We need more talk, not less

We need more talk, not less

EDITOR:

We should talk more about the Forbes.com story naming Austintown the fifth fastest-dying town in America, because, as Trustee Lisa Oles said, “I think the more we talk about it, the more validity it gives to the article.” She is right about the fact that Austintown is not unique. Our entire Valley faces the same economic problems that Austintown faces, and we do need to talk about our problems and give them validity or they will never be solved.

It’s funny that The Vindicator gave the Austintown folks front page space to cry about how the Forbes article wrongfully accused them of having problems. Meanwhile in the same edition an item about a township that is doing something positive about its problems was on page B-2. Howland’s board of trustees agreed to chip in to hire an economic development specialist for the regional port authority. Board Chairman Richard Clark admitted, “We can’t guarantee that if there are jobs created [that] they’ll be in Howland Township, but any development in this region will help Howland.”

Maybe we should get our priorities in order. Perhaps some of the other townships around here (and the media) should realize that we are all in this together and need to work together to be successful in a global marketplace.

ELLEN DeCARLO

Struthers

Clean coal? No way

EDITOR:

The proposed BAARD plant in Wellsville is planning on calling itself the Ohio River Clean Fuels Plant. However, this statement is very far from the truth. The process of transforming coal into liquid fuels is a very complicated and messy business. This one plant will increase Ohio’s CO2 emissions 10 percent. Since Ohio is the fourth largest emitter of carbon dioxide this is a considerable amount.

The plant will require coal from the Appalachian region and will employ destructive mountaintop removal. It has already been established that mountaintop removal is dangerous. According to the evidence provided from the first hand experience of many people living near mountaintop removal sites in the Appalachian region, the practice dynamites the tops off mountains and dumps millions of tons of waste rock into the streams below. In turn, the chemicals used to clean the coal contaminate drinking water in nearby communities.

Also, the proposed Baard plant would emit enormous quantities of Mercury into their wastewater stream. I would like to know how a plant emitting enormous amounts of a chemical known to cause mental retardation in children, producing higher levels of CO2 emissions than petroleum production, and devastating communities in the Appalachian region can be called the Ohio River Clean Fuels Plant?

We cannot keep adding to the pollution of past energy production practices with the increased use of fossil fuels. We must make a change towards cleaner energy alternatives such as wind and solar. We cannot allow this coal to liquids plant to begin operating and degrading the quality of air and contributing to Global Warming. We must make sure that our leaders take the initiative to make the change away from fossil fuels and onto cleaner energy. I encourage you to please write your congressman, senator, and the president-elect to let them know your stance on this issue.

JENNIFER E. JACOBS

Warren