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Virginia uranium pays expensive junket to Canada for politicians and officials

Uranium company flying Va. lawmakers to Canada will spend $3,000 per person,  Washington Post, 12 Sept 11, By  The company flying lawmakers and community leaders to Canada this month to see an active uranium mine will spend about $3,000 per person on the trip.

The three-day trip includes a visit to a mine and mill as well as meetings with Canadian officials, including the ministers of energy and natural resources, federal regulators and the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission, according to an itinerary released Monday in response to a request.

About 15 people are expected to go, including five legislators. Sen. John C. Watkins (R-Chesterfield) and Del. Onzlee Ware (D-Roanoke) are both attending.

Virginia Uranium invited state legislators and local elected officials to visit an active mine near Saskatchewan, as it tries to convince the General Assembly to allow mining in what is thought to be the largest deposit of uranium in the United States, in south central Virginia.

The group will leave Richmond the afternoon of Sept. 26 and return the evening of Sept. 28. They will take a private jet from Richmond for the nearly four-hour flight to Saskatoon and stay at the Delta Hotel.

On the first day, they will travel and have dinner at the hotel. On the second day, they will fly to Cameco’s Rabbit Lake airstrip in the Athabasca Basin, where they will tour the mine and mill. On the third day, they will have meetings with federal officials and fly back to Virginia

The trip is similar to one that about a dozen legislators took this summer to France that came under criticism from environmental groups concerned that unearthed radioactive material could contaminate the state’s land, air and drinking water. Last year, three legislators, including Watkins and Ware, traveled to France.

Virginia Uranium already sent at least one other lawmaker — Sen. Frank W. Wagner (R-Virginia Beach) — to Saskatchewan this year. Wagner, who also went to France last year, said that the trips were beneficial but that he hasn’t made up his mind about whether he supports uranium mining…..

September 13, 2011 - Posted by | secrets,lies and civil liberties, USA

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