Castle Mountain Coalition
PO Box 1244
Chickaloon, AK 99674
www.castlemountaincoalition.org
CMC@castlemountaincoalition.org
Press Release
For Immediate Release
Mental Health Trust Authority does not act in the best interest of communities and clients
Alaska Mental Health Trust Authority (MHT) is offering to lease 11,487 acres of land in Chickaloon for coal exploration. This is the second time in five years the Alaska Mental Health Trust Land Office has solicited bids from coal mine companies for the exploration of land in Chickaloon. In 2007 a coal exploration company faced such strong community opposition they withdrew their interest and terminated their lease. This opposition still exists today. And, although the Castle Mountain Coalition has in good faith offered alternative uses for the Mental Health Trust land their land office continues to pursue this unpopular and harmful course of action.
It is important to note that their coal lease offering is dependent on a best interest finding (http://www.mhtrustland.org/documents/Signed-Best-Interest-Decision-2012-6%209_MM_.pdf)that justifies the use of MHT land in Chickaloon. This best interest finding is lacking in several ways, but one of the most obvious is the complete disregard for the people who call Chickaloon home, and how coal mining will impact a thriving community. The document does not even mention the surrounding community or potential impacts to these Alaskan residents.
However the most important thing to know is that the MHT does not need to dig up and sell Chickaloon coal to foreign interests just to make a buck. The MHT has 480 million dollars, but they only use 26 million dollars annually to fulfill their mission to fund statewide mental health programs. The MHT claims it is in the best interest of their beneficiaries to use Chickaloon land this way. We strongly disagree, and feel that it is time for the Mental Health Trust Authority to manage their land responsibly and find healthy and sustainable ways to earn more money. They should not be allowed to sacrifice one community’s happiness, quality of life, and health (including mental health) in the pursuit of the almighty dollar. Before the MHT goes forward with their coal mining plans they should be required to prove there are clear and concise public benefits. We believe, much like what was shown by an analysis of the Chuitna coal project (http://inletkeeper.org/press-room/press-releases/chuitna-net-public-benefits-report), that coal mining has a low public benefit-cost ratio and that mining in Chickaloon would certainly cost more to the people of Alaska than it would benefit them.