Buckingham County
Can We Protect Ourselves from Toxic Trespass?
Buckingham County residents are concerned about the threat of industrial gold mining. Three sites are targeted by Aston Bay, a Canadian exploratory mining company, one in the Warminster Rd community, one an abandoned mine, and a new, unknown site.
August 2022 we proposed to the Buckingham Board of Supervisors a common sense Community Bill of Rights called:
“Ordinance Requiring an Assessment of the Compatibility of Metallic Mining with the Right to Freedom from Toxic Trespass.“
Read the proposed ordinance HERE.
This bill declares:
- The right and responsibility to make decisions locally to protect our communities.
- The right and responsibility to protect ourselves and our water, air and land from toxic trespass, which we know industrial mining would bring.
- The requirement for a metallic mining company to “Prove It First”. The company would first have to provide proof of at least one metallic mine that did not cause harm – inspired by past Wisconsin and pending Minnesota law.
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Support the ordinance.
BUCKINGHAM COUNTY RESIDENTS:
Please speak up for the rights-based toxic trespass ordinance!
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Are you concerned about how industrial gold mining would affect your environment and your rural way of life? See Gold mining fact sheet.
We gathered close to 1,000 signatures for a petition supporting the rights-based toxic trespass ordinance. In August 2022, we presented to the Buckingham Board of Supervisors (BoS), requesting passage into law.
We have led a letter writing campaign to the Farmville Herald and steady input at the monthly BoS meetings since August. The Supervisors do not want gold/metallic mining. But they need convincing to pass the rights-based ordinance.
TAKE ACTION: Please urge your supervisor to pass the ordinance and let the entire Board hear from you during the monthly meetings public comment! Sign up to speak 5:30-5:55 pm. Click here for the schedule, agenda, etc. Questions? Please reach out to us!
Check out Friends of Buckingham (FoB) gold mining page for lots of good information. We are partnered in this project. Sign up for FoB newsletter updates.
Check out this 2-minute video, “Prove it First!“ This video is about copper-sulfide mining. Other metallic mining, such as gold, has the same harmful impacts on our bodies and our air, water and soil! Also check out: 5 Things to know about Prove it First.
Virginia Community Rights Network (VACRN) has been guiding these efforts and has partnered with the grassroots Friends of Buckingham (FoB), who successfully helped to shut down the Atlantic Coast Pipeline and Buckingham mega compressor station in July, 2020 after 6 long years. For more information about the metallic mining campaigns in Buckingham and statewide, go to the FoB Ban Gold Mining page.
Media Center
Mercury (the silvery portion) settled at the bottom of a water sample from a mine reclamation site. © Karen Kasmauski / iLCP
Check out this well-informed and beautifully photographed StoryMap by the International League of Conservation Photographers (ILCP) “Struck Gold in Virginia”. Published April 13, 2023
Ben Price presents to the Buckingham Board of Supervisors 11/15/22: Adopt both a rights-based ordinance to protect our freedom from toxic trespass and a land-use ordinance. Start at 16:50. Stay on for public comments.
Ben Price: Why adopt a rights-based ordinance to protect our freedom from toxic trespass?
“Support is growing for a local ordinance, a Community Bill of Rights that would protect us from the toxic trespass of gold mining. We are worth more than all the gold in the world.” Mindy
“This study was not authorized to help Virginia welcome in new industry. Rather your report is intended to help Va decide how to respond to industry interests in locating mining operations here.” Claire Horan, SELC
Gold Mine Update Nov 18 2021
Buckingham County, VA: 122 minute video
What is Prove it First?
Protect Clean Water
Friends of the Boundary Waters
2 Minutes, March 25, 2021
“A common sense requirement for any company should be to Prove it First – show us another similar mine that has caused no harm to that community – Before granting a permit.” Heidi Dhivya
Abhaya Thiele speaks to NAS gold mining study committee.
Josh Vana speaks to NAS gold mining study committee.
Gold Mine Update Nov 18 2021
Buckingham County, VA: 122 minute video
Potential Impacts of industrial gold mining in Virginia
National Academies of Sciences Engineering and Medicine (NASEM) Listening Session on May 25, 2022 at the Buckingham Community Center, Dillwyn, VA
“Money is more important than the welfare of the people” Marie Flowers
Kenda Hanuman presents to NAS gold mining study committee.
How Virginia’s Gold Could Harm Your Community
Gold mining webinar
Thursday March 18, 2021
Community News
Buckingham VS Corporate Metallic Mining interests
Buckingham Planning Commission Tuesday 2/21/2023 We've been busy! The Buckingham Supervisors created a committee to review the state funded study on the impacts of gold mining in Virginia, which was released on December 1, 2022.** That committee met once in January...
LTE: Buckingham needs to take another step
Mindy Zlotnick delivering public comments 9-12-2022 Mindy Zlotnick submits letter to the Farmville Herald Editor, published Friday, 2/24/2023. On February 13th, the Buckingham Supervisors voted to send to the Planning Commission a request to amend the County’s zoning...
Letter to the Editor: What happens in Buckingham affects everyone
Pete Kapuscinski and Heidi Dhivya Berthoud 1-29-23 We have yet to get protections in Virginia from the ravages of new modern industrial gold mining. Your voices are needed to move Buckingham County Supervisors to adopt available safeguards! There is overwhelming...
Press Release: Sierra Club Awards Earth Flag to Local Environmental Activist
Sierra Club Energy Chair Scott Ziemer with Heidi Berthoud For immediate release For more information, contact Donna Shaunesey (434) 996-0392 or shaunesey@hotmail.com Sierra Club Awards Earth Flag to Local Environmental Activist Heidi Dhivya Berthoud has been awarded...
Letter to the editor: We need a broader committee
Kenda Hanuman submitted a letter to the Farmville Herald, published January 3, 2023. I was a member of the State Committee to assess the HB2213 Impacts of Gold Mining in Virginia. Unfortunately Virginia Energy, who oversaw the work group, has not updated their...
Letter to the editor – Buckingham needs a dual defense against gold mining
Buckingham County Board of Supervisors Must Consider a Dual Defense Against Gold Mining. In addition to the environmental destruction inherent to gold mining, I would like the Board of Supervisors and county residents to consider the financial consequences of a gold...
The James Exchange interviews VACRN & FoB about gold mining
Nancy Gill, former Scottsville mayor started a podcast centered on a small river town. She has done 2 interviews with us now (Friends of Buckingham partnered with Virginia Community Rights Network). In each one she has gathered additional extensive pertinent...
Grass roots organizers fight plans to mine for gold in Buckingham County
Before prospectors found gold in California, many of them were digging here in Virginia. “This was front and center for gold mining back in the 1800’s and in Buckingham alone there are over 70 abandoned mines all full of mercury,” says community organizer Heidi Dhivya...
Op Ed, LTE: Why wait to protect Buckingham County?
The Farmville Herald is steady with the coverage on gold mining! Mindy Zlotnick and Chad Oba speak out. Check out a pdf of 2 letters in the August 24, 2022 publication here. Read another article by Finn Pollard in the Richmond Times Dispatch - scroll for it. Why wait...
Local paper covers our actions on industrial gold mining
The Farmville Herald has received a steady stream of letters from many of you. Its been awhile since the paper has initiated coverage on the prospects of new industrial gold mining, in Buckingham and the State of Virginia. While we applaud them for that, there are...