Chris Chmura was quoted in the Richmond Times-Dispatch article, State's jobless rate rises slightly in July, as economy continues to struggle:
Virginia lost 47,800 jobs last month, underscoring the slow and uncertain economy in the state and across the nation. Seven of 11 major industry sectors lost jobs, pushing up the state unemployment rate to 6.1 percent in July from 6.0 percent in June, according to a report released Friday by the Virginia Employment Commission. "Overall, the report depicts an economy that continues to struggle," said Christine Chmura of Chmura Economics & Analytics in Richmond. "This is a slow recovery. Most major sectors contracted in July." The slight bump in the seasonally adjusted rate is the first increase in Virginia since the peak rate of 7.2 percent in February 2010. The state rate was better than it was in the same month a year ago, when it was 6.8 percent, and remains lower than the national rate, which fell 0.1 percentage point in July to 9.1 percent. "The good news is our unemployment rate is 3 percentage points below the nation, but that is not encouraging for people who can't find jobs in our state," Chmura said. "Even though the rate rose slightly in July, the number of people working contracted for the second month in a row," she said. "We are still seeing an increase in the number of people dropping out of the labor market because they can't find jobs."
Virginia lost 47,800 jobs last month, underscoring the slow and uncertain economy in the state and across the nation.
Seven of 11 major industry sectors lost jobs, pushing up the state unemployment rate to 6.1 percent in July from 6.0 percent in June, according to a report released Friday by the Virginia Employment Commission.
"Overall, the report depicts an economy that continues to struggle," said Christine Chmura of Chmura Economics & Analytics in Richmond. "This is a slow recovery. Most major sectors contracted in July."
The slight bump in the seasonally adjusted rate is the first increase in Virginia since the peak rate of 7.2 percent in February 2010.
The state rate was better than it was in the same month a year ago, when it was 6.8 percent, and remains lower than the national rate, which fell 0.1 percentage point in July to 9.1 percent.
"The good news is our unemployment rate is 3 percentage points below the nation, but that is not encouraging for people who can't find jobs in our state," Chmura said.
"Even though the rate rose slightly in July, the number of people working contracted for the second month in a row," she said. "We are still seeing an increase in the number of people dropping out of the labor market because they can't find jobs."
Read the full article.
The recent Associated Press article, Dominion study: Projects generate billions for Va., feature a study performed by Chmura Economics & Analytics:
RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — Dominion Virginia Power generation and conversion projects will produce more than $3.3 billion in economic benefits by 2015, a study released Monday by the utility concludes. The nine projects, some of which date to 2007, will support more than 14,200 construction jobs through 2015, according to Chmura Economics & Analytics, the Richmond company that conducted the study. Dominion Virginia is a unit of Dominion Resources Inc. Once the projects are completed, they will produce annual economic benefits totaling more than $290 million and support more than 750 jobs, the study said. David A. Christian, CEO of Dominion generation, said the investments represent "some of the most significant construction efforts in our history to meet the present and future energy needs of the commonwealth." "They will help power Virginia's economic recovery, in addition to meeting the growing demand for electricity for homes and businesses and improving environmental quality," Christian said in a statement.
RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — Dominion Virginia Power generation and conversion projects will produce more than $3.3 billion in economic benefits by 2015, a study released Monday by the utility concludes.
The nine projects, some of which date to 2007, will support more than 14,200 construction jobs through 2015, according to Chmura Economics & Analytics, the Richmond company that conducted the study.
Dominion Virginia is a unit of Dominion Resources Inc.
Once the projects are completed, they will produce annual economic benefits totaling more than $290 million and support more than 750 jobs, the study said.
David A. Christian, CEO of Dominion generation, said the investments represent "some of the most significant construction efforts in our history to meet the present and future energy needs of the commonwealth."
"They will help power Virginia's economic recovery, in addition to meeting the growing demand for electricity for homes and businesses and improving environmental quality," Christian said in a statement.
