Effects of mountain top strip mining may not be reversible according to this study published in the January 2010 edition of Science Magazine(requires paid subscription) With a local economy dependent upon timber and fishing, the detrimental effects of strip mining may have long term consequences for future generations.
…mine-related contaminants persist in streams well below valley fills, forests are destroyed, headwater streams are lost, and biodiversity is reduced; all of these demonstrate that MTM/VF causes significant environmental damage despite regulatory requirements to minimize impacts. Current mitigation strategies are meant to compensate for
lost stream habitat and functions but do not; water-quality degradation caused by mining activities is neither prevented nor corrected during reclamation or mitigation.
Clearly, current attempts to regulate MTM/VF practices are inadequate. Mining permits are being issued despite the preponderance of scientific evidence that impacts are pervasive
and irreversible and that mitigation cannot compensate for losses.
If this is true then no bond posted by the ORC (loosely pictured above) will cover the downside catastrophic calamity caused by strip mining the Seven Devils corridor. There is no need for the County to rush to an agrement. All the urgency is on the part of ORC and they keep waving a promise of jobs as a carrot, or more accurately a carat, to excite the locals into privatizing their public resources.
Interestingly, the model used by ORC and the 3.5% royalty is almost identical to the typical big wind farm developers promising jobs and offering to pay farmers a 3.5% lease to site the towers. Community owned and managed wind farms provide more local revenue and operate at higher efficiencies than the corporate model. Read a supporting study Does it Matter Who Owns the Wind in Big Stone Montana?
I tried to get busy, but I’m mad as hell Magix. Why does the press in this county sit on their arses and ignore the reality of what goes on here? Why do women have to risk their privacy , maybe even their safety to expose possible corruption, or conflict of interest, or ANY of the things rampant in this county? Is not the press supposed to be the eyes and ears of the people? Gawd help us !
Why is nobody questioned? Why does the press not investigate charges, even if the damn public has to expose the issues? Is it because the editor has a seat at the table of SCDC?
How about an Airport Board Member who owns one of two travel agencies in the area? Who’s private business is linked to the official airport site? DOES ANYONE QUESTION THESE THINGS?
Obviously not. I really resent the fact that obviously the press in this county is either bought and paid for or too timid , maybe even frightened of The Powers That Be?
Shame on all of us for allowing this county to be controlled for so long , raking in so many tax dollars, as our unemployment rises with their profits.
Now watch what happens to women who stick their heads up and ask the questions the press is obviously not going to ask.
Pass the popcorn. Let the name-calling begin.
This is BS !
Why the hell do private citizens have to act like a press in this damn county? Anyone moving into this county quickly realizes there is NO lack of tax dollars flowing into Coos County ! Millions and millions of them year end and year out.
Why the hell didn’t local press question the raping of air traffic into the only public airport on the south coast in exchange for a brand new gleaming %50,000,000.00 SECOND airline terminal? Because Hank Hickock wanted it. The World Editorial Staff is bleating the praises of Hank Hickock’s new added flight to SF – at $500 a pop, why no question of when, if ever this boondoggle will ever be anything but a huge drain of tax dollars. Most residents have to drive to Eugene to still get affordable, dependable tickets to anywhere. Recently the World published a vanity piece ‘reporting’ Hank brought “The Important People” meaning the stoolies that ride on Bandon Dunes’ coattails , together for a little private tett e tett to sell his latest WANT – an expanded runway so his wealthy golfers wouldn’t be inconvenienced by not being able to bring their clubs on the prop flights into North Bend. So now, if you listen carefully, it’s not IF, but WHEN they fill in the bay so Hank can have his longer runway.
AND THE PUBLIC BE DAMNED.
Cost analysis? What the hell are you some kind of Commie/Marxist/Maoist/Socialist Job Hater?
Go here:
http://coosmediacenter.pegcentral.com/player.php?video=485483f7da335d5f35609e97b0862274
See and here the meeting. Starts at 1:03:42:00 and goes to about 1:51:36. DVD’s will be available. This way you will know who said and did what?
It appears the BOC have no clue what the return on investment is to the county. They don’t know the value of the assets they hold. They don’t know the potential costs to the taxpayer for supporting the tax investment. In the case of Kevin, at least, he doesn’t know the difference between to, too and two, their from there and has an obvious syntax disconnect.
That photo you just posted?
Put a pair of Dockers on him and I think I know who he is…….
Are you saying our BOC does NOT have a business plan showing how and when the citizens will see income from this strip mine? I thought Bob Main was going to do that? Did Wittless and Stufflebutt join Bob Main in questioning and protecting the mineral rights of the county/state?
Shirley they did.