Businesses should consider the messages they send

On June 5, Mat-Su Borough Assemblyman Warren Keogh brought forward Resolution 12-060 requesting that the Alaska State Department of Health and Social Services expand the preliminary draft Wishbone Hill Rapid Health Impact Assessment into a Comprehensive Health Impact Assessment. HIA is used to evaluate objectively the potential health effects of a project or policy before it is developed or implemented. It studies the positive and negative effects a project will have on an entire community.

Keogh informed everyone that there would be no cost to the borough, the HIA had no legal teeth and would not affect the permitting of the Wishbone Hill Coal mine.

Due to the restricted time given to complete the Rapid HIA, it had large data gaps pertaining to air, water and hazardous materials. Seven out of eight categories studied were rated as medium to high risks for Valley residents.

There were 13 Valley residents, business owners and medical personnel who testified in support of the resolution. One doctor presented a letter signed by 70 medical professionals supporting the resolution. Marvin Yoder, representing Mat-Su Business Alliance, was the sole dissenting voice. The business alliance obviously doesn’t care about the health and welfare of the residents of the Valley. Members of the business alliance need to look long and hard at the message they just sent to their loyal customers and the potential impacts it may have on their businesses.

Assemblymen Keogh, Vern Halter and Jim Colver chose to vote in favor of 12-060 to better assess what the potential impacts to the public could be.

Those on the assembly who voted against resolution 12-060 include Ron Arvin, Darcie Salmon, Noel Woods and Steve Colligan. Woods stated he has family working for Usibelli, therefore was opposed to it. Colligan said he received emails from banks and realtors asking him to oppose the resolution. He stated that he received 11 opposing and 13 in support. The comment from a banker in opposition came from Craig Thorn, senior vice president for the Wasilla branch of First National Bank. For a bank to express a lack of concern for the health and welfare of communities is appalling. The people of the Valley are why banks exist.

Realtors Mark Lee of Lee Realty and Kibe Lucas of Keller Williams who voiced opposition obviously have never been around communities that have been directly impacted by mining.

Mayor Larry DeVilbiss made a comment after testimony that he was concerned for farmers. Had he educated himself on this resolution, he would have realized it had nothing to do with farming. The focus is simply to weigh both the potential benefits and impacts the Wishbone Hill mining project would have on communities from Wishbone Hill to Port Mackenzie. Diesel exhaust and coal dust pollution is, and should be, a serious concern, just Google “World Health Organization/diesel exhaust” or “pneumoconiosis and advanced occupational lung disease among surface coal miners.”

The Mat-Su Borough’s Comprehensive Development Plan lists three goals.

• Protect and enhance the public safety, health and welfare of borough residents.

• Protect residential neighborhoods and associated property values.

• Protect and enhance the borough’s natural resources, including watersheds, groundwater supplies and air quality.

The Wishbone Hill mining project, if permitted, lies entirely in the Matanuska watershed.

Usibelli coal mine near Healy had 11 unpermitted discharges into the Nenana River, Hoseanna Creek, Sanderson Creek and Francis Creek between April 2007 and July 2010.

If the mining companies are so sure they will not have a negative effect on our community, they should welcome a Comprehensive Health Impact Assessment.

Bonnie Zirkle is a Palmer resident.