By Mark WilliamsThe Columbus Dispatch
Dan Meges of Chmura Economics & Analytics was recently quoted in The Columbus Dispatch:
The growth in personal income in Columbus and Ohio was “probably consistent with what we saw last year,” said Daniel Meges, an economist with Chmura Economics & Analytics in Cleveland. “ Last year was an ‘up’ year in a sense.” But there are worries about whether government-related income growth can keep up as government agencies, from the local level to the federal, look for ways to cut spending. Columbus could be even more vulnerable as the state capital, having so many state operations based here, Meges said. “Columbus is going to have a little harder time than the rest of the state,” Meges said.
The growth in personal income in Columbus and Ohio was “probably consistent with what we saw last year,” said Daniel Meges, an economist with Chmura Economics & Analytics in Cleveland. “ Last year was an ‘up’ year in a sense.”
But there are worries about whether government-related income growth can keep up as government agencies, from the local level to the federal, look for ways to cut spending.
Columbus could be even more vulnerable as the state capital, having so many state operations based here, Meges said.
“Columbus is going to have a little harder time than the rest of the state,” Meges said.
Chris Chmura was quoted in a recent WTVR story on the economy:
RICHMOND, VA (WTVR) - The pounding on Wall Street Thursday, which saw the Dow Jones Industrial Average take its biggest plunge in almost three years, did more than just ignite fears for investors. Thursday's crash also revived talks of a double-dip recession. "Yes, we may have an elevated possibility of a recession," said Dr. Chris Chmura, President and Chief Economist at Chmura Economics and Analytics. "There's maybe a 20 percent probability," she added. "But we're not looking for a double dip. At this point in time, we're expecting the consumer to come back." Roughly 60 percent of our country's GDP comes from consumer spending, and that well is starting to run a little dry. Personal spending fell .2% in June, the single largest month-to-month drop since the fall of 2009. "People are not going to go out and buy because the government wants them to, and they're not going to go out and buy to help out the economy," said Clarence Thomas, a VCU professor doing some shopping at Target on Friday afternoon. "They're gonna go out and buy when they feel on an individual level that they can do it," said Thomas. Many Americans- including Richmonder Todd Roland- are taking their income and saving it, or using it to pay off debt. "I don't know if [the economy is] getting worse, but things are not getting better," said Roland as he put fuel in his truck. "We're trying to get out of debt because we fear we don't know what the future holds. We're trying to save money and get out of as much debt as possible, like I think a lot of people are." Dr. Chmura called consumers "a huge driver in our economy," and she said "they basically stopped spending in the previous quarter." Nonetheless, Chmura believes the building blocks are there for growth in the near future. "I think there's enough momentum, and also with the lower interest rates and the lower gasoline prices...we'll see growth in the coming quarters."
RICHMOND, VA (WTVR) - The pounding on Wall Street Thursday, which saw the Dow Jones Industrial Average take its biggest plunge in almost three years, did more than just ignite fears for investors.
Thursday's crash also revived talks of a double-dip recession.
"Yes, we may have an elevated possibility of a recession," said Dr. Chris Chmura, President and Chief Economist at Chmura Economics and Analytics.
"There's maybe a 20 percent probability," she added. "But we're not looking for a double dip. At this point in time, we're expecting the consumer to come back."
Roughly 60 percent of our country's GDP comes from consumer spending, and that well is starting to run a little dry.
Personal spending fell .2% in June, the single largest month-to-month drop since the fall of 2009.
"People are not going to go out and buy because the government wants them to, and they're not going to go out and buy to help out the economy," said Clarence Thomas, a VCU professor doing some shopping at Target on Friday afternoon.
"They're gonna go out and buy when they feel on an individual level that they can do it," said Thomas.
Many Americans- including Richmonder Todd Roland- are taking their income and saving it, or using it to pay off debt.
"I don't know if [the economy is] getting worse, but things are not getting better," said Roland as he put fuel in his truck.
"We're trying to get out of debt because we fear we don't know what the future holds. We're trying to save money and get out of as much debt as possible, like I think a lot of people are."
Dr. Chmura called consumers "a huge driver in our economy," and she said "they basically stopped spending in the previous quarter."
Nonetheless, Chmura believes the building blocks are there for growth in the near future.
"I think there's enough momentum, and also with the lower interest rates and the lower gasoline prices...we'll see growth in the coming quarters."
