Way paved for coal

PALMER — As she started to explain her “yes” vote on Usibelli Coal Mine’s lease, Mat-Su Borough Assemblywoman Lynne Woods paused briefly Tuesday to collect herself.

Her vote was one of six in favor of allowing Usibelli to build a road across Mat-Su Borough land to access a potential mine near Sutton.

“A day hasn’t gone by … in the last two and a half months that I haven’t talked about coal,” said Woods, whose district includes the mine lease area and counts many of the mine’s neighbors as her friends. “I’m not pleased with what the potential mining will do. I know exactly what those people are trying to protect.”

But, she said, the borough can’t stop the mine from happening. All the borough can do is try very hard to mitigate its effects. And, she said, in that vein the borough was right to allow Usibelli a road out of the leased land that won’t send trucks through residential areas.

“I just hope it works out well for everyone,” she said.

The mining company is working to build a primitive road now. But prior to Tuesday its lease was due to expire before the projected end of mining operations. So it came to the borough asking for an extension as a way of gaining an assurance it will be able to access its Wishbone Hill coal leases for the duration of the mine. Usibelli is in the exploration phase and hasn’t made a decision whether to mine the coal, company officials have said previously.

While only one assembly member opposed the lease, the assembly didn’t let the mine lease waltz past the body. Assembly members added a number of stipulations:

• The road over borough land must be paved as soon as Usibelli starts hauling coal.

• The trucks hauling coal must be fully enclosed to keep coal dust from escaping.

• Usibelli must obtain $1 million in pollution insurance.

“We need to take time to analyze the amendments, but all in all, I don’t think any of them are detrimental,” Usibelli spokeswoman Lorali Carter wrote in an e-mail.

Tuesday’s meeting drew an overflow crowd too large even for extra seating brought in to accommodate it. A large percentage of attendees came to the meeting after an anti-mine, anti-access-road rally in Palmer. When the demonstrators arrived, a much smaller group of people holding pro-mine signs were already in the assembly chamber.

The lone dissenting vote on the assembly came from Palmer’s Pete Houston. He first tried, and failed, to get the measure postponed indefinitely, which is generally seen as the way to kill an ordinance. Houston cited “horrible impacts” to the surrounding neighborhoods. He also said he believes it goes against plans worked out for how the area should develop.

“I don’t think that the intended use of the land is compatible with the comprehensive plan,” he said.

Assemblyman Ron Arvin, for his part, said that he would not have voted for the road if he had any doubt that the coal could be mined safely, effectively and without despoiling the environment. He said he believes he will look back on his vote and know he did the right thing.

“I believe it’s a good decision,” he said.

Assemblyman Mark Ewing took the stance that the assembly’s vote sent a message.

“The borough is not going to stand in the way of the private sector and the creation of jobs,” he said.

Assemblyman Jim Colver used his turn speaking to address Usibelli officials in the audience.

“I would expect you to work with the community,” he said. “We want you in our community to be good neighbors.” And, he noted, referencing the anti-mine crowd in the audience, the assembly will know very quickly if Usibelli isn’t living up to that expectation.

“These folks are going to be here every night for the duration of our terms if this thing goes sideways,” Colver said.

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

HOW THEY VOTED

Should Usibelli Coal Mine’s lease on borough land to build a road to its mine be extended to June 1, 2035?

• Ron Arvin: Yes

• Cindy Bettine: Yes

• Jim Colver: Yes

• Mark Ewing: Yes

• Vern Halter: Yes

• Pete Houston: No

• Lynne Woods: Yes