Let us plan ahead for a strong economy in which all people have an opportunity to breathe clean air, drink clean water and eat healthy food.

The mining regulations currently proposed for Maine by the Maine Board of Environmental protection will not do this. These regulations will allow wealthy investors to pollute groundwater and surface water in places where they think they can successfully mine minerals for a good profit, for a while. They probably will leave environmental problems for the taxpayers to clean up, just as it happened years ago at the Callahan mine on the coast of Maine. The proposed regulations will not effectively prevent this from happening. They do not guarantee that the cost of environmental damage will be borne by the mine owners.

The proposed regulations may allow creation of a few mining jobs for a short time, but this benefit will not offset the long-term damage that will result.

Maine can find better ways to develop a strong economy and jobs for everybody for a long time, not just until a mine runs out of good ore.

Let us remember that the most basic human instinct is for survival, as it is for other forms of life. For survival, we need to be able to breathe clean air, drink clean water, eat healthy food and live in a climate that is not too cold or too hot. All humans need this not only for today, next week, next month, and next year, but forever. Our children and our grandchildren need this.

If the world is fair, all people everywhere and forever should be able to have this. Help us contribute to making the world a fair and healthy place for all.

Elery KeeneWinslow