An economic impact study recently performed by Chmura Economics & Analytics was mentioned in the Richmond Times-Dispatch article Picasso exhibit had a nearly $29 million impact in Virginia:
An exhibition this year of renowned artist Pablo Picasso's works at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts produced an estimated $26.6 million economic impact in the Richmond region, according to a study scheduled to be released today. That's a better return than the $25 million in economic activity that museum officials estimated the landmark exhibit would generate. The show, which ran from Feb. 19 to May 15, brought more than 230,000 visitors to the museum, a record number for a single exhibit. Visitor spending and other activity associated with the exhibit generated an additional $2.3 million elsewhere in Virginia, for a total economic impact on the state of almost $29 million, according to the study by Chmura Economics and Analytics, an economics research and consulting firm in Richmond. "Any way you look at that number, that is a lot of money," said Alex Nyerges, the museum's director. Nyerges called it a highly successful return on what was a "risky" venture for the museum when it agreed in early 2010 to become one of only three U.S. museums — and the only East Coast venue — to host the exhibit. "You're talking about a $5 million exhibition for which we had zero funding the day we said yes," Nyerges said. Corporate, individual, and foundation donors stepped forward to provide $2.7 million in support for the exhibit. The show brought in about $2.6 million in ticket sales for the museum and about $1.4 million in gift shop and restaurant sales. "Without the corporate and individual supporters, we could not have done this exhibition," Nyerges said. The museum brought in $1.1 million in new membership fees from January to mid-May and its membership numbers reached a record 40,000 households. The show, "Picasso: Masterpieces From the Musée National Picasso, Paris" featured 176 works from throughout Picasso's career. The exhibit has been on a seven-city international tour while its permanent home at the Paris museum is closed for renovation and expansion. The Seattle Art Museum reported in January that the exhibition attracted 400,000 visitors during its showing there from Oct. 8 through Jan. 17. That broke all attendance records for the museum, which also saw its new memberships reach a record high. The exhibition drew 314,000 visitors in Helsinki, Finland, last year. Helsinki's metro population is about 1.3 million, comparable with the Richmond region. About 85 percent of the visitors to the VMFA exhibit were from Virginia, and the same percentage made day trips instead of staying overnight. Visitors spent an average of $50.20 in the Richmond area and a total of $55.50 in Virginia on food, lodging, transportation and retail shopping, according to the economic impact study. The spending data is based on a survey of 404 people who attended the show. The overall economic impact figures also include other factors such as the $1.8 million the museum spent in Virginia, including $1.6 million in the Richmond area, on marketing and support services for the exhibit. It also includes the estimated economic ripple effects of spending by visitors in creating other demand in the local economy. The study estimates the show generated $933,000 in local and state tax revenues. Nyerges said he thinks the biggest long-term impact from the Picasso show will be to help boost the Richmond area and Virginia's image as a historical and cultural destination. "I think the more important result of Picasso is something that I think Richmond and Virginia need more of, and that is an impact on our belief in ourselves," Nyerges said. "I don't think we — meaning Virginia and Richmond both — have enough confidence in ourselves and our abilities yet. We have it all right here — great cultural attractions, quality institutions, great collections." Museum officials believe the show brought visitors from every state. Nyerges said almost 50,000 people came from the Washington area. Many Richmond-area hotels offered overnight package deals for people attending the exhibit. The Jefferson Hotel in downtown Richmond booked 815 packages that included accommodations at the hotel, a traditional Southern breakfast for two, breakfast gratuities, two tickets to the exhibit and valet parking. "We did find the majority of our packages were booked by residents of (Virginia)," said Jennifer Crisp, public relations manager for The Jefferson. "We did see quite a bit from D.C., which is fairly normal with a package of this type. "Certainly we did see visitors from New York, Philadelphia, Raleigh, Charlotte, and many of the feeder markets along the East Coast," she said. Local restaurants also offered special discounts for people who attended the show. For instance, Nacho Mama's in Carytown sold "thousands" of the Picasso-themed margaritas the restaurant created to serve to customers who attended the show, owner Raul Cantu said. "A lot of people came in, obviously because of the Picasso margaritas," Cantu said. "We saw major traffic." The restaurant is still serving the drink. "We are actually going to put it on our new menu," Cantu said.
