At a minimum, this project deserves a full federal environmental assessment

I grew up here, and the St. Mary’s River has always been part of my life. I still come back to fish, paddle, hike, and enjoy the peace that makes this place so special. It’s more than a watershed—it’s home.

That’s why I’m concerned about the proposed Fifteen Mile Processing Hub.

I’ve seen what large mining projects can do to communities. They promise jobs and prosperity, but too often the economic benefits are temporary while the environmental and financial costs last for generations. When problems arise, it’s local communities and taxpayers who are left carrying the burden.

This watershed has benefited from decades of restoration and conservation work. We’ve invested too much time, effort, and public money into protecting these rivers to risk undoing that progress.

I’m not against development. I simply believe some places are too valuable to gamble with, and the St. Mary’s watershed is one of them.

At a minimum, this project deserves a full federal environmental assessment. The potential impacts to fish habitat, water quality, wildlife, and the cumulative effects of multiple mine sites are too significant to overlook.

Some decisions can’t be undone. I hope we choose to protect this river so future generations can enjoy it the same way so many of us have.