Letter: Sad to hear future of Williams threatened by mining

Twenty-three years ago, we purchased property in the Williams area and happily joined the Williams community. Over the years, we have enjoyed watching our children learn respect and appreciation for the wildlife and natural surroundings Williams has to offer. To say we are saddened to hear the future of the Williams community is threatened due to Drake’s proposed mining operation is an understatement.

Residents and visitors alike appreciate the Williams area for the quiet, solitude and beautiful natural surroundings it provides. The Drake mining operation is a threat to all three. Allowing Drake to mine in the area will bring increased traffic, noise and the disfigurement of Bill Williams Mountain.

Williams forests, lakes and meadows are home to many varieties of wildlife and vegetation. Drake’s proposed mining operation is a threat to all of these resources. Migration patterns, reproductive cycles and wildlife food sources will be severely impacted by Drake’s proposed mining operation.

Bill Williams Mountain is a significant source of safe water to Williams. The proposed Drake mining operation poses a threat to this fundamental resource. Mining in the area creates a potential risk of disruption to natural patterns of drainage and contamination to this vital resource.

Alternative pozzolan deposits are also available in less contentious areas where disruption to natural habitats would be less significant. One must wonder why Drake is insistent on moving forward with exploration to mine in the Williams area. It stands to reason; it is solely for their financial gain and not for the greater good of Williams as they claim.

Although representatives of Drake LLC purport many benefits from their proposed Williams mining operation, we must ask do any possible benefits outweigh the risks? Are we willing to gamble all that is at stake for a multitude of promises made by a company looking to profit from our losses?

Kirk and Debra Hale, Williams