Be wary of coal

To the editor:

A few weeks ago I attended an informational meeting hosted by the Department of Natural Resources about the proposed Jonesville coal mine in Sutton.

I have been to other meetings like this and, as always, I was proud of the people who testified in opposition to the coal mine. They spoke eloquently and intelligently about how these mines will negatively impact all borough residents. What’s shocking to me is there seems to be a misunderstanding that the mines are only Sutton and Buffalo Mine/Soapstone community problems.

The reality is the residents of Palmer and Wasilla, everyone who lives in the core area and those who live in the Point MacKenzie area, will all be impacted by the proposed coal mines. If allowed to develop, for the next 20 years or more we will be sharing road space with up to 200 double-trailer coal trucks along the Glenn, Parks and Knik-Goose Bay roadways. We will be sweeping up a blanket of black coal dust from our homes, yards and playgrounds after every windstorm and we will loose access to the beautiful Moose Range where so many of us ski, hike, bike, hunt and fish.

I am curious to know if there is such a thing as a rich coal mining town with a booming population boasting about their clean water, pristine air quality, great schools, parks and trail systems and a plethora of good paying safe jobs? I bet not.

The reason the Mat-Su has seen such growth in our economy and population in the past 20 years is because the region offers what few communities nationwide can; affordable housing, diverse job opportunities, world-class recreational areas, clean and abundant drinking water and safe quality schools for our children.

Allowing coal mining to develop in the Mat-Su will hurt everyone. Each of us should take the time to learn how these mines will impact the livability of our community and our quality of life in general. As a community, we need to decide how much we are willing to loose for a few mining jobs. Together I believe we can have a strong voice, but only if we all understand the truth about what’s being proposed. Visit the Mat Valley Coalition website to learn more about what coal mining will mean for the Mat-Su.

Kim Sollien

Palmer