Burlington Free Press- March 3rd, 2012
Written by Candace Page
Link to article: http://www.burlingtonfreepress.com/article/20120304/GREEN01/120303016/Stalemate-Belvidere-Mountain-?odyssey=tab%7Ctopnews%7Ctext%7CFRONTPAGE
This article details the conflict between citizens in Eden and Lowell County concerning whether the Lowell Asbestos mine should be considered a Superfund site. Members of the board said they were both certain the proposal would be rejected. The EPA has taken measures to reduce erosion and runoff, but much more remains- estimates are that the cleanup would cost $250 million. 30 million tons of tailings remain in the wake of the closed mine. Water washes the tailings down the mountain and into wetlands and streams. Citizens who oppose the proposal say that designating the site as a Superfund site will decrease property values around the mine, and skepticism about the connection between living near the mine and contracting diseases such as cancer and asbestiosis. Essentially, residents of Lowell and Eden feel they've been misled or "scared" into voting for the Superfund proposal. Vermont Governor Peter Shumlin agrees with the majority of the residents and says that it is better to "let sleeping dogs lie" when it comes to mine cleanup. Even though studies have been conducted, health and ecological effects of the mine are vague and unclear.
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