Coal mine discussion needs to remain civil

So far, both sides of the prospect that Usibelli may open a coal mine again in the Valley have been reasonable.

Understandably, people who live near the mine’s prospective location — between Palmer and Sutton — are apprehensive about what the mine will mean to their property values, road congestion, blasting, water quality and numerous other concerns. Those are legitimate reasons.

On the other hand, Usibelli is making an effort to be a good neighbor by attending local meetings about what may take place at the mine. The company is already telling area residents there are things they can do to mitigate some of the residents’ worries.

If mining does take place, there’s no doubt there will problems. This isn’t an operation in the middle of nowhere with few affected people. If the trucks hauling coal from the mine go to Port MacKenzie, they’ll affect traffic from Palmer to Wasilla through Fairview-Knik and south: the three most heavily populated places in the Valley.

So if the mine goes through, a lot of us will be inconvenienced to one degree or another.

On the other hand, there are the jobs that will be created.

Valley political and business leaders have long tried to figure out how this area can be more self-sustainable. High-paying jobs is one answer. The mine will hire close to 100 employees, and then there will be jobs that attach to the mine such as more jobs at the port. Those employees all have to eat, buy gasoline, pay rent, all of which support the local communities with some of their payroll checks. That in turn may create other jobs.

Still, it’s hard to see a win-win here.

What is not mentioned is the mine will tear up some beautiful country for a good while. It’s hard to put a price on that. Yes, Usibelli says it will return the area to its original, if not better, condition. Until then, though, a big gouge in the area will look like a dirty scar in a place known for its beauty.

As this project goes forward everyone on all sides needs to have calm dialogue so all parties can have a say about how the mine comes to be. Let’s face it, the mine holds most of the cards, so working with Usibelli to make the mine and its functions as unobtrusive as possible benefits all.