To the Editor:

An open letter to the Beaufort County commissioners regarding the Martin Marietta Materials Co. proposed Open Pit Limestone Mine.

Gentlemen,

Thank you for extending the normally allotted time for public discussion last Monday at the monthly commissioners meeting, allowing all interested parties to speak. I would like to ask the commissioners to consider and answer a few questions:

1. Has any commissioner actually gone to the Eastern, (Pansey Rd.) and Western, (Sawyer Rd.) tributaries of Blounts Creek and seen the physical site? I specifically ask about these locations because it is where both branches come together and empty into Blounts Creek. It is approximately three-quarters of a mile downstream from NC 33. The proposed drainage ditches will dump the wastewater from the mine upstream of NC 33 into much smaller sections of the streams.

2. Has any commissioner actually fished, paddled or done any boating on Blounts Creek? I ask this because anyone who has is very aware of the various saltwater species of crabs, (blue claw and soft-shell) and fish (too numerous to mention here) that live, visit and spawn in this area. Public comments from elected officials to the effect that Blounts Creek is “fresh water” and the wastewater will not affect the creek are, at best, premature and at worst, maliciously misleading in my opinion.

3. Has any commissioner asked officials from MMM or seen documents from MMM regarding any solution to dewatering the mine other than dumping 9 million gallons of water daily? Obviously, dumping the water is the cheapest and easiest way to remove it from the mine area. Reclaiming and recharging the ground water does not have to be expensive. Spray fields and reclaim ponds are used up and down both the eastern and western coasts of America. Why waste 100 times the amount of water southern Beaufort County residents use every day instead of saving it. (Approx. 9,000 residents at 10 gallons per day equals 90,000 gallons usage. Projected wastewater, 9,000,000 gallons.)

4. Has the effect of heavy truck use of NC 33 and surrounding roads been considered by the commissioners? Not one of my questions, but a great one brought up at the meeting Monday! Anyone who has driven on the roads surrounding the VOA site is very aware of the additional wear and tear placed on these roads by heavy machinery and traffic.

In conclusion, I am confident that these and other questions will be answered publicly and in a timely manner. I look forward to an open forum with officials of MMM, the public and our elected commissioners. I firmly believe that a respectful discussion of this issue will produce a solution that can create jobs, protect the creek and our quality of life here on the south side of the river. I invite anyone who’s interested to take a walk down the Weyerhaeuser Loop Rd. off  NC 33 and look at Nancy’s Run or go to my Facebook page and look at the two-minute video of the site. Nancy’s Run is the name of the western branch.

DON DiSTEFANO

Blounts Creek