[Vision2020] Naylor Farms Public hearing

[Bruce and Jean Livingston]

A very important public hearing will take place at 6 p.m. on Monday Sept. 25 in the Moscow High School Auditorium.  The subject is the Naylor Farms application for a conditional use permit to operate a strip mine for clay, sand and gravel on its 640 acre farm that is located a mile and a half north of Moscow.  The proposed hours of operation are long, the water is not available or permitted at this time, and without water, the dust will undoubtedly be an issue.  

I write as President of the Moscow Civic Association and on behalf of the MCA Board, and also as a Board member of the Latah Economic Development Council, though expressly not on behalf of the LEDC, which has not discussed the matter explicitly.

The MCA Board has taken a formal position against the Naylor's request for a conditional use permit to operate its proposed mining business.  Numerous reasons to oppose this application were apparent to us.  It makes growth of the kind we want to encourage less likely.  It brings pollution on the neighbors and town, and high volumes of heavy truck traffic to our highways and roads.  Moreover, the Naylor mining operation will likely only create temporary, low-paid jobs.  And it will do so at the expense the Moscow-Pullman region's efforts to recruit and retain high paying businesses and entrepreneurs to our "Knowledge Corridor," employers that value our community's intellectual, research, and quality-of-life assets.  

Our opposition to this application cannot be lumped into the "crazed environmentalist" or "anti-growth" mis-characterization that misguided defenders of developers' rights always seem to assert without considering the private property rights of adversely affected neighbors.  Please note the following health-related opposition to the Naylor Farms proposal recently published in a letter to the editor from 34 local doctors:

>From the Wednesday Sept. 13 Moscow Pullman Daily News:
  Say 'no' to Naylor Farms mining permit 


  Naylor Farms LLC has applied for a conditional use permit to create a large scale clay (Kaolinite), sand and gravel strip mining and processing operation just 1.5 miles north of Moscow. We, the undersigned physicians of Moscow and Pullman, are extremely concerned about the long-term health effects to the surrounding population and strongly oppose this conditional use permit. 


  We encourage all residents to sign a petition at the Farmers Market, donate, volunteer and be proactive in preventing this potential environmental disaster. 


  The hearing for this permit will be at 6 p.m. Sept. 25 at the Moscow High School auditorium. All written correspondence must be received at the Latah County Courthouse by Tuesday to be considered. 


  Contact your county commissioners and attend this meeting. 


  Your voice is important to clearly say "yes" to farming and "no" to Naylor strip mining. Please visit protectourpalouse.com or protectourwater.net for additional information. 

  Working together to protect your health. 

  Christopher Reisenauer MD/John Grauke MD/Robert Wiggins MD  

  This letter also was signed by 31 other physicians.

The Moscow Civic Association likewise opposes the Naylor Farms application and concurs with our community's doctors.  We recommend that you make known to our county commissioners that you oppose the Naylor Farms application.  Whether the most compelling reason to you is Naylor's negative effects on our health, deleterious effects on our economic well-being, the harm to future development of well paying, non-polluting businesses that enhance rather than hurt our quality of life, the Hobson's Choice of choosing whether to hurt our air or water supply, or whatever other reason that you may have, please appear and speak briefly in opposition to the Naylor Farms application.  We encourage and implore you to attend this important public hearing and briefly state any reason you have for opposing this unwise and harmful addition to our community.

Bruce Livingston, President, on behalf of the Board of Directors of the Moscow Civic Association
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