An exhibition this year of renowned artist Pablo Picasso's works at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts produced an estimated $26.6 million economic impact in the Richmond region, according to a study scheduled to be released today.
That's a better return than the $25 million in economic activity that museum officials estimated the landmark exhibit would generate. The show, which ran from Feb. 19 to May 15, brought more than 230,000 visitors to the museum, a record number for a single exhibit.
Visitor spending and other activity associated with the exhibit generated an additional $2.3 million elsewhere in Virginia, for a total economic impact on the state of almost $29 million, according to the study by Chmura Economics and Analytics, an economics research and consulting firm in Richmond.
"Any way you look at that number, that is a lot of money," said Alex Nyerges, the museum's director.
Nyerges called it a highly successful return on what was a "risky" venture for the museum when it agreed in early 2010 to become one of only three U.S. museums — and the only East Coast venue — to host the exhibit.
"You're talking about a $5 million exhibition for which we had zero funding the day we said yes," Nyerges said.
Corporate, individual, and foundation donors stepped forward to provide $2.7 million in support for the exhibit. The show brought in about $2.6 million in ticket sales for the museum and about $1.4 million in gift shop and restaurant sales.
"Without the corporate and individual supporters, we could not have done this exhibition," Nyerges said.
The museum brought in $1.1 million in new membership fees from January to mid-May and its membership numbers reached a record 40,000 households.
The show, "Picasso: Masterpieces From the Musée National Picasso, Paris" featured 176 works from throughout Picasso's career. The exhibit has been on a seven-city international tour while its permanent home at the Paris museum is closed for renovation and expansion.
The Seattle Art Museum reported in January that the exhibition attracted 400,000 visitors during its showing there from Oct. 8 through Jan. 17. That broke all attendance records for the museum, which also saw its new memberships reach a record high.
The exhibition drew 314,000 visitors in Helsinki, Finland, last year. Helsinki's metro population is about 1.3 million, comparable with the Richmond region.
About 85 percent of the visitors to the VMFA exhibit were from Virginia, and the same percentage made day trips instead of staying overnight. Visitors spent an average of $50.20 in the Richmond area and a total of $55.50 in Virginia on food, lodging, transportation and retail shopping, according to the economic impact study.
The spending data is based on a survey of 404 people who attended the show.
The overall economic impact figures also include other factors such as the $1.8 million the museum spent in Virginia, including $1.6 million in the Richmond area, on marketing and support services for the exhibit. It also includes the estimated economic ripple effects of spending by visitors in creating other demand in the local economy.
The study estimates the show generated $933,000 in local and state tax revenues.
Nyerges said he thinks the biggest long-term impact from the Picasso show will be to help boost the Richmond area and Virginia's image as a historical and cultural destination.
"I think the more important result of Picasso is something that I think Richmond and Virginia need more of, and that is an impact on our belief in ourselves," Nyerges said. "I don't think we — meaning Virginia and Richmond both — have enough confidence in ourselves and our abilities yet. We have it all right here — great cultural attractions, quality institutions, great collections."
Museum officials believe the show brought visitors from every state. Nyerges said almost 50,000 people came from the Washington area.
Many Richmond-area hotels offered overnight package deals for people attending the exhibit. The Jefferson Hotel in downtown Richmond booked 815 packages that included accommodations at the hotel, a traditional Southern breakfast for two, breakfast gratuities, two tickets to the exhibit and valet parking.
"We did find the majority of our packages were booked by residents of (Virginia)," said Jennifer Crisp, public relations manager for The Jefferson. "We did see quite a bit from D.C., which is fairly normal with a package of this type.
"Certainly we did see visitors from New York, Philadelphia, Raleigh, Charlotte, and many of the feeder markets along the East Coast," she said.
Local restaurants also offered special discounts for people who attended the show.
For instance, Nacho Mama's in Carytown sold "thousands" of the Picasso-themed margaritas the restaurant created to serve to customers who attended the show, owner Raul Cantu said.
"A lot of people came in, obviously because of the Picasso margaritas," Cantu said. "We saw major traffic."
The restaurant is still serving the drink. "We are actually going to put it on our new menu," Cantu said.
Published: July 04, 2011 in the Richmond Times-Dispatch.
