We can’t afford the cost of this development

To the editor:

In response to Friday’s article “State issues coal permit”, the Department of Environmental Conservation seems to have pushed aside the requests of 500 out of 691 comments written opposing the decision of signing Usibelli Coal Mine’s current Wishbone Hill air quality permit. While it is DEC’s job to protect the health and welfare of the Alaskans it serves, there isn’t much justice being served to the people who clearly disagree with the data used in the permit as it doesn’t even pertain to the direct area of activity. This displays irresponsible choices within our state. There is a consensus not being tended to involving the livelihood of our current local economy, the health of our people and our way of life. The democracy used in this decision-making process is not being honored and we as the people can’t afford the cost of this kind of developing in our community. I can imagine the people who opposed the air quality permit are those who can lose all that they’ve worked for and live by through the harmful effects of open pit strip mining. These can be our farmers, our fishers, our hunters, recreationalists, tour guides, homesteaders, people of all occupations that need clean air to sustain. Let us be the people who “establish justice, insure domestic tranquility...and secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity,” as we were founded on as a nation.

George Pletnikoff Jr.

Palmer