completed studies before a moratorium is lifted. The board also needs to ensure mining in the county is not allowed until then, Maute said.

“Pittsylvania County is ground zero for mining and milling of uranium,” Maute said in a statement Wednesday. “The moratorium can be lifted by the General Assembly regardless of the direct consequences to us.

We need to position ourselves (legally) so that uranium mining and milling do not occur until all studies are conducted, concluded and we, the citizens and governing body of Pittsylvania County are satisfied that our health, safety and welfare are protected.

I believe the Board of Supervisors has the authority and duty to put us in that position.”

Virginia Uranium Inc. seeks to mine and mill a 119-million pound uranium ore deposit at Coles Hill, about six miles northeast of Chatham. Virginia has had a moratorium on uranium mining since 1982.

The National Research Council, an arm of the NAS, has contracted with Virginia Tech’s Center for Coal and Energy Research to undertake a $1.4 million study to determine whether uranium can be mined and milled safely in the commonwealth. NAS/NRC officials say the study should be complete by the fall of 2011.

VUI, through the Center for Coal and Energy Research, is paying for the study.

Michael Karmis, director of Virginia Tech’s Center for Coal and Energy Research, said the NAS/NRC’s Provisional Committee, tasked to conduct and report on the study, will not be paid to perform it, Karmis said.

The $1.4 million will pay for NAS/NRC staff working for the committee members and for the committee members’ travel and lodging expenses for meetings, Karmis said.

“The source of money is totally irrelevant,” Karmis said.

Jack Dunavant, chairman of Southside Concerned Citizens, said the study will be biased in favor of pro-mining interests.

“If the study is not tainted, which I’m sure it will be, we’ll welcome it,” Dunavant said, adding that if the study becomes compromised, “we’ll certainly bring it to people’s attention.”

Dunavant questions whether a pile of powdered milling waste sitting in a flood plain above a river bed can be controlled, especially given the region’s rainy climate.

Eloise Nenon, founding member of Southside Concerned Citizens, said the study may be scientific, but science is constantly changing and facts that may be apply now may be proven false in the future.

“We have to realize the limitations we now face,” Nenon said.

While Nenon said she was pleased at the mention of public participation in the Danville data-gathering meetings during the study, she would like to see NAS/NRC meetings open to the public. In addition, the U.S. Department of Energy has said the country doesn’t need new uranium supply since the nation can downblend enriched uranium.

In addition, “who pays for the clean-up and the health problems resulting from the mining?” she said.

Read more:
http://www2.godanriver.com/gdr/news/local/danville_news/article/uranium_mining_opponents_react_to_study/18329/

Uranium study gets green light

By TIM DAVIS/Star-Tribune Editor
Tuesday, February 23, 2010 6:36 PM EST

The National Research Council has agreed to conduct a statewide scientific study on uranium mining in Virginia.

William Kearney, a spokesman for the National Research Council in Washington, D.C., said a contract for the long-awaited study has been approved and signed with Virginia Tech.

The university will serve as a conduit for funding from Virginia Uranium Inc., which has agreed to pay for the $1.4 million study.

"Once we have the signed contract and funding is released, we'll begin," Kearney said Tuesday.

The study will take about 18 months. A final report is due Dec. 1, 2011.

According to Kearney, the first step will be for the National Research Council to solicit recommendations for experts to serve on the committee that will conduct the study.

He said the committee will be composed of about a dozen scientists from the National Academies of Science and Engineering as well as the council's own scientific staff, academia and government officials.

"The goal is to pick a committee with the expertise to carry out the objectives of the study and also be balanced from a scientific perspective," said Kearney.

Nominations will be posted on the council's website for a 20-day public comment period.

"The committee remains provisional until every member has complied with our conflict of interest policy," the spokesman said.

Kearney expects the committee to be approved this spring and begin meeting early this summer.

He said one of the group's first public meetings will be in Danville.

Virginia Uranium Inc. announced plans three years ago to explore mining uranium at Coles Hill, about six miles northeast of Chatham.

The National Research Council presented its recommendations for a study in May to the Virginia Commission on Coal and Energy's Uranium Mining Subcommittee.

The subcommittee, chaired by Del. Lee Ware of Powhatan, voted 8-2 to approve a framework for the study and made public safety a top priority.

According to the National Research Council's "Statement of Task," the study will "examine the scientific, technical, environmental, human health and safety, and regulatory aspects of uranium mining, milling, and processing as they relate to the Commonwealth of Virginia for the purpose of assisting the commonwealth to determine whether uranium mining, milling, and processing can be undertaken in a manner that safeguards the environment, natural and historic resources, agricultural lands, and the health and well-being of its citizens."

In particular, the study will:

_ Assess the potential short- and long-term occupational and public health and safety considerations from uranium mining, milling, processing, and reclamation, including the potential human health risks from exposure to "daughter" products of radioactive decay of uranium.

_ Review global and national uranium market trends.

_ Identify and briefly describe the main types of uranium deposits worldwide including, for example, geologic characteristics, mining operations, and best practices.

_ Analyze the impact of uranium mining, milling, processing, and reclamation operations on public health, safety, and the environment at sites with comparable geologic, hydrologic, climatic, and population characteristics to those found in the commonwealth. Such analysis shall describe any available mitigating measures to reduce or eliminate the negative impacts from uranium operations.

_ Review the geologic, environmental, geographic, climatic, and cultural settings and exploration status of uranium resources in Virginia.

_ Review the primary technical options and best practices approaches for uranium mining, milling, processing, and reclamation that might be applicable within Virginia, including discussion of improvements made since 1980 in the design, construction, and monitoring of tailings impoundments ("cells").

_ Review the state and federal regulatory framework for uranium mining, milling, processing, and reclamation.

_ Review federal requirements for secure handling of uranium materials, including personnel, transportation, site security, and material control and accountability.

_ Identify the issues that may need to be considered regarding the quality and quantity of groundwater and surface water, and the quality of soil and air from uranium mining, milling, processing, and reclamation. As relevant, water and waste management and severe weather effects or other stochastic events may also be considered.

_ Assess the potential ecosystem issues for uranium mining, milling, processing, and reclamation.

_ Identify baseline data and approaches necessary to monitor environmental and human impacts associated with uranium mining, milling, processing, and reclamation.

_ Provide a non-technical summary of the report for public education purposes (for example, health and safety issues, inspection and enforcement, community right-to-know, emergency planning).

The National Research Council, however, will not offer recommendations on whether uranium mining should be permitted, and the study will not include "site-specific" assessments.

That decision will be left to the General Assembly, which placed a moratorium on uranium mining in 1982.

Coal and Energy Commission chairman Del. Terry Kilgore said the state also plans to conduct a study of the socioeconomic impact of uranium mining.

The second study, which will address the effects of uranium mining on businesses, schools and the community, will be conducted by another organization and funded separately, the chairman said.

tim.davis@chathamstartribune.com

434-432-2791

Read more:
http://www.wpcva.com/articles/2010/02/25/chatham/news/news50.txt

Elected officials should protect against uranium

Wednesday, February 6, 2008 4:49 PM EST

Why do I feel someone is not telling me the truth when you are told they want no change, then they present a resolution for a study to see if uranium mining would be safe.

Folks, you can do a study on how to mine the uranium; this however, does not mean it will be safe.

This is the kicker: you must study a mining operation to find out what is or is not safe. I can't say there are any safe uranium mines in operation.

If the moratorium is lifted, unwanted mining, contamination, and reduced property values will be here.

The people of Virginia Uranium Inc. talk out of both sides of their mouths.