Many recent high school and college graduates are still struggling with the reality that they are in a tough labor market.
Unemployment rates are high, and it is taking longer to find a job.
The jobless rate for 16 to 19 year olds was 24.2 percent in May.
The rate for this age group is usually high because they haven't development their labor market skills yet.
Even so, a decade ago, the unemployment rate for that group was much lower — 13.4 percent. That translates into 1 million people in 2001 and 1.4 million for the most recent May.
Possessing a college degree typically gives job seekers more opportunities to find a job. The jobless rate for people age 25 and above with a bachelor's degree or higher was 4.5 percent in May 2011 compared with 2.1 percent in May 2001.
People are unemployed for a much longer time now than they were 10 years ago.
Eleven percent of all jobseekers were unemployed for a year or longer in 2010, but only 2.1 percent were unemployed for that long in 2000.
About 34 percent of the unemployed found a job within five weeks or less in 2010, according to the Labor Department, but 56.5 percent found a job in less than five weeks in 2000.
Much of the current high unemployment is due to the lingering effects of the recession.
Some of it is caused by a mismatch between skills that are no longer in demand in occupations, such as knitting/weaving machine setters.
At the same time, other occupations continue to see shortages, such as engineers. Retraining is needed for workers who have been in the workforce for some time but have obsolete skills that are not needed by today's employers.
Information is needed to help students make wiser decisions about career choices.
The JobsEQ Career Concourse, available on the Greater Richmond Partnership's Richmond Job Net, recently showed no job openings within a 50-mile radius of the city for economists or musical instrument repairers.
But 25 openings existed for computer and information systems managers, and 25 openings were for cashiers.
Although these postings change daily, new graduates and other unemployed workers may benefit from spending a few minutes on the site: www.careerconcourse.com/rjn.
How to train U.S. workers back into manufacturing jobs, a recent article on CNN.com featured a citation from data that Chmura Economics & Analytics compiled for the National Assocation of Manufacturers:
Those 20 occupations, according to data from Chmura Economics & Analytics and the U.S. Department of Labor, will provide more than 1 million jobs over the decade -- more than half of which will be in high-tech industries. And such jobs pay higher average wages than all other jobs except for those in health care and social assistance.
The presentation can be downloaded here.
The Strategic Skills Alignment report produced a skills gap and workforce supply and demand analysis of the Kirkwood Community College District in Iowa in preparation for strategic plan development. The report was commissioned by ACT and prepared by Chmura Economics & Analytics for the Iowa City Area Development Group (Priority One) and Kirkwood Community College.
In today’s competitive economy, regions are looking for the best way to grow their economy and provide well-paying opportunities for their residents. There is no one-size-fits-all answer. How do regions determine which firms they can attract, and how do they help their residents secure the skills needed for the changing economy?
The Kirkwood Community College District comprises seven counties in eastern Iowa: Benton, Cedar, Iowa, Johnson, Jones, Linn, and Washington. This region includes the metropolitan areas of Cedar Rapids and Iowa City. The district is home to the main campus of Kirkwood Community College and the University of Iowa. Strengths of the region include above-average population growth and employment growth. The manufacturing sector, in particular, has performed better in the region than the nation due to the strength of its local firms with some of the largest being Rockwell Collins, Whirlpool, and Quaker Oats.
Target clusters for the region include advanced manufacturing, biotechnology, educational services, information technologies, and renewable energy. The district’s workforce has an above-average educational attainment, a strength that corresponds nicely with meeting demand for the highly skilled positions required in these clusters. The report, however, illustrates that some growth scenarios are limited by regional occupation supply and postsecondary award output; thus, a close alignment between economic development and workforce and education planners can improve the region’s prospects.
Did you know?
