Sep 12, 2015 2 min read

Time and directions have changed, and we need to move forward and come up with better ideas for Ryerson State Park in Greene County that will truly revitalize it.

I was once told, “Sometimes you need to watch what you wish for.” Is it so wrong wishing that we protect our water sources from an industry that has no regard for the environment, and hides behind laws that are outdated and one-sided? Is it so wrong to hope that an agency that uses the words “environmental” and “protection” do just that and protect one of our most valuable resources? Why is it that the “environmental protection” is concerned with promoting advanced energy technology, but does not require industry to use advanced technology when restoring streams, such as the streams that feed Ryerson State Park? Maybe this is where the focus needs to be when it comes to advancing energy and saving jobs.

I know industry will say that not all streams will be affected by its work, and that after some time streams will return to pre-mining conditions. But after 11 years and failed attempts at mitigation, the stream on my property has not returned to pre-mining conditions, along with five other streams within the same watershed. The operator can and will be allowed to walk away, so long as they have done everything economically and technologically feasible. But how do we define what is economically and technologically feasible when it comes to our water?

Kimberly A. Jones

Wind Ridge