Walter Coles, Henry Hurt and Walter Coles Jr. ask for a study to see if uranium can be mined safely, and about mining uranium.

If you are not going to try and overturn the moratorium now in place to prevent uranium mining, why do you need the study?

We have people all over the world trying to blow us away. Now we have our own trying to microwave us, right in our back yard.

I was in Korea for two years for my country, as many others were, hoping to live here in peace.

To have greedy people try and take away this freedom hurts deeply.

As an engineer for General Electric Co. we could hardly stop radio waves within copper rooms.

When someone tells me they can mine uranium safely, with all the information around the world that indicates safety, and health problems where uranium mining is being done. What better study can you have?

Is the uranium less active in one area than the other? I would think not.

The people of Pittsylvania County have changed with times. We will not let this happen to our community.

We have people in office that took an oath to protect our environment from harm. The town, county, and state, should they not stand for the majority of the people they represent?

The people have the right to vote that person out of office.

To think the people of Pittsylvania County would believe you can blow a hole in the ground with dynamite and not make a lot of dust.

Uranium mining is unsafe, and it should not take place in this county.

Ocie Betterton
Chatham, VA

Read more:
http://www.wpcva.com/articles/2010/02/12/chatham/uranium/uranium93.txt

Uranium mining study gets official green light

Traci White twhite@registerbee.com

Pieces from a single rock core are seen organized by depth from which they were extracted inside a box on Walter Coles’ property on in this February 2009

By John Crane
Published: February 23, 2010

The study to determine whether uranium can be mined and milled safely in Virginia is a go.

Virginia Tech’s Center for Coal and Energy Research has signed a contract with the National Academy of Sciences’ National Research Council for the study, NAS Spokesman William Kearney said Tuesday.

“We received word that the contract has been signed,” Kearney said.

The NAS/NRC will begin the study process when Virginia Tech pays the first installment for the $1.4 million study, Kearney said.

Virginia Uranium Inc. seeks to mine and mill a 119-million-pound uranium ore deposit at Coles Hill, about six miles northeast of Chatham. VUI, through Virginia Tech’s Center for Coal and Energy Research, will pay for the study’s first phase — which could cost up to $1.4 million — focusing on the technical and public-safety aspects of mining.

The second part of the study, dealing with the socioeconomic aspects of mining, still needs to be developed by the Virginia Coal & Energy Commission. VUI will not fund the second part.

Michael Karmis, director of Virginia Tech’s Center for Coal and Energy Research, could not be reached for comment Tuesday.

Once the NAS/NRC receives the first payment, the next step will be to form a provisional committee and hold a 20-day public comment period on the makeup of the committee, Kearney said. Citizens will be able to comment by visiting http://www.nationalacademies.org and clicking on “current projects.” The provisional committee of about a dozen scientific experts would perform the study and write its report.

The NAS/NRC will consider the public comment regarding the committee and discuss its balance, Kearney said. Committee members will be required to comply with the organization’s conflict-of-interest policy, which prohibits those with a financial stake in the subject examined from serving, Kearney said.

Kearney said the NAS/NRC Executive Committee hopes to hold the first data-gathering meeting this summer in Danville and Richmond, which will include public comment. The study’s fieldwork will begin this summer and last through the fall of 2011, Kearney said.


Read more:
http://www2.godanriver.com/gdr/news/local/danville_news/article/uranium_mining_study_gets_official_green_light/18279/

NAS, Virginia Tech agree to uranium mining study

By Staff
Published: February 23, 2010

The long-awaited study of uranium mining and milling in Virginia has been given the green light to proceed. The National Academy of Sciences and Virginia Tech have agreed to the study. The NAS will conduct the study.

While the scientific study is statewide in scope, the news is especially relevant in the Dan River Region uranium corp. wants to mine and mill a uranium deposit at Coles Hill, about six miles northeast of Chatham.

Read more:
http://www2.godanriver.com/gdr/news/local/danville_news/article/nas_virginia_tech_agree_to_uranium_mining_study/18268/

Enviros: Uranium mines still too hot

Kanab Creek

CYNDY COLE

Sun Staff Reporter

Posted: Saturday, February 20, 2010

5:15 am

Local environmentalists said Thursday's findings on past uranium mining confirmed what they suspected: That it led to uranium contamination on the Arizona Strip north of the Grand Canyon, and that mining is not safe.

"Where there was mining activity, they found contamination. Where there wasn't mining activity, they didn't find contamination," said Roger Clark, who handles air and energy programs for the Grand Canyon Trust.

Among other findings, the U.S. Geological Survey actually reported that water in 95 percent of the more than 1,000 sites the agency surveyed (including downstream of mined and unmined uranium deposits) was free enough of pollutants that it would meet Environmental Protection Agency drinking water standards.

People speaking on behalf of the Trust, the Sierra Club, and the Center for Biological Diversity found the report established mining left some contamination, and called that unacceptable, or the research not broad enough.

One cited contamination from past uranium mines of different kinds on tribal lands and in New Mexico.

"I think we should be holding the government and the industry hostage to cleaning up the legacy before any new mining is contemplated," said Taylor McKinnon, of the Center for Biological Diversity.

The Sierra Club in Arizona would oppose uranium mining anywhere in the watershed of the Grand Canyon no matter the research on whether it could be done safely, said Stacey Hamburg.

Clark concurred.

Comparing water in the area to what the EPA would allow for drinking water lays out one widely understandable measure of its quality.

There is not a similar standard, however, for the materials left on the ground of the former mining sites.

Dust, ore and soil from mine sites -- reclaimed and particularly one that is not -- showed radiation and uranium at higher levels at the mine sites than across the landscape on average.

The "hottest" in radioactive terms was a mine along Kanab Creek that has not been backfilled, and is in a state that it could possibly be re-opened.

All Arizona Strip mine sites sampled had uranium levels higher than the surrounding areas averaged, said Jim Otton, a USGS researcher who helped draft the report.

But the sites varied.

Mapping showed the radioactivity outside the mines' footprints fell off greatly outside the perimeters.

One had a layer of gravel covering waste rock that was not backfilled into the mine shaft, as was allowed. The company thoroughly covered the site, and only a few fragments of ore were left, Otton said.

Another had been established near the edge of a creek, when a 1980s flood washed ore and waste rock into the streambed.

Miners reported the flood, and said they walked up and down the creek to retrieve the ore they could find.

Researchers found some of that ore about one-half mile from the mine site.

Cyndy Cole can be reached at 913-8607 or at ccole@azdailysun.com.

Read more:

http://www.azdailysun.com/news/local/state-and-regional/article_c2d8f81b-a236-50b6-b2be-b0d224670a6b.html

Dr. Edwards: What is left behind - and legacy waste of uranium mining

 Few scientists are as committed as the Montreal Gordon Edwards in the fight against nuclear power.


In this clip -  he explains the dangers of uranium waste, both in the extraction phase than during the Nuclear fission.

And raises the following question: do we want Quebec (or Virginia) to leave a radioactive to future generations?

Read More:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h0WlWaY-CT8
http://parolecitoyenne.org/blogs/mon

Solar Panels On Homes – Is It Practical To Use Them?

February 20, 2010

There are very few people that have not heard about solar energy and how cost effective it is.  These can be installed in an existing home and automatically installed in newly built homes.

There are methods and diagrams showing one how to make your own solar panels. This is a much cheaper method and by using solar energy you are effectively helping to lower the worlds energy needs. There will never be a shortage of solar energy (also known as renewable energy) as the sun always shines.

Solar panels create solar energy which in turn is transformed into another form of energy. This energy can be used in the home to cook food, heat water and swimming pools, garden and driveway lighting as well as heat the house during cold weather. Solar energy is clean energy unlike fossil fuels which pollute the atmosphere.