Download the full report
GoDanRiver.com provides updates on several Uranium studies:
Four uranium impact studies are progressing to completion, with three due in December. * The National Academy of Sciences committee is still deliberating on findings as it continues writing its scientific report due to the Virginia Coal and Energy Commission in December, said Jennifer Walsh, NAS spokeswoman. Before its release, the report will undergo an external independent scientific review overseen by the National Research Council’s report review committee. The $1.4 million study is reviewing the scientific, technical, environmental, regulatory and human health and safety aspects or uranium mining and milling as relates to Virginia. Legislators would use this study in determining whether to lift a nearly three-decades-old moratorium on uranium mining in Virginia. * RTI International’s assessment of socioeconomic impacts from uranium mining in the Dan River Region is still in the data-collection phase, but report writing should start in the fall, said project manager Katherine Heller, an RTI senior economist. Danville Regional Foundation is funding up to $530,000 for this study. The nonprofit firm, based in Research Triangle Park, N.C., will soon start interviewing leaders and various experts in the region, including in business, local government, health care, education, community development and environmental groups, to get a variety of perspectives on what the important issues are, Heller said. Researchers will also conduct eight focus groups in Chatham, Gretna, Danville, Halifax, Martinsville and Lynchburg to gauge the points of view of average citizens. Each focus group will comprise 10 residents for a total of 80 participants. The groups, starting in July, will participate in structured discussion, yet may be asked to review material and score issues according to importance. The firm also established a community advisory panel to keep up with community perceptions, concerns and questions on an ongoing basis. So far, the panel has five members: Danville Pittsylvania County Chamber of Commerce President Laurie Moran, Virginia Cooperative Extension community viability specialist Martha Walker, Danville Science Center Director Jeff Liverman, Danville City Councilman Larry Campbell and Pittsylvania County Administrator Dan Sleeper. Yet, the firm is looking to recruit more members from other areas for the panel, which meets once every four to six weeks, Heller said. The firm has collected a lot of information from publicly available sources, like Census and Environmental Protection Agency databases and will look at other areas where uranium mining and milling took place, Heller said. Additionally, RTI is developing a website for the study and will conduct public presentations of the findings. * Virginia Beach is refining and narrowing the information gleaned from its $437,000 study, conducted by Michael Baker Corp. and released earlier this year, on what would happen to its water supply in the event of a worst-case spill of radioactive waste downstream. Now, the city is spending about $100,000 to take a more detailed look at Kerr Reservoir and Lake Gaston (not modeled in the first part of the study). Lake Gaston supplies water to Virginia Beach and other Hampton Roads cities. Ninety-three percent of Gaston’s inflow comes from Kerr Reservoir. Additionally, researchers will use two-dimensional modeling for the lakes, rather than one dimension as used in the earlier study, said Tom Leahy, the city’s director of public utilities. The study will focus on a single scenario, using the 100-year storm (Hurricane Fran), and also on what would happen if a drought followed a hurricane, Leahy said. The earlier study had more than 200 scenarios. Additionally, this study is sharpening what the radioactivity of the tailings (uranium mill waste) would be, he said. The next report will show impacts to Banister River and Banister Lake, which were modeled before but not in the report, Leahy said. It should be ready by August or the end of summer. “It’s coming along,” Leahy said. * Richmond-based Chmura Economics and Analytics is continuing the socioeconomic study commissioned by the Virginia Coal and Energy Commission and funded up to $200,000 by the Virginia Tobacco Commission. The firm typically doesn’t do status reports and only talks about details after the report is approved, unless otherwise authorized by the client, said President Christine Chmura. The uranium mining subcommittee of the Coal and Energy Commission won’t have anything to report until the studies are received in December, according to subcommittee chair Delegate Lee Ware’s legislative counsel David A. Bovenizer. Bozick reports for the Danville Register & Bee.
Four uranium impact studies are progressing to completion, with three due in December.
* The National Academy of Sciences committee is still deliberating on findings as it continues writing its scientific report due to the Virginia Coal and Energy Commission in December, said Jennifer Walsh, NAS spokeswoman. Before its release, the report will undergo an external independent scientific review overseen by the National Research Council’s report review committee.
The $1.4 million study is reviewing the scientific, technical, environmental, regulatory and human health and safety aspects or uranium mining and milling as relates to Virginia. Legislators would use this study in determining whether to lift a nearly three-decades-old moratorium on uranium mining in Virginia.
* RTI International’s assessment of socioeconomic impacts from uranium mining in the Dan River Region is still in the data-collection phase, but report writing should start in the fall, said project manager Katherine Heller, an RTI senior economist. Danville Regional Foundation is funding up to $530,000 for this study.
