SUN JOURNAL • September 13, 2024
In rural Bethel I’m writing about lithium deposits in Newry, Rumford and Hanover areas of the state. People should ask their legislators to carefully consider language in mining bills and laws: guard against the harm it might do to water, people, wildlife and the beauty of life here. The property values of neighbors nearby would go down and the quality of their lives be degraded: constant stress of the noise of heavy machinery mining all day long across the stream or valley from people, wind-borne dust going into that stream and into neighbors’ lungs, and the devastating effect on surrounding wildlife. Voters and legislators should consider their stewardship of natural Maine and its communities in this legislation. ~ Susan Dorman, Bethel