In front of a packed house, assembly backs coal

PALMER — Faced with a myriad of opinions both for and against mining at Wishbone Hill, the Mat-Su Borough Assembly decided Tuesday to endorse the mining project.

Usibelli Coal Mine out of Healy has lately been exploring the possibility of bringing coal mining back to the Mat-Su Valley. The proposed mine at Wishbone Hill is between Palmer and Sutton. Nothing is set in stone but the most likely plan would have the coal trucked from the mine to Point MacKenzie and loaded onto cargo ships bound for Japan.

Tuesday the assembly debated a resolution penned by Mayor Larry DeVilbiss. The resolution didn’t change any rules or laws but was merely the borough weighing in on the Department of Natural Resources’ process to renew Usibelli’s coal mining permit.

Still, the meeting packed to overflowing the Palmer Train Depot, a venue chosen to accommodate a larger crowd than the assembly’s traditional chambers can hold.

A gaggle of anti-mine residents showed up in orange t-shirts warning of damage to the health of local children. A smaller cadre of pro-mine residents wore yellow hard hats with the slogan “Mining rocks Alaska!”

In addition to health concerns, the anti-mining testimony worried about mining explosions, decreased property value, water pollution and safety. Residents testifying noted that there is a state study of the health impacts of mining ongoing that the borough should wait for before commenting. They said the process was rushed.

“You wouldn’t do this in the middle of Anchorage,” said Heather McCausland, outreach coordinator with the Mat Valley Coalition. “People choose the Valley because they think we’re not going to say anything.”

Pro-coal folks could probably have summed up their arguments in one word: jobs. They want the boost they say a mine would give the local economy. They also said they mining could be accomplished responsibly with minimal impact. Usibelli spokeswoman Lorali Simon said the mine stands on its record; Healy is a beautiful place to live with a healthy population and the mine there is larger than this one will be.

In the end, the assembly voted 5-1 to back the mine's efforts to renew its permits. Most who voted for the resolution said the mine would spur economic development.

The lone voice of dissent, Warren Keogh, represents the area containing the mine. He took issue with the resolution saying it was one-sided, and didn’t take into account impacts to nearby homeowners.

In assembly resolutions, each new paragraph begins with the word “whereas” and, Keogh said, “nearly half of the whereas-es in this resolution support the interests of one corporation.”

Where it talked about reclaiming the land, Keogh said he read the resolution to be saying the area would be beautified through mining.

“It in my opinion fails a very simple red-face test,” he said.

But Keogh didn’t put up a big fight. In the end, he said, the resolution won’t matter much.

“Whether we pass this resolution or not will have little bearing on DNR,” he said.

Before passing the resolution, the assembly added a couple of things. One stated more strongly the borough’s desire to have coal cross its docks at Point MacKenzie rather than be shipped out of some other Alaskan port. Another made the point that the borough values the tourism industry and doesn’t want to see mining negatively impact that. A third change stated clearly that the borough wants the state to closely monitor the mine for compliance with regulations.

Contact Andrew Wellner at andrew.wellner@frontiersman.com or 352-2270.