Any direction would be better than another mine in Libby

To the Editor:

Is anything all right for making money in Libby?

Don't you care or respect all the wonderful qualities that surround your community?

My God, wasn't the asbestos mine bad enough damage, putting all those connected with it, employees and family, in tremendous risk, even death. It is still causing problems.

Libby is one of the nicest small towns I've ever seen - "it's set up nice." I still remember the town in 1960 - my mom, sister and I were riding the Empire Builder, moving from Minneapolis to Seattle. It took me 18 years to move here.

The proposed copper mine south of town, building next to and tunneling under the Cabinet Mountains Wilderness Area, this ground is the best we have left. The Cabinet Mountains Wilderness Area is a spectacular pristine mountain paradise. Grizzlies and many other critters deserve protection. Your many tourists are depending on you to keep the town pure and clean. Prevent those that plan to harm are the reasons why you live there.

The asbestos mess has hurt your town tremendously - air, values, health, reputation, quality of life. Libby deserves a cleaner, more thoughtful direction for its future.

Our country does not have a copper shortage. If residents recycled their used copper, we never would have reason to harm such a special place.

Libby residents are thoughtful enough to create work that doesn't hurt its special qualities. If Libby is in financial trouble, they might take a "small" look at Boise, Idaho. Offer your "qualities" to small businesses in bigger cities - ad in the paper or …? Everything to do with the small company moves to Libby - family, lots of new money in the community.

Any direction would be better than another mine in Libby.

Lon LaBelle

Noxon