When you have solar panels installed, one will always have solar energy even during a power failure. These solar panels do not affect ones health and they are not governed by political factors or capitalistic individuals, and are environmentally friendly. There are many gadgets as well as calculators, watches and computers that run on solar power as well.

Solar panels will save a homeowner an incredible amount and will also alleviate the dependency on gas as well as electricity generated from dirtier methods. Solar panels contain battery cells which will store excess energy for later usage. Usually these solar panels are placed on the roof of your home.

Solar panels for houses are widely available at specific outlets. For more information you can go online and browse through the many options available. Solar panels will also increase the value of your home. They provide a wonderful place to start to make a difference in the world we live in.

The solar panels price is becoming more affordable, and solar panel efficiency is continually improving! It’s time to go solar powered!

Read more:
http://freealternativegreenenergy.com/2010/02/solar-panels-on-homes-is-it-practical-to-use-them/

URANIUM MINING SYMPOSIUM

URANIUM MINING SYMPOSIUM

World Experts On Health And Socio-Economic Impacts Of Uranium Mining To Speak At Symposium In Richmond

Thursday, March 11, 2010
10:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m.

Richmond Center Stage for the Performing Arts

7th and Grace Street, Richmond, VA (804) 225-9000
Public Parking on Grace Street; http://www.richmondcenterstage.com

Reception to follow for participants and invited guests
Register at http://www.vcnva.org/  or call 804-644-0283
Please register so that we have an accurate count for lunch and the reception (no charge)

Goals:
• To examine the health and socio-economic impacts of proposed uranium mining in Virginia. The conference will provide participants with information about experiences with uranium mining all over the world.
• Specific attention will be given to the water quality and quantity impacts of uranium mining, alternatives to uranium mining, health consequences of uranium mining to local populations, and new versus old techniques of uranium mining.

Note: The conference will not focus on the pros and cons of nuclear reactors and power plants.

Speakers:

Dr. Doug Brugge: Tufts University
Dr. Gordon Edwards: Canadian Coalition for Nuclear Responsibility
Manuel Pino: American Indian Studies, Scottsdale Community College
Paul Robinson: Southwest Research & Information Center
Dr. Rianne Teule, Greenpeace International

These world experts have written and spoken extensively on uranium mining
and its impacts in the US and around the globe.

Sponsoring Organizations: Dan River Basin Association; Friends of the Earth, Piedmont Environmental Council; Sierra Club, Virginia Chapter; Southern Environmental Law Center; Virginia Conservation Network, and Virginia Interfaith Power & Light

Who Should Attend? : State and local officials, the media, concerned citizens, planners, and those living in potentially impacted areas

For questions,
contact Brent Blackwelder at tbblackwelder@yahoo.com.

Speakers:

Douglas M. Brugge, Ph.D. is Professor in the Department of Public Health and Community Medicine at Tufts University School of Medicine. Dr. Brugge has written numerous analyses of the health impacts of uranium mining and processing. A co-editor of The Navajo People and Uranium Mining, he testified in 2007 before the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform on uranium contamination in the Navajo Nation.

Gordon Edwards is a founder of the Canadian Coalition for Nuclear Responsibility (CCNR) and its president since 1978. Dr. Edwards is an expert on the nuclear cycle in Canada and has helped many communities deal with radioactive contamination. Through research, articles, public presentations, and radio and television appearances, Mr. Edwards played a key role in bringing about moratoria on uranium mining in Labrador, British Columbia, and Nova Scotia.

Manuel F. Pino is professor of sociology and American Indian Studies at Scottsdale Community College. Formerly, he served as an Assistant Professor at Arizona State University in the School of Justice Studies. Mr. Pino received a Masters degree in Sociology from the University of New Mexico. A member of the Acoma Pueblo in New Mexico, his research focuses on environmental issues and their impacts on American Indians. He has published widely in academic journals in both the U.S. and Canada with a focus on uranium mining and nuclear fuel cycle issues impacting indigenous peoples throughout the U.S.

Paul Robinson is an environmental analyst, natural resource management planner, and environmental and technology assessment consultant. He serves as research director of the Southwest Research & Information Center in New Mexico, which provides technical services for communities facing mining and other resource development issues. He has provided technical analysis for formal proceedings in the U.S., Canada and Europe, as well as for publications of the national and international organizations, including the New Mexico Bureau of Mines and Mineral Resources and the Western Governors' Association as well as other corporate, tribal, governmental and nongovernmental organizations.

Rianne Teule, Ph.D. in Physical Chemistry, is an expert on all aspects of the nuclear fuel cycle with Greenpeace International. Dr. Teule has examined areas with radioactive contamination around the world, including the Chernobyl region of Ukraine, Iraq, and Brazil. Most recently, she visited two uranium mines in Niger, Africa and documented the contamination of the cities of Arlit and Akokan.

Click here to register:
http://vcn.citizen-networks.org/site/Calendar/1139699596?view=Detail&id=100181

Energy for America Program (REAP) Workshop

Rural Energy For America Program Workshops

Six workshops about the Rural Energy for America program have been scheduled in March for producers interested in increasing energy efficiency or installing products to generate renewable energy on their farms.

REAP offers a 25 percent cost-share for relevant installations and replacements. Funds are offered as grants, loans or grant/loan combinations.

The one-day workshops will give participants a basic understanding of the program and how to apply for funding. Workshops will be offered on the following dates:

March 15 in Danville
March 16 in Exmore
March 17 in Richmond
March 23 in Wytheville
March 24 in Front Royal
March 25 in Fredericksburg
For more information or to register, please send an e-mail or call Brenda Fleming at 804-290-1155.

The workshops are being presented by VA FAIRS in conjunction with Virginia Cooperation Extension and the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Rural Development agency.

Agenda

Energy for America Program (REAP) Workshop

8:00 a.m. Registration

8:30 a.m. Welcome

8:45 a.m. General Overview of REAP

Eligibility
Application Processing

9:45 a.m. Morning Break

10:00 a.m. Components of Application

Application templates
Application forms
Technical reports
Self score
Energy assessment or energy audit
Feasibility study

12:00 p.m. Lunch

1:00 p.m. Example Technologies/Efficiencies Applicable to REAP

2:00 p.m. Other Resources

Department of mines, minerals and energy
Virginia tobacco indemnifaction commission (tobacco commission regions only)
Natural resources and conservation services

Read more:
http://www.vafairs.com/

New device aims to hike solar power output

by Staff Writers
Washington (UPI) Feb 16, 2009

Amid a global scramble to invest in solar power as a viable renewable energy option, pressure is mounting on manufacturers to maximize electricity output with minimum outlay.

Mitsubishi Electric Corporation announced it has developed the world's first technology to maximize output power in photovoltaic systems in poor weather conditions.

Mitsubishi said the PV systems' output would be enhanced through the inclusion of a new maximum power-point tracking system in PV inverters.

The technology, which works with a single PV inverter, achieves the maximum power point even when part of a PV array is hidden by shadow or dust, Mitsubishi said.

Solar power as a renewable energy of the future has gained ground worldwide but with its popularity pressure has built on both energy producers and plant manufacturers to extract maximum results at minimum cost.

PV system characteristics such as output power are greatly influenced by the amount of sunlight and temperature.

Conventional PV arrays, which are groups of PV modules connected either in series or parallel, use MPPT systems to help achieve their maximum output-power points.

But, the company said, if part of a PV array is hidden by shadow and the rest is still in sunlight, resulting in multiple peak points, a conventional MPPT system has difficulty tracking the maximum point.

