May 28: Plastics, restaurants, farmers and politics

By Published by The Editorial Board

Published: May 28, 2008

We don’t hear about this

To the editor:

It makes you wonder — if oil supplies are so low and we have these inflated prices for gasoline and fuel products, then why isn’t there a push for an alternative to plastics since they are made from petroleum? Wouldn’t you think that there would be a rush to find alternatives to plastics?

I wonder if the fuel companies are raking in big profits for gas and diesel, since we haven’t heard anything about plastics. What do you think?

DAVID SHAND

To the editor:

As a follow up to, “Wanted: More information,” (May 22, page A12), you gave the letter’s author a Web site for the Pittsylvania-Danville Health District restaurant inspection reports, which should be helpful, but can sometimes be scary if you read too much into it.

I would recommend that she go to http://www.restaurantica.com, where she can see customer reviews for any restaurant in the United States — including Danville. This will give her some idea about the service, quality of food and sometimes even the cleanliness of the establishment. This would also give her a chance to give us her own opinion about the Danville restaurants and maybe other area dining establishments that she frequents.

There are not many reviews about Danville restaurants, however there are a few and with the knowledge that it is available, maybe more people will take advantage and give us their opinions.

LARRY OLDHAM

To the editor:

Why has our local Farm Bureau been silent on the issue of uranium mining? Why would some local farmers invest in Virginia Uranium Inc., knowing that they will contribute to the demise of farming — the largest industry in Pittsylvania County?

A Jan. 20, 1985, (Marline era) newspaper article quotes former Delegate Glenn McClannan, D-Virginia Beach, the chairman of the House Agriculture Committee, as stating he felt uranium could be mined safely but “concerns about it, unfounded or not, could damage the state’s farming business.”

I disagree with his opinion that uranium can be mined safely largely because no one anywhere in the world has proven mining, milling and tailings storage/disposal to be “safe.” I do agree that there is great potential to irreparably damage the farming industry if mining, milling and tailings storage occurs.

A picture is worth a thousand words, so I invite you to view a picture on the Department of Mines, Minerals and Energy’s Web site at http://www.dmme.virginia.gov/DMM/UraniumFig5.pdf

Here you will see an aerial view of Virginia Uranium Inc.’s exploration footprint. Keep in mind, this depicts only the area of exploration. It will not show the actual areas that will be open-pit mined or shafts that may be tunneled under “protected areas.” You will not see the surrounding acres of family-owned farms and the town of Chatham only a few miles away.

You will see farmland that will be lost for decades, if not forever. How might uranium mining, milling and tailings storage affect farmers around, downwind and downriver? A “study” will not be able to determine the impact that uranium mining will have on Virginia’s farming industry. Where are the spokespersons for Pittsylvania County’s largest industry? Where are the farmers?

KAREN MAUTE

To the editor:

Last week, your newspaper reported on a bill sponsored by Sen. Jim Webb, D-Va. It pointed out that U.S. Rep. Virgil Goode, R-5th, voted against the bill, which expanded the existing GI Bill. What it failed to mention is that several bills have been proposed. The Department of Defense has specific concerns about the Webb bill because it lacks transferability and could negatively impact military retention.

President Bush supports the GI Bill expansion proposed by Republican Sens. Graham, Burr and McCain because it allows for transferability of education benefits to a serviceman’s family members and calibrates an increase in education benefits to time in service rather than giving all servicemen the same benefits.

Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev., the Senate majority leader, has allowed Sen. Webb’s bill to be voted on, but he hasn’t allowed the bill favored by the president on the Senate floor for a vote. It is the bill that most Republicans support.

RAY LAWSON

Danville