I couldn’t be more disappointed by the constant delays that Ascot Resources has experienced trying to get routine exploration permits — not because they’ve done anything wrong (quite the contrary), but because a small minority of folks is trying to scare the public by painting any mining activity as some great and unmitigated evil. Well, that viewpoint bears little resemblance to reality.
We need all kinds of metals and minerals to support all the technology and infrastructure that make our daily lives possible — and minerals don’t grow on trees. They have to be mined, wherever they’re found. And with new technologies and strict local, state and federal regulations, mining today can well coexist with the environment we all cherish here in Southwest Washington.
All Ascot is trying to do right now is determine whether the minerals at Mt. Margaret even have the potential to support a mine. If the answer is “yes,” then what kind of mine gets built is a debate we can have another time. Until then, leaders need to pay more attention to the needs of local residents who are anxious to know what kind of mineral wealth is at hand.
Ronald Lambert
Vancouver