This is particularly true in urban areas where PV systems are likely to be installed near buildings or other obstructions to sunlight, causing shadows that can greatly decrease output power.

Mitsubishi's technological breakthrough allows the MPPT system to automatically measure the PV array's output power characteristics and control the array to operate at its maximum output power point.

The system thus ensures that the PV system receives maximum output power from the array, said the company. In some cases, the technology will be able to more than double the output power compared to a PV inverter equipped with a conventional MPPT system.

Mitsubishi Electric said it will continue its research and development with aims to incorporate the technology in its products in the near future.

The Dublin-based Research and Markets said renewable energy penetration was on the increase in the United States.

In one of the latest deals, Las Vegas's NV Energy and NextLight Renewable Power LLC announced a 25-year contract for the purchase and sale of energy to be produced at NextLight's 50-megawatt Silver State Solar Power photovoltaic facility near Primm, Nev.

The project will use solar photovoltaic technology to generate clean, emissions-free energy by May 2011.

The Silver State Solar Power project is one of more than 41 proposed or existing renewable energy facilities in Nevada.

Read more:
http://www.solardaily.com/reports/New_device_aims_to_hike_solar_power_output_999.html

What Are the Environmental Benefits of Water Efficiency?

Water efficiency, together with reducing pollutants such as pesticides, can be an effective way to reduce pollution. Some of the environmental benefits that are aided by water efficiency include:

*Fewer sewage system failures caused from water overwhelming the system.

*Healthier natural pollution filters such as downstream wetlands.

*Reduced water contamination caused by polluted runoff from over-irrigating yards and agricultural lands.

*Reduced need to construct additional dams and reservoirs or otherwise regulate the natural flow of streams, thus preserving their free flow and retaining the value of stream and river systems as wildlife habitats and recreational areas.

*Reduced need to construct additional water and wastewater treatment facilities.

*Reduced surface water withdrawals that degrade habitat both in streams and on land close to streams and lakes.

Efficient water use can also reduce the amount of energy needed to treat wastewater, resulting in less energy demand and, therefore, fewer harmful byproducts from power plants.

Most people realize that hot water uses up energy, but supplying and treating cold water requires a significant amount of energy too. American public water supply and treatment facilities consume about 56 billion kilowatt-hours per year—enough electricity to power more than 5 million homes for an entire year.

If just 1 percent of American homes replaced an older toilet with a new WaterSense labeled toilet, the country would save more than 38 million kilowatt-hours of electricity—enough electricity to supply more than 43,000 households for one month.

Letting your faucet run for five minutes uses about as much energy as letting a 60-watt light bulb run for 14 hours.

Read more:
http://www.epa.gov/watersense/water_efficiency/environmental_benefits.html

Radon Could Be a Serious Threat to Your School

Chances are you've already heard of radon - a radioactive gas that can cause lung cancer.

But what you might not have heard is that high levels have been found in a number of schools across the country. Therefore, it is important that students, teachers, and parents be aware that a potential problem could exist in their school. A nationwide survey of radon levels in schools estimates that nearly one in five has at least one schoolroom with a short-term radon level above the action level of 4 pCi/L (picoCuries per liter) - the level at which EPA recommends that schools take action to reduce the level. EPA estimates that more than seventy thousand (70,000) schoolrooms in use today have high short-term radon levels.

The only way to determine if a problem exists is to test for it. Having your school tested for radon is something you may want to discuss with your school officials. Because as real as the threat of radon is, the good news is that the problem can be solved.

EPA's national survey of schools produced some alarming results about concentrations in our children's classrooms. Public awareness must be raised about the hazards of radon to hasten efforts to reduce the danger. All schools must be tested to determine if there is a problem, and schools must inform parents of the results. We cannot ignore this problem." Kathryn Whitfill, National PTA President.

The EPA ranks indoor radon among the most serious environmental health problems facing us today. After smoking, it is the second leading cause of lung cancer in the United States causing an estimated fourteen thousand (14,000) lung cancer deaths a year.

Radon is a naturally occurring gas that seeps into buildings from the surrounding soil. In some cases, well water may be a source of radon.

You can't see, taste, or smell radon. In fact, the only way to discover if high levels of radon are present is through testing.

All students have the right to expect a safe and healthy environment. Teachers and other school employees should encourage their schools to conduct radon tests and undertake all necessary corrective actions. The health of our children demands no less. Keith Geiger, NEA President.

Radon gas decays into radioactive particles that can get trapped in your lungs when you breathe.

As these particles break down, they release small bursts of energy. This can damage lung tissue and lead to lung cancer over the course of your lifetime. An individual's risk of getting lung cancer from radon depends mostly on three factors: the level of radon, the duration of exposure, and their smoking habits.

EPA recommends that all schools nationwide be tested for radon. To date, approximately twenty percent (20%) of the schools nationwide have done some testing. Some states have tested all their public schools.

How are schools tested for radon?

Testing for radon is simple and relatively inexpensive. EPA has published guidance that is available free to schools throughout the country. Call your State Radon Office for more information.

The basic elements of testing are:

Test all frequently used rooms on and below the ground level; Conduct tests in the cooler months of the year; and, Follow the testing strategy below.

School Testing Strategy:

Step 1: Initial Testing:

Take Short-term tests.
Step 2: Follow-up Testing:

Take a second short-term test in rooms where the initial level is 4 pCi/L or higher.
Take a long-term test in these rooms for a better understanding of the school-year average radon level.
Step 3: Take action to reduce levels if: The average of the initial and short-term follow-up test is 4 pCi/L or greater or the result of the long-term test is 4 pCi/L or greater.

What happens if your school fails the test?
Fortunately, even if your school does fail the radon test, the problem can be corrected. Proven techniques are available that will lower radon levels and lower risks of lung cancer from radon exposure.

Every home should also take this test.

School isn't the only place that students and teachers can be exposed to radon.

Since children spend more time at home, high radon levels there can pose a much greater threat to their health.

Once again, testing is simple and inexpensive. After all, radon is one health problem nobody should have to live with - at home or at school.

Call your state radon office for a list of radon device companies that have met state requirements. See www.epa.gov/radon/radontest.html for information on how to find a "qualified" radon service professional.

For more information, call: 1-800-SOS-RADON (1-800-767-7236)

Read more:
http://www.epa.gov/radon/pubs/schoolrn.html

America’s Secret Chernobyl – Uranium Mining & Pollution in the Upper Midwest

July 27, 2009 by admin1

The following report was produced by Defenders of the Black Hills:

1. World War II ended with the nuclear bomb and introduced the use of nuclear energy for the production of electricity which caused the price of uranium to rise. Uranium mining in South Dakota, Wyoming, Montana, and North Dakota began in the middle of the 1960s. As the economy of the Midwestern states depends primarily on agriculture, when uranium was discovered in the region, many get-rich-quick schemes were adopted.

Not only were large mining companies pushing off the tops of bluffs and buttes for the radioactive metal. Mining occurred on both public and private land, although the Great Sioux Nation still maintains a claim to the area through the Fort Laramie Treaties of 1851 and 1868, the March 3rd Act of 1871, Article VI of the US Constitution, and the 1980 Supreme Court decision on the Black Hills.

2. In northwestern South Dakota, the Cave Hills area is managed by the US Forest Service. The area currently contains 89 abandoned open-pit uranium mines. Studies by the USFS show that one mine alone has 1,400 millirems per hour (mR/hr) of exposed radiation, a level of radiation that is 120,000 times higher than normal background of 100 millirems per year (mR/yr)! In the southwestern Black Hills, the US Forest Service reported on 29 abandoned open-pit uranium mines, one of which is about 1 square mile in size.

