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Show C)/ 1111) PANGUITCH • PANGUITCH LAKE • HATCH • BRYCE • TROPIC • ANTIMONY • HENRIEVILLE • CANNONVILLE • ESCALANTE • BOULDER Thursday, November 19, 2009 • Issue # 243 USDA REMINDS PRODUCERS OF UPCOMING LIVESTOCK DISASTER Area Citizens Outraged by ASSISTANCE DEADLINES Proposed Coal Strip Mine Utah USDA Farm Service ifying drought ratings are Agency (FSA) State Execu- determined using the U.S. tive Director Arthur Doug- Drought Monitor located las, reminds eligible ranch- at http://www.drought.unl. ers and livestock producers edu/dm/monitor.html. "It is imperative that of the Dec. 10 deadline for applying for benefits under livestock producers meet the provisions of the Live- these deadlines for disaster stock Forage Disaster Pro- assistance as there are no gram (LFP) for losses in- late file provisions for LFP, curred during calendar year said" Douglas. "To insure a 2008. For losses incurred smooth application process, during the 2009 calendar producers should have all year, the deadline to apply required supporting docufor benefits is Jan.30, 2010. mentation with them at the LFP provides payments to time they visit our office to eligible livestock producers apply for benefits." In order for an LFP applithat have suffered livestock grazing losses due to quali- cant to qualify for program fying drought or fire. Fire benefits, the applicant must losses apply only to federal- have purchased insurance ly managed rangeland. Eli- coverage through FSA's gible livestock under LFP Noninsured Crop Disaster include beef cattle, alpacas, Assistance Program (NAP) buffalo, beefalo, dairy cat- or the Pasture, Rangetle, deer, elk, emus, equine, land and Forage Insurance goats, llamas, poultry, rein- (PRF) program offered deer, sheep and swine. For through the Risk Managelosses due to drought, qual- ment Agency (RMA). jdaltonautobodyCa' aol.com MATHESON: We Need Health Care Reform that Delivers Congressman Jim Matheson said today it is critical that health care reform cover the uninsured while also ensuring that the health care system is secure, stable and affordable. Because the legislation pending in the House fails to accomplish those goals, Matheson said he will vote against HR 3962 when it comes to the floor. "I am convinced that passing health care reform is a moral and a fiscal necessity. I believe that everyone in this country should have access to quality, affordable health care. On the practical side, we will never balance our federal budget and reduce our dangerous levels of debt without health care reform," said Matheson. Matheson said he has participated for months in legislative efforts and offered substantial amendments to craft a bill that would cover 40 million people who are uninsured without adding to the deficit and by lowering the excessive growth in health care costs. According to the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office, the House bill would—in the future—actually increase both federal outlays for health care and the federal budgetary cornmitment to health care. "Putting millions of additional people into a broken system will not work. After meeting directly with the budgets, threaten the surDirector of the Congressio- vival of small businesses nal Budget Office, I do not and explode our national believe that this bill makes deficits. But a one-size-fits the system reforms needed all, nationally-run plan that to ensure financial stability doesn't acknowledge the for our families, our busi- different health demographnesses and our federal trea- ics in the states isn't the ansury." said Matheson. swer, "Matheson said. Matheson notes that Matheson said he is enhealth insurance premiums couraged that a bipartisan, for Utah working families budget-deficit-neutral, costincreased 85 percent be- lowering bill is on the table tween 2000 and 2007 while in the Senate. He said he the median earnings in- will continue to be a concreased 17 percent. structive voice in the effort "The path we are on to pass health care reform is not sustainable. With- in a way that provides betout real reform, we will ter health, stability and opcontinue to strain family portunity for Utahns. THURSDAY HIGH: 50 LOW: 23 SUNNY FRIDAY HIGH: 53 LOW: 25 MOSTLY CLOUDY 4:41103 1 ii II 41 0 SATURDAY RAIN / SNOW SHOWERS HIGH: 39 LOW: 20 11.111;40 SUNDAY PARTLY CLOUDY HIGH: 48 LOW: 19 (435) 834-5441 MONDAY HIGH: SUNNY ,,„„ PARTLY CLOUDY :0 SUNNY Member of: eP*Utah Press, 43 LOW: 19 TUESDAY HIGH: 47 LOW: 20 WEDNESDAY HIGH: 47 LOW: 20 ***** IFPA. INDEPENDENT FREE PAPERS OF AMERICA ge.p NEW WINTER HOURS: Thursday, Friday & Saturday : 1 lam - 7pm Starting January 1st Reputation is what men and women think of us; character is what God and angels know of us. Thomas Paine THE GARFIELD COUNTY INSIDER is owned and