McAuliffe said public safety is the No. 1 issue. He said we have to protect the environment, but he supports a study to determine whether uranium mining can be done safely. Mining and milling at Coles Hill could provide “40 years worth of jobs,” he said.

•Moran said “This is one you can’t get wrong.” There are water sources near Coles Hill, and the study must be independent, objective and not paid for by those who stand to profit from mining, he said.

• Deeds said he has serious reservations about whether uranium can be safely mined but said he supports the study to determine that.

The above comments are those about uranium from the three Democratic contenders for Virginia's governor - Terry McAuliffe, Brian Moran and Creigh Deeds. They all support a study, but Moran is the only person who states the study must be independent. I would say that's how Deeds and McAuliffe feel as well, but I've learned long ago not to put words into politicians' mouths.

Someone remind me - who is going to conduct this study?

Later in this story you'll read that McAuliffe supports a "smart grid and a mandatory renewable energy standard in Virginia"; Moran said, "he was the first gubernatorial candidate to call for a mandate requiring that one-quarter of energy in Virginia come from renewable sources. Moran opposes drilling off the coast of Virginia, and he said we need to build windmills in the state and offer solar tax credits"; and Deeds stated, "energy independence is a matter of national security. He said the state needs to invest in research, and he supports building a wind farm off the coast of Virginia."

I'm all for wind farms as opposed to offshore drilling and uranium mining (which, by the way, candidates, is not renewable energy); however, offshore wind farms are much more difficult to develop than those on land. More about this later...