3. It is estimated that more than 1,000 open-pit uranium mines and prospects can be found in the four state region from a map developed by the US Forest Service. The water runoff from the creeks and rivers near these abandoned uranium mines eventually empties into the Missouri River which empties into the Mississippi River.

4. The following agencies are aware of these abandoned uranium mines and prospects: US Forest Service, US Environmental Protection Agency, US Bureau of Land Management, SD Department of Environment and Natural Resources, the Bureau of Indian Affairs and the US Indian Health Service.
5. More than 4,000 exploratory holes, some large enough for a person to fall into, are found in the southwestern Black Hills with an additional 3,000 holes just 10 miles west of the town of Belle Fourche, SD near the Wyoming border.  This exploratory process itself allows radioactive pollutants to cross contaminate underground water sources. More exploratory holes for uranium are being drilled in Wyoming and South Dakota.

6. The US Air Force also used small nuclear power plants in some of their remote radar stations. The US Air Force is responsible for monitoring these sites although there is no stopping the radioactive pollution that could contaminate aquifers.

7. In Wyoming, hundreds of abandoned open-pit uranium mines and prospects can be found in or near the coal in the Powder River Basin.  Radioactive dust and particles are released into the air at the coal fired power plants and often set off the warning systems at nuclear power plants. The same radioactive dust and particles are released into the air that travels across South Dakota and to the South and East in the coal strip mining process.

8. In 1972, President Richard Nixon signed a secret Executive Order declaring this four State region in the Upper Midwest to be a ‘National Sacrifice Area’ for the mining and production of uranium and nuclear energy.

Conclusion

This Fact Sheet regarding past and planned uranium and coal mining in the Upper Midwest region should give cause for alarm to all thinking people in the United States. This is the area that has been called “the Bread Basket of the World.” For more than forty years, the people of South Dakota and beyond have been subjected to radioactive polluted dust and water runoff from the hundreds of abandoned open pit uranium mines, processing sites, underground nuclear power stations, and waste dumps.

There needs to be a concerted effort to determine the extent of the radioactive pollution in the environment, and the health damage that has been and is currently being inflicted upon the people of the United States.

It is imperative that a federal bill be passed in Congress appropriating enough funds for the cleanup of ALL the abandoned uranium mines in this four State region. This harmful situation must not be placed on the end of the Superfund list of hazardous sites to be addressed in twenty years. Those responsible for this disaster must be held responsible for the consequences, but the cleanup and health concerns of the nation need to be addressed first. The health of the nation is at stake!

The cleanup of all of these mines and underground sites must begin NOW!

We hope you will consider our request for concerted actions to be taken at the national level regarding these grave concerns. This problem of radiation pollution spreading throughout the United States has been allowed to continue quietly for much too long.

********* What you can do ***********

1. Contact your Congressional Representative and Senators by phone (202) 224-3121, through the mail, and email. Ask that they consider sponsoring a bill for the cleanup of all the abandoned uranium mines and prospects, and underground nuclear sites in the Upper Midwest Region of South Dakota, North Dakota, Montana, and Wyoming.

2. Ask your Congressional Representatives and Senators to support the Expansion of the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act (RECA) to include also those harmed by abandoned uranium mines and prospects in the Upper Midwest Region.

3. Encourage the use of alternative sources of energy such as wind, solar, and geothermal. Nuclear energy is not the answer and only creates very long term problems to the entire environment.

Thank you!

Produced by Defenders of the Black Hills, PO Box 2003, Rapid City, SD 57709, a nonprofit corporation.
For more information check out www.defendblackhills.org

Read more:
http://www.russellmeansfreedom.com/2009/americas-secret-chernobyl-uranium-mining-pollution-in-the-upper-midwest/

Writer: Residents must get involved

By Published by The Editorial Board
Published: February 12, 2010

To the editor:

I see where my representative on the Board of Supervisors, Fred Ingram, says we should just allow these uranium mining people to come in and we magically have jobs all over the place.

I ask Mr. Ingram this: At what price do these jobs come at?

I am 73 years old, and I have lived a great portion of my life in this county. We have wonderful streams and ponds, not to mention Smith Mountain and Leesville lakes.

Pittsylvania County is a place that has many hidden treasures for our youths as well as for the adults.

I have spoken with a number of people who don’t want this mining done.

They have come to the board and told the board that they don’t want uranium mining done in the area. However, the seven who are on the board want it.

The people say they don’t want uranium mining in their back yard, but it falls on deaf ears.

I ask all the people in this county to come fill the board room and tell them what you want in this county, instead of a half-full room with a few people who the board halfway listens to. I say this to all who feel the way I feel about uranium mining and think that what I am stating is true.

I say to all who have concerns to come to the meeting in a show of unity; let’s stand up for our community and make a difference.

Let’s all vote for change and get a whole new board when elections come around.

Let’s forget about who is what party and who is this or that.

I was once told that one person can make a difference, that it only takes one voice to make things heard.

Let’s put people in office who care about us instead of those who are just after a buck.

SHIRLEY KINSLEY

Gretna

http://www2.godanriver.com/gdr/news/opinion/letters_to_the_editor/danville_letters/article/writer_residents_must_get_involved/17907/

Whose agenda is Ingram trying to advance? (Uranium mining)

Wednesday, February 10, 2010 8:56 AM EST

Callands-Gretna Supervisor Fred Ingram, in his recent letter to the editor, says he believes in the importance of science-based study to determine the safety of mining.

Curiously, at this late date, he expresses concern "that no one from Pittsylvania County is on the panel convened by the National Academy."

He's about two years too late.

Having no local representation on the Coal and Energy Commission and National Academy of Sciences is old news.

Where was Ingram when these decisions were being debated and determined?

He now advocates that four open-minded citizens be placed on the panel to represent our best interests and to be a part of the study and deliberations in reaching findings as to whether mining is safe.

Why this 11th hour concern for citizen participation in the process?

Is he, or someone else, having doubts regarding the ability of NAS to deliver the intended goods?

Is Ingram concerned that the NAS may articulate the risks involved regarding uranium mining and milling in Virginia?

Who might he consider an "open-minded citizen?"

Does he mean open-minded (open-mined) to the prospect of mining and milling of uranium or open to safeguarding citizens' health, welfare and water resources?

Perhaps he means those who know nothing...the kind of people government seems to embrace regarding decision making.

Who will aid Mr. Ingram in determining these open-minded citizens to help determine our fate?

I smell a rat.

Whose agenda is Ingram really trying to advance?

Karen B. Maute
Danville

http://www.wpcva.com/articles/2010/02/11/chatham/opinion/opinion01.txt

Dominion looks to define its role in offshore wind

February 8, 2010
By Michael Schwartz | Inside Business

The dream held by many to establish a viable locally based wind energy-generation industry utilizing massive windmill farms off the coast of Hampton Roads could be realized in six to 11 years.

That's an achievable time line if all the pieces come together, according a Dominion Resources executive.

But in the meantime, as the region begins to position itself for its share of the riches that many expect to come with the development of an offshore wind industry, Dominion is carefully analyzing its role as perhaps the most vital piece in the puzzle.

With the recent formation of the Virginia Beach-based Virginia Offshore Wind Coalition or VOW, a bigger push is being made to bring together the economic, industrial and political facets involved in developing the industry locally. Those involved are looking to Dominion, as the region's monopoly power provider, for direction about what step needs to be taken next.

Mary Doswell, an executive in Dominion's Alternative Energy Solutions division, said in an interview last week Dominion has definite interest in being a big part of wind generation off the coast of Hampton Roads and could take the lead in the next major hurdle.