operated by Snapshot Multimedia and is distributed weekly to all of Garfield County. Its purpose is to inform residents about local issues and events. Articles submitted from independent writers are not necessarily the opinion of Snapshot Multimedia. We sincerely hope you enjoy the paper and encourage input on ideas and/or suggestions for the paper. Thank you for your support. in Alton, Utah "I encourage all of us to be more aware of the value and importance of good pure air...the greatest sustainer of animal life." Was this a comment made by a left wing environmentalist? No, this quote was made by Brigham Young. On October 15, 2009 the Utah Division of Oil Gas & Mining (OGM) elected to serve the special interests of a small group of investors from Florida and Colorado by permitting a strip coal mine in Alton, Utah. This 635 acre strip coal mine, known as Coal Hollow, is on private land less than a mile from Alton. Presently, Alton Coal Development, LLC has an application with BLM for a Federal lease of approximately 3,000 additional acres of BLM land adjacent to this private tract. Coal Hollow is located in close proximity to several sensitive public lands including Bryce Canyon and Zion National Parks, Escalante Grand Staircase National Monument, BLM and US Forest Service property. The National Parks are Class 1 air quality areas which can withstand the least amount of degradation to the air. This mine could potentially pollute the soil and water as well, much as radiation from nuclear testing did in the Cold War period. This, the locals refer to as the "down winders" phenomenon. The impact would come from fugitive coal dust, toxic substances that are inherent in the mining of surface coal, not to mention the negative impact it will have on the threatened Greater Sage Grouse, deer, elk and other sensitive indigenous flora and fauna. This is a 24 hour per day, 6 day a week operation with an estimated 300 tandem coal trucks transporting this coal up Historic Mormon Heritage Highway 89 through the heart of Hatch and Panguitch, Utah (which is on the Historic National Register). Many citizens have expressed their concerns and outrage regarding this coal mine to the Federal, State and local governments to no avail. Several citizens of Panguitch, the gateway to All American Highway 12 and Scenic Byway 143, feel that after numerous meetings with Panguitch City Council Members and Garfield County Commissioners their pleas have fallen on deaf ears. Endorsement of the coal mine by these authority figures has been a direct contradiction for the constituents they represent who have expressed their opposition to this mine. The negative impacts from the Coal Hollow project in Alton far outweigh the benefits. These negative impacts include pollution of water, air and soil, acid rain, destruction of fisheries, lung disease and asthma, damage to crops, trees, wildlife, raptors and livestock. The trucks will dramatically increase the amount of sulfur oxides, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, nitrogen oxides, mercury, particulate matter and coal dust into our environment. Not to mention the health and safety risks inherent to the 300 trucks going from Alton to Cedar City and back on Highway 89, 24 hours a day/6 days a week. Many of the local business owners who depend on National Park tourism, both nationally and internationally, for their livelihoods believe that these 300 coal trucks per day will negatively impact the economy of the towns along the transportation route. These people also believe that the coal truck traffic can negatively impact the numerous festivals held in Panguitch annually. Transient room tax in Garfield County currently exceeds one million dollars ($1,000,000) annually. If businesses fail or suffer from the truck traffic through this county the loss of income would be substantial. Is the potential of a handful of jobs worth the loss of hundreds of thousands of tax dollars? It is projected that there will be approximately 50 jobs in Kane and Iron Counties from this mine that would last from 3 to 5 years. Any of the jobs that would be union jobs will most likely be advertised in industry publications and on websites and be available nationwide to the most qualified applicants. Will any of these jobs be available to local residents? Would the benefit of a few jobs be worth the health, safety and well being of all residents and visitors to the area? We do not believe this to be a fair trade! Bruce McMahan, (435)690-9803 L Multimedia Phone: 435-676-2621 Fax 435-836-2700 PO BOX 472, Loa, Utah 84747 snapshot@scinternet.net ALL content for THE GARFIELD COUNTY INSIDER must be submitted on FRIDAY BEFORE 5:00 PM to be included in the following Thursday edition of the paper. BOXHOLDER PRE-SORT STANDARD PAID LOA, UTAH PERMIT No. 5 1 |