People heard loud and clear at meeting

Let us be heard.

That was the message sent loud and clear at Tuesday night’s meeting of the Mat-Su Borough Assembly.

If anybody out there has ever felt their rights have been steamrolled by the borough, they will understand why opponents of Usibelli Coal Mine’s plan to mine coal in residential neighborhoods of the Mat-Su took matters into their own hands at the meeting. They came with a simple demand — to be heard. Despite several attempts by the mayor and assembly to postpone and curtail their right to speak, they left victorious. Every one of their voices was heard loud and clear.

The story began Sept. 6 when Mayor Larry DeVilbiss introduced Resolution No. 11-112. The largely symbolic resolution speaks in support of the renewal of Usibelli Coal Mine’s state permits for the Wishbone Hill Mine. Why the mayor feels it appropriate to weigh in on state matters for the sole benefit of one corporation is a good question.

Knowing that this controversial issue would draw a large crowd, the borough rented the Palmer Train Depot. Sure enough, the room was packed. Opponents of the resolution were wearing orange T-shirts that read “Coal Dust Blows,” while supporters sported yellow hardhats reading “Mining Rocks.” The visual display made it obvious the opponents of coal far outweighed supporters.

People who wished to speak during the public hearing were asked to sign in on one sheet if they were in favor of the resolution and another sheet if they were opposed. During the hearing, the mayor alternated between the sheets as he called folks forward to speak. When the list of his supporters was growing short, he conveniently put an end to public testimony.

His alleged attempt to be fair and balanced disproportionately silenced opponents of the resolution by about 5 to 1, and 34 opponents of the resolution were prevented from speaking. Needless to say, these folks were upset.

Why did the borough spend extra money to rent the depot to accommodate the large crowd and then not let everyone speak?

Fast forward a few weeks and frustration became organization. A group of the disenfranchised, along with some others, decided to go back to the assembly Oct. 18. All told, about 60 residents showed up to voice their opposition to coal mining in Mat-Su neighborhoods. This is where things got interesting.

Noticing that the “audience participation” section of the meeting was pushed back farther than usual on the agenda, and suspecting that the mayor would recognize their orange shirts and try to postpone it even further, they devised an alternative plan.

The assembly chamber has a row of windows along its west wall. Outside of those windows is a public sidewalk. If you stand on that sidewalk and vocalize your opinion loudly enough, you will be heard inside and hopefully gain a sympathetic ear on the assembly. It’s all perfectly legal and within the rights of all residents of the borough, as confirmed by the two Palmer police officers who came by to inspect.

When time for “audience participation” finally arrived, the inevitable motions to postpone it even further were made, but they did not pass muster with the assembly. The disenfranchised were allowed to speak.

For those concerned about the negative impacts that potential coal development is already having on our communities, this was a huge victory. All very symbolic, but also very empowering, and it did not end there. When public testimony was over, assemblywoman Cindy Bettine apologized for the way the original Sept. 6 meeting had been handled.

Many in the Valley have expressed to me the sentiment that there is not much we can do to stop these mines. This is exactly the sense of disempowerment that Mayor DeVilbiss and others on the assembly are trying to instill with their ill-conceived attempts to silence opposition on behalf of Usibelli. It is all part of a larger trend of intimidation and suppression that is running through the Valley right now.

On Tuesday, we illustrated that we can stand up to the powers that be and prevail.

On Wednesday, we received word that Usibelli Coal Mine has withdrawn its application for the DEC air quality permit it requires for mining operations at Wishbone Hill. The company is apparently having trouble convincing DEC that it can meet the required standards.

These two events are not cause and effect, but together they illustrate that the coal issue in the Valley is far from settled. Usibelli Coal has not demonstrated “responsible mining practices at Wishbone Hill that have passed state and federal regulations,” as stated in the mayor’s resolution.

Our efforts to protect property, health and communities in the Mat-Su are not over yet, but we have decisively shown that development of the Wishbone Hill Mine is far from a foregone conclusion. To get involved in the campaign, visit matvalley.org.

Kirby Spangler lives in Palmer.