"Wind is the largest renewable resource available to Virginia and it could end up being the cheapest one of scale," Doswell said.

Dominion has joined on as a member of the VOW Coalition, Doswell said, and has been an active participant in studies conducted to measure the feasibility of utilizing the winds off local shores to capture energy.

VOW, along with local politicians, has pushed for bills in the General Assembly that call for the creation of a state offshore wind authority with the power to help secure the issuing of bonds and government guarantees for loans, and to facilitate ways that might persuade the state's electricity monopoly to get on board.

If the mid-Atlantic is to derive some of its electricity from offshore wind, there are a number of ways in which Dominion might get involved, Doswell said.

Most noticeably, of course, are the windmills themselves. Doswell said Dominion is well-suited to be involved in wind farms.

"We would be interested in participating in the wind farms," she said.

Dominion already has land-based wind farms and relationships with the right parties to help make offshore wind a possibility.

"We're into onshore in quite a big way," she said.

Once the mills catch the breeze and generate electricity, that power needs to be transmitted over the ocean to the shore. Dominion would likely have a part in that as well.


The technology still needs tweaks for Atlantic coast wind farms, Doswell said, to take into account factors such as hurricanes. And technology for storing excess power generated by wind is still under development.

"If any kind of storage technology comes along then you have it made," Doswell said.

The next big hurdle is jumping through the many government hoops. In Europe, Doswell said, "Germany can just say this is what we're going to do with a wind farm. It's more fragmented in the utility industry here."

Taking into account separate state and federal regulations, as it stands today, the permitting process to build a wind farm offshore would take eight years to get through, Doswell said. That needs to change.

Read more:
http://hamptonroads.com/2010/02/dominion-looks-define-its-role-offshore-wind

Not now, not ever; why not? (RIFA Uranium Resolution in VA)

By Published by The Editorial Board
Published: February 10, 2010

Pittsylvania County, Danville and the Danville-Pittsylvania County Regional Industrial Facility Authority are spending $222 million to develop the Dan River Region’s largest industrial park.

There may be uranium ore underneath some of the park’s 3,700 acres.

For some reason, RIFA’s board and the Pittsylvania County Board of Supervisors don’t want to pass a simple resolution against uranium mining and milling in the Berry Hill Road industrial mega park. We have no reason to believe Danville City Council will be any different when its members discuss the issue.

How much uranium is under the industrial park’s 3,700 acres is anyone’s guess. Uranium occurs naturally all over the world, throughout Virginia and under parts of Pittsylvania County. Virginia Uranium Inc. wants to mine a deposit northeast of Chatham — a good 25 miles from the Berry Hill Road industrial mega park.

What the community has been told about the Berry Hill Road project is that the city and the county are hard at work to find a game-changing, big industrial client — the kind of company that needs a lot of acreage. The Berry Hill Road site is nearly four times the size of the region’s next largest park, Cane Creek Centre.

This is a big deal for the Dan River Region.

Getting a company to locate in the Berry Hill Road industrial mega park is far from a done deal, though. This isn’t “Field of Dreams.” If we build it, we have no guarantee that they will come. A lot of work has been done, but a lot more needs to be done to prepare the site.

Narrowing the resolution down to the actual boundaries of the Berry Hill Road site makes a lot of sense — and the resolution should have passed.

The Berry Hill Road industrial mega park is being built with local tax dollars, for a specific, stated purpose.

What does it mean when both the Board of Supervisors and the RIFA board have no interest in taking the uranium mining and milling question off the table?

It could mean a lot of things, of course.

But before we spend $222 million, shouldn’t we find out if the Berry Hill Road industrial mega park is being built for the uranium mining and milling industry?

Read more:
http://www2.godanriver.com/gdr/news/opinion/editorials/danville_editorials/article/not_now_not_ever_why_not/17844/

Regional authority rejects ban on uranium mining around Berry Hill mega park

By TIM DAVIS/Star-Tribune Editor
Wednesday, February 10, 2010 8:56 AM EST

DANVILLE - The Danville-Pittsylvania County Regional Industrial Facilities Authority refused to consider a proposed ban on uranium mining and milling at the Berry Hill Road "mega" industrial park Monday.

The authority, which is composed of members of Danville City Council and the Pittsylvania County Board of Supervisors, owns the 4,000-acre industrial park.

Members of the authority include Westover District Supervisor Coy Harville and Chatham-Blairs District Supervisor Henry "Hank" Davis Jr. along with Danville Mayor Sherman Saunders and City Councilman David Luther.

Callands-Gretna District Supervisor Fred Ingram and City Councilman Fred Shanks III serve as alternates.

Davis, who appointed himself to the authority when he was elected chairman in January, made a motion Monday to adopt a resolution banning uranium mining and milling at the Berry Hill site.

The resolution, which just included the mega park, was proposed by Deborah Dix of Blairs, an outspoken opponent of uranium mining in the county.

Davis's motion didn't receive a second, however, and failed.

"I'm not surprised, just somewhat disappointed," he said.

Supervisors rejected a similar ban on a 4-3 vote last month.

Karen Maute of Danville, an advocate for the environment, first asked supervisors to protect the industrial park in November, urging the board to "dispel" rumors the authority may use the property for uranium mining and milling.

The county and city, acting through the regional authority, have spent about $13 million for land along Berry Hill Road, just west of Danville.

Officials plan to develop a state-certified "mega" industrial park, with both localities sharing expenses and revenue.

According to County Administrator Dan Sleeper, it may cost $220 million to develop the huge project.

Maute opposes uranium mining at Coles Hill near Chatham, and has repeatedly asked supervisors to tighten the county's zoning ordinance to block the proposed mine and mill.

In her proposed resolution, she pointed out some of the Berry Hill property had mineral leases with Marline Uranium Corp., which discovered the huge uranium deposit in the late 1970s.

In order to avoid the appearance that the county and city are entering into a "joint uranium mining venture," she said both localities should sign a resolution prohibiting uranium mining and milling within a 25-mile radius of the Berry Hill park.

Davis's proposed ban just covered the industrial park.

Harville, who is chairman of the regional authority, said the county and city have no intention of mining uranium at Berry Hill.

"We bought it for a mega park. That's it - cut and dry," he said.

If that's true, countered Davis, then why not support a ban on uranium at the park?

"How could it hurt us?" he said. "If we don't intend to mine or mill uranium, then why not make it clear?"

tim.davis@chathamstartribune.com

http://www.wpcva.com/articles/2010/02/10/chatham/news/news53.txt

Jane Goodall's Roots & Shoots Partners with Green Works Natural Cleaners to Find Green Heroes

01/31/2010

Last year, Roots & Shoots was excited when Carmel Area Roots & Shoots (CAR&S) was one of five winners of the Green Heroes Grant Program. Through this program, the Green Works team funded the CAR&S' Micro-Grant program supporting 22 youth-driven, action-based environmental projects, such as planting trees, distributing rain barrels, recycling containers or compost bins, organic gardens, hosting roadside and waterways clean-up events and other projects that will have a direct positive impact on the local environment.

This year, the makers of Green Works natural cleaners have asked Roots & Shoots to join the search for our Green Heroes. Roots & Shoots will help Green Works get the word out to young people, adults and schools that are making a difference for our natural world.

The makers of Green Works natural cleaners will award six grants, totaling $60,000, to individuals, organizations and schools across the country that, through great ideas and old-fashioned hard work, are making their communities a greener place to live.

