Today's Goal:
Evaluate the reasons for or against uranium mining in Naturita based on your assigned interest group
Starter
Watch these 2 two-minute videos about Nuclear Power, how it works and risks of it
Agenda
1. Get into your assigned interest group and prepare for the Town Hall Meeting on the Pinon Ridge Mill (see below for revised links!)
2. Town Hall Meeting!
Town
Hall Committees:
·
Mothers
and Wives Concerned For Their Children and Husbands’ Health
o
Lacey
o
Rowan
o
Cameron
o
Charles
o
Samantha S.
o
Daniel
·
Industry
Reps and Safety Inspectors from Fuel Energy
o
Turco
o
Lia
o
Noah
o
Becca
o
Vivi
o
Chris
·
Telluride
Residents (NIMBY!) and Local Environmentalists
o
Cameron
o
Samantha D.
o
Hayden
o
Sonya
o
Alicia
o
Lyle
·
Local
miners in Naturita (Economic boom incentives)
o
Ellen
o
Lawson
o
Bryce
o
Bekah
o
Max
o
Ellie
3. Nuclear Power and Mutations Powerpoint
4. Journal #5: What is your own personal view of uranium mining and nuclear power? How do you see nuclear playing a role in our energy future?
Better Links for Town Hall Debate Prep (Activity 4):
§ Watch the film trailer to Uranium Drive-In and read the film summary to the right of the video on this website : http://uraniumdrivein.com/
§ Check out some Google Images of Uranium Mills
§ Energy Fuels Website: The old company that owned the mill
· This is the website for Energy Fuel, the nuclear power development company in charge of building and running uranium mills
· ***Use this sub-link particular to find out about another Uranium mine in Blanding Utah that is similar to proposed Pinonridgemill
http://www.energyfuels.com/white_mesa_mill/
· Use this link for more specifics on history of and uses of Uranium
§ http://www.examiner.com/article/pinon-ridge-uranium-mill-one-step-closer-to-special-use-permit
· This article summarizes a town meeting in 2009 to hear from opponents and proponents to the mill. It summarizes pros and cons.
§ http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/02/28/fukushima-cancer-rates-risks_n_2779729.html
· This article discusses the cancer risks after the Fukishima nuclear power plant explosion
§ http://www.hcn.org/wotr/a-uranium-mill-makes-no-sense-in-western-colorado
· This is an article in High Country News by a Telluride resident who argues against the mill.
§ Optional: Colorado Government Report on Health Risks of the Pinon Ridge Mill
Numerous safety systems will be present in the Piñon Ridge Mill to protect workers from being exposed to excess levels of radiation. Area air monitors will be located throughout the Piñon Ridge Mill to monitor the concentrations of uranium dust in the mill. Workers involved in potentially dusty operations will wear breathing-zone air monitors to monitor the air that they breathe. For those workers exposed to higher concentrations of uranium dust, urine samples will be collected and analyzed to determine the total uranium that has been inhaled and ingested. In addition those workers exposed to the highest levels of gamma radiation will wear gamma-monitoring badges, similar to what x-ray technicians and airline screeners wear. Other protections include regular power washing of equipment and vehicles, monitoring of the amount of time a worker is exposed to radiation, and general housekeeping and personal hygiene.
Working in the Piñon Ridge Mill will be no more dangerous than working in any other industrial facility.
Some Additional Benefits of Nuclear Power according to Energy Fuel (The Company)