The nonprofit firm, based in Research Triangle Park, N.C., will soon start interviewing leaders and various experts in the region, including in business, local government, health care, education, community development and environmental groups, to get a variety of perspectives on what the important issues are, Heller said.
Researchers will also conduct eight focus groups in Chatham, Gretna, Danville, Halifax, Martinsville and Lynchburg to gauge the points of view of average citizens. Each focus group will comprise 10 residents for a total of 80 participants. The groups, starting in July, will participate in structured discussion, yet may be asked to review material and score issues according to importance.
The firm also established a community advisory panel to keep up with community perceptions, concerns and questions on an ongoing basis. So far, the panel has five members: Danville Pittsylvania County Chamber of Commerce President Laurie Moran, Virginia Cooperative Extension community viability specialist Martha Walker, Danville Science Center Director Jeff Liverman, Danville City Councilman Larry Campbell and Pittsylvania County Administrator Dan Sleeper.
Yet, the firm is looking to recruit more members from other areas for the panel, which meets once every four to six weeks, Heller said.
The firm has collected a lot of information from publicly available sources, like Census and Environmental Protection Agency databases and will look at other areas where uranium mining and milling took place, Heller said.
Additionally, RTI is developing a website for the study and will conduct public presentations of the findings.
* Virginia Beach is refining and narrowing the information gleaned from its $437,000 study, conducted by Michael Baker Corp. and released earlier this year, on what would happen to its water supply in the event of a worst-case spill of radioactive waste downstream. Now, the city is spending about $100,000 to take a more detailed look at Kerr Reservoir and Lake Gaston (not modeled in the first part of the study).
Lake Gaston supplies water to Virginia Beach and other Hampton Roads cities. Ninety-three percent of Gaston’s inflow comes from Kerr Reservoir. Additionally, researchers will use two-dimensional modeling for the lakes, rather than one dimension as used in the earlier study, said Tom Leahy, the city’s director of public utilities.
The study will focus on a single scenario, using the 100-year storm (Hurricane Fran), and also on what would happen if a drought followed a hurricane, Leahy said. The earlier study had more than 200 scenarios. Additionally, this study is sharpening what the radioactivity of the tailings (uranium mill waste) would be, he said.
The next report will show impacts to Banister River and Banister Lake, which were modeled before but not in the report, Leahy said. It should be ready by August or the end of summer.
“It’s coming along,” Leahy said.
* Richmond-based Chmura Economics and Analytics is continuing the socioeconomic study commissioned by the Virginia Coal and Energy Commission and funded up to $200,000 by the Virginia Tobacco Commission. The firm typically doesn’t do status reports and only talks about details after the report is approved, unless otherwise authorized by the client, said President Christine Chmura.
The uranium mining subcommittee of the Coal and Energy Commission won’t have anything to report until the studies are received in December, according to subcommittee chair Delegate Lee Ware’s legislative counsel David A. Bovenizer.
Bozick reports for the Danville Register & Bee.
A recent press release by Governor Bob McDonnell mentions a study performed by Chmura Economics:
“We have to invest in our transportation system to attract businesses, grow jobs, and protect our quality of live,” Governor McDonnell said. “Proving that this investment is benefiting taxpayers is an important part of engendering trust in our transportation programs. Just this year, we commissioned a study by Chmura Economics and Analytics, a national consulting firm based in Richmond, that indicated Virginia’s economy would expand by $13.1 billion and support 105,642 additional jobs over six years if the $4 billion transportation program we proposed and the General Assembly supported was fully implemented. This type of objective data sets Virginia apart from other states.”
Read the full press release here: Virginia Lauded as “Leading the Way” for Transportation Performance Measures in Pew Center on the States Study
Read Older Posts
Applied Economist is the official Chmura Economics & Analytics Weblog, focusing on select topics related to the Virginia and national economy. Use the links below to read one of our staff blogs or submit a question.
RSS Feed
Have a question for one of our bloggers that you would like to see answered? Ask us!
The opinions expressed by the bloggers on this site and those providing comments are theirs alone, and do not reflect the opinions of Chmura Economics & Analytics or any employee thereof. Chmura Economics & Analytics is not responsible for the accuracy of any of the information supplied by the bloggers on this site.