You can nominate green community projects and their leaders for a Green Heroes grant by submitting a photo and short essay about the project or person at www.facebook.com/greenworks. Nominations will be accepted between January 19 and February 18, 2010.

Nominations in each category should focus on showing how the group's or individual's efforts are new or unique and are making a difference in their respective communities. Judges will evaluate entries for their innovation, impact and growth opportunities.

"We are excited to be working with the Green Works team on the Green Heroes Grant Program," said Allison Deines, program manager, Jane Goodall's Roots & Shoots. "We are particularly pleased that the program will recognize young people, as Roots & Shoots is all about empowering youth to make a difference, every day, for people, animals and the environment."

Following the online nomination period, a panel of judges from the Green Works team and Roots & Shoots will do a blind review all submissions to determine five finalists in each of the three categories. From March 18 through April 18, 2010, the public will have the opportunity to vote online (www.facebook.com/greenworks) for their favorite individual, organization or school. The top two vote recipients in each category will receive a Green Heroes grant.

For more information about the Green Heroes Grant Program, including official contest rules and entry guidelines, log on to www.facebook.com/greenworks


Read more:
http://www.rootsandshoots.org/newsevents/news?nwsid=F703DFF8-8546-233F-B2A0-A852B7441000

Wind & Solar Poised to Supply New Demand

The recession was supposed to slow down white-hot renewable energy growth. A lack of financing and tax equity was to reduce the wind and solar markets as much as 50% in 2009. Instead, last year brought new records in capacity additions. Wind power in the US grew 9.9 GW (almost 40%) to extend the US lead as top producer of wind power globally. And while robust solar numbers won’t be available until March, many analysts predict that the solar market definitely grew in the US and probably throughout the world.

Global Growth Shines

The global wind power market also grew at an astounding rate — clocking a 37.5% growth rate in its annual market (37 GW vs. 27 GW in 2008). China’s annual growth became the biggest in the world at 13 GW, which makes sense due to their larger electricity demand growth. At the end of 2009, China became the 3rd largest wind energy producer after the US and Germany (35.1 GW, 25.8 GW, and 25.1 GW). China will become the 2nd biggest wind producer in 2010 and may challenge the US by 2011.

The global solar market didn’t grow as quickly due to the collapse of its top market of 2008 — Spain (~50% of the world market that year). But Germany rode to the rescue and extended its lead as the biggest solar power producer in the world (it may have passed 8 GW). Germans took advantage of a 40+% decrease in solar module prices and had record growth (becoming ~50% of the global market themselves).

In the US

As I wrote last year, wind was already replacing oil-fired electricity in 2008. In 2009, wind took some market share from the most polluting power source, coal. In the years ahead, wind and solar can provide for new electricity demand growth and then begin to take significant bites out of the market for the leading electricity sources, coal and natural gas.

At 35 GW, wind now produces ~2% of US electricity demand. At almost 2 GW, solar produces ~.1% of US electricity demand. Biomass and geothermal produce ~1.5% and hydro almost 7%. The big three power sources today are nuclear (~20%), natural gas (~23%), and coal (~45%). When you look at particular states, it is exciting to see that wind power already provides three states with more than 20% of their power needs (Wyoming, Iowa, and North Dakota). By 2023, wind could provide 20% of the whole country’s electricity and solar another 12.5% (based on growth rates of 17.6% per year for wind – half the recent rate – and 40.4% for solar – a slight pickup from the last few years).

Trends in Europe as a Glimpse at Our Future?

Europe installed over 10 GW of wind power capacity in 2009. The continent now gets ~9% of its electricity from wind and wind was the top source of of new electrical capacity at 39%. Solar power was third at 16% after natural gas which supplied 26%. Adding hydro and biomass, renewable energy provided 61% of new capacity. Meanwhile, coal is on the decline, as over 3 GW were decommissioned. The US can accomplish this same feat of most new demand coming from renewables in 2010 and beyond.

Price Curves Favorable for Wind & Solar

The prices of wind and solar should continue to drop in 2010, as opposed to an increase in the price of oil, natural gas, and coal. This trend should help maintain swift growth from these sources and make them the new energy titans within a few more years.

Onwards in the Sustainable Energy Transition-
Dennis Markatos-Soriano

Read more:
http://setenergy.org/2010/02/07/wind-solar-poised-to-supply-new-demand/

Roanoke River basin makes environmental group's endangered list (uranium mining)

Roanoke River Basin

Feb, 05, 2010 06:43 AM

Feb. 5--Concerns over proposed uranium mining in Pittsylvania County led the Southern Environmental Law Center to include the Roanoke River basin in its 2010 list of top 10 endangered places in its coverage area.

This is the first year the environmental advocacy group included the Roanoke River on its list, said senior attorney Kay Slaughter.

The river, she said, provides drinking water to millions in southern Virginia and parts of northern North Carolina, includ-ing Virginia Beach and Henderson, N.C.

"The reason for the whole basin is its potential endangerment, not just from uranium, but the other chemicals used in the mining and milling process," Slaughter said.

The list, released this week, also includes the Chesapeake Bay and the mountainous coal region of southwestern Vir-ginia. The Southern Environmental Law Center does work in Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Tennessee and Alabama.

All places on the list represent issues the law center has worked on and the goal of the list is to highlight those issues to the public, Slaughter said.

Uranium mining has been proposed for Coles Hill near Chatham for nearly 30 years. In May, the Virginia Commission on Coal and Energy approved the scope of a comprehensive study by the National Academy of Sciences on whether uranium mining can be done safely in the commonwealth.

There currently is a moratorium on mining, but if that ends, Slaughter said, it could open up other areas of the Virginia piedmont.

Read more:
http://www2.newsadvance.com/lna/news/local/article/roanoke_river_basin_makes_environmental_groups_endangered_list/23824/

Healthy Home Tips & Green Alternatives for Homeowners

Tuesday, January 26, 2010

The home buying process is an exciting time, but one that may bring additional responsibilities into your life.

Many homes may need renovations or inspections, especially in areas that are susceptible to natural disasters. Having the assistance of an experienced and honest real estate agent will make this process smooth and stress free.

Some older homes may still contain obsolete building materials. Citizens of this great state are striving to move to a green lifestyle, advocating environmentally sustainable methods to be used throughout the state. Building or remodeling your homes with eco-friendly materials can lower utility and water bills, higher real estate value, purer air quality, reduced waste sent to landfills and conservation of natural resources.

Asbestos + Healthy Tips

Asbestos is a fibrous mineral that was used in construction applications for the greater part of the 20th century. Often appearing as insulation, piping, roofing and flooring, homes and buildings could still contain asbestos materials if they were built prior to 1980.

If you locate any suspected asbestos in the home, most experts suggest leaving it un-disturbed until a home inspector can examine your property, take evaluations and determine the safest course of action.

Sometimes the best action is no action at all. Disturbing asbestos in good condition may cause its fibers to be released into the air. The removal of asbestos must be undertaken by a professional abatement contractor who is trained in handling dangerous materials.

Exposure to this material can lead to the development of mesothelioma, a lung ailment associated with asbestos exposure. Though a cure does not exist, mesothelioma treatment options such as radiation, chemotherapy and surgery may be available to patients to battle the disease. Mesothelioma compensation has become tough to predict for victims and their families because diagnosis can take 20-50 years. For this reason, many people refer to it as a silent killer.

Removal of asbestos in public facilities, workplaces and homes should be performed by licensed abatement contractors as long as the National Emissions Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants (NESHAP) are not violated.

Green Building Benefits

Each and every human being would like clean air to breathe and crisp water to drink. It takes a lot of effort and political advocacy to achieve this on a macro level. The implementation of eco-construction, green energy solutions will play an important role in the transformation to a healthier and sustainable world. Many locations throughout Alabama are swiftly changing their construction practices to suit the environment and the health of human beings.

