Don’t tread on the Valley

To the editor:

I found it hilarious when a Usibelli spokesperson said “some realtors actually think property value near the mine will increase” in the Mat-Su Valley Frontiersman’s article, “Group’s anti-coal signs vandalized.”

It’s pretty simple if you just look at similar situations across the country. In fact, a University of Tennessee real estate study of 1,400 communities with coal mines (“The Impact of Surface Coal Mining on Residential Property Values: A Hedonic Price Analysis”) concluded what every sane person suspects, that “the addition of a surface mine decreases the median property value [in a community] between $7,526,981.84 and $14,779,928.35.”

I’m not sure which Realtors the Usibelli spokesperson is talking about, but the real estate calculators just don’t lie.

People like to live here because they have quiet, peaceful homes near ATV trails, fishing, fresh air, clean water and the classic Alaska dream. Believe it or not, those are all things that add value to your home. Does anyone actually think someone will want to buy your home if it’s next to continuous blasting, hundreds of blaring coal trucks, constant dust and rancid water?

Now, isn’t it a bit ironic that the coal fanatics are already out there vandalizing property?

Thanks for spreading some truth about dirty coal.

Mark McArthur

Buffalo Mine community