News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
John Hornbeck, Gene Todd and Jan van den Berg were to meet with Hap Taylor, Todd Taylor and Crown Pacific representative Nancy Craven to seek resolutions for a range of contentious issues regarding the mine operation.
"I guess everything (is on the table)," Hornbeck told The Nugget . "Neither side has put any limitation on any issue."
Opponents of the proposed mine have argued that noise and dust from the proposed mine and crushing operation will degrade the quality of life in the Crossroads subdivision and in the nearby Cold Springs campground. They have also expressed concerns about the mine's impact on Trout Creek and on the underlying water table.
Sisters area residents have also argued that heavy truck traffic from the mine could damage Highway 242 and threaten safety at Sisters Middle/High School and in Sisters.
"There clearly will be a good faith attempt by both sides to come to a workable solution to this problem," Hornbeck said.
Hornbeck noted that Todd Taylor agreed to fund the two-day mediation process while both sides applied for a state grant through Deschutes County to cover mediation costs.
According to Hornbeck, both sides should be able to determine at the end of the two-day process whether there is any hope for a negotiated resolution to the mine dispute.
The two committees which formed to fight the proposed mine will meet February 1 to discuss the mediation process and determine a course of action.
"It will clearly be determined by the consensus of the two groups and other interested parties as to how we should proceed," Hornbeck said.
Jim Cornelius is editor in chief of The Nugget and author of “Warriors of the Wildlands: True Tales of the Frontier Partisans.” A history buff, he explores frontier history across three centuries and several continents on his podcast, The Frontier Partisans. For more information visit www.frontierpartisans.com.
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