Implementing green methods of building can have positive environmental, health and economic benefits. These include: Conservation of natural resources, enhancement of air quality, energy sustainability, increase property value, improve quality of life, improvement of pulmonary/cardiac health and reduction of waste.

Read more:
http://washmetrohomes.com/realestate/2010/01/healthy-home-tips-green-alternatives-for-homeowners/

First BPA Detection In U.S. Infant Cord Blood

Study Found More than 200 Chemicals in Cord Blood of African American, Asian and Hispanic Newborns

CONTACT: EWG Public Affairs, (202) 667-6982
For Immediate Release, December 2, 2009

WASHINGTON, DC - Laboratory tests commissioned by Environmental Working Group (EWG) and Rachel's Network have detected bisphenol A (BPA) for the first time in the umbilical cord blood of U.S. newborns. The tests identified the plastics chemical in 9 of 10 cord blood samples from babies of African American, Asian and Hispanic descent.

The findings provide hard evidence that U.S. infants are contaminated with BPA beginning in the womb.

Additional tests conducted by five laboratories in the U.S., Canada and Europe found up to 232 toxic chemicals in the 10 cord blood samples.

Besides BPA, substances detected for the first time in U.S. newborns included a toxic flame retardant chemical called tetrabromobisphenol A (TBBPA) that permeates computer circuit boards, synthetic fragrances (Galaxolide and Tonalide) used in common cosmetics and detergents, and perfluorobutanoic acid (PFBA, or C4), a member of the notorious Teflon chemical family used to make non-stick and grease-, stain- and water-resistant coatings for cookware, textiles, food packaging and other consumer products.

The EWG study is the first to find perchlorate contamination in cord blood samples from multiple states. (A study by researchers at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently found perchlorate in cord blood samples from infants born in New Jersey.) Nine of the 10 samples in the EWG study were contaminated with perchlorate, a solid rocket fuel component and potent thyroid toxin that can disrupt production of hormones essential for normal brain development.

The minority cord blood study is the 11th biomonitoring investigation commissioned by EWG. These projects, employing leading biomonitoring labs around the world, have together identified up to 486 chemicals, pollutants and pesticides in 186 people, from newborns to grandparents. Each study contributes new pieces to a mosaic of the "human toxome," as EWG analysts call pollution in people.

"Each time we look for the latest chemical of concern in infant cord blood, we find it," said Anila Jacob, M.D., EWG senior scientist and co-author of the report. "This time we discovered BPA, among other dangerous substances, in almost every infant's cord blood we tested."

"This study proves newborns are exposed to BPA in the womb," Jacob said. "After they are born, they'll encounter more BPA by drinking from a bottle, drinking canned infant formula and, eventually, eating canned food like ravioli and chicken noodle soup."

"When I learned of EWG's groundbreaking biomonitoring research four years ago, I knew Rachel's Network members would want to be involved. We are proud to have funded this research, and it is imperative that Congress now take action to strengthen chemical regulation," said Winsome McIntosh, founder and president of Rachel's Network. "This issue affects all of us; EWG's testing proves that a toxic chemical burden exists in women and children regardless of geographic location or socioeconomic status."

Cord Blood from Babies of Minority Backgrounds

Racial and ethnic minority communities in the U.S. are often bombarded with environmental pollutants. Whether through poverty or historical patterns of discrimination, they are more likely to spend much of their time near busy roads and industrial sites and in older housing.

The 10 children in this study were born between December 2007 and June 2008 in Michigan, Florida, Massachusetts, California and Wisconsin. They are otherwise anonymous. EWG has no way of knowing anything about the homes and neighborhoods into which they were born. The study tested for chemicals that can be found in virtually every American household. Additional studies are needed to define the risk from localized pollution sources.

We did not test for chemicals such as the byproducts of smoking or alcohol consumption that would indicate behaviors by the mother that could in any way jeopardize the health of the child. Instead, the contaminants found in these children are from unintended exposures to some of the most problematic consumer products and commercial chemicals offered for sale on the market. Their presence in fetal cord blood represents a significant failure on the part of the Congress and government agencies charged with protecting human health.

Our results strongly suggest that the health of all children is threatened by trace amounts of hundreds of synthetic chemicals coursing through their bodies from the earliest stages of life.

Broken federal toxics regulatory law:

In recent speeches laying out the Obama administration's key principles for federal chemicals policy reform, Lisa P. Jackson, Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, has cited previous cord blood research by EWG.

The federal Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA), which Jackson, EWG and many others in the environmental and public health community are committed to reform, is so weak that it has prevented EPA from banning asbestos, a known human carcinogen responsible for the deaths of 10,000 people every year.

The failed federal toxics law is primarily to blame for the widespread contamination in umbilical cord blood. The 1976 act does not require manufacturers to prove through scientific tests that chemicals are safe for humans and the environment before going on the market. There are currently more than 80,000 chemicals in consumer goods, with little or no safety information about their impact on human health.

In the previous two congresses, Representative Henry Waxman (D-CA) and Senators Barbara Boxer (D-CA) and Frank R. Lautenberg (D-NJ) have introduced the Kid-Safe Chemicals Act. Now joined by Representative Bobby Rush (D-IL), the four are currently working to draft TSCA reform legislation. The bill is expected to fundamentally change the way chemicals are assessed by placing the burden on manufacturers to prove the substances are safe before they are marketed.

"There is increasing evidence that we must test and regulate potentially toxic substances that wind up in our bodies," said Sen. Frank R. Lautenberg. "America's system for regulating toxic chemicals is broken. The legislation I am currently drafting will strengthen chemical safety laws and give Americans confidence that products they use are safe."

Contact information for partner organizations that assisted in roll out this study:
Sandy Buchanan - Ohio Citizen Action -(216)-861-5200
Jeanne Rizzo - Breast Cancer Fund - (415)-336-2246
Anne Rolfes - LA Bucket Brigade - (504)-484-3433
Craig Hafer - Pennsylvania Institute for Children's Environmental Health - (610)-750-4463
EWG is a nonprofit research organization based in Washington, DC that uses the power of information to protect human health and the environment. http://www.ewg.org/

Read more:
http://www.ewg.org/minoritycordblood/pressrelease

Study to examine uranium mining

Comment:  Uranium is located all of Virginia!
January 27, 2010 6:00 AM

A study requested by the General Assembly may offer a clue to the future of uranium mining in Southern Virginia, a divisive issue in the region.

The National Research Council (NRC), an arm of the National Academy of Sciences, has tentatively agreed to conduct a study of the safety and feasibility of uranium mining in the commonwealth.

The study was prompted by a proposal by Virginia Uranium Inc. to mine and mill a 119 million pound deposit of uranium ore near Chatham in Pittsylvania County.

For mining to begin, the legislature would have to overturn a ban imposed in the early 1980s.

Opponents have raised concerns about pollution to streams and farms. Southern Hampton Roads, for example, draws much of its water from Lake Gaston, which is downstream from the proposed site. Opponents also worry that uranium mining would damage efforts to attract young professionals to the region.

The NRC study will look at uranium mining operations in places around the world that resemble Virginia in population and weather conditions. (Uranium mining sites in the U.S. are in dry areas, which don’t offer a good comparison.)

The study, which will take 18 months, will not be the final word on the issue. It will only provide information for the legislature to consider in lifting or maintaining the ban.

Read more:
http://www.virginiabusiness.com/index.php/news/article/study-to-examine-uranium-mining/202867/