Excerpts from the testimony of Rev. Charles Utley, BREDL staff and President of the Hyde and Aragon Park Neighborhood Improvement Association at the DOE/NNSA Scoping Hearing on Modern Pit Facility held in North Augusta, SC on October 29, 2002.

"As I stand here tonight, I just want to say: life, future, and jobs. These three are important, but most of all we need life. I’m certain without life there is no future. Jobs, sure, our country needs economic development. Our communities need jobs. But most of all we need life.  I’m community oriented. My community is one that knows a lot about contamination. Most of all we need to work together. But as I stand here tonight, I want us to understand the future of our life, the future of our jobs. Life equals our future."