We recently returned from a trip to Alaska, which included a side trip to a little village named Talkeetna. This is a small town that is composed mostly of gift shops and restaurants. My wife spotted a gift shop that specialized in salmon-related items. While she shopped, I chatted with the woman manning the cash register. I discovered that this gift shop was part of the adjoining not-for-profit organization whose mission it was to preserve the water quality of that part of Alaska and thus to promote the continued migration of healthy salmon. I told her that I was involved with a similar campaign in my home state of North Carolina. I proceeded to tell her about our Save Blounts Creek efforts. To my surprise she stopped me and said that I was the third person in the past two weeks to tell her about our struggle to keep Martin Marietta from dumping 12,000,000 gallons of wastewater into our brackish creek. What a surprise — here I was, almost 4,000 miles from Chocowinity, and they are aware of our struggle. The 600 to 700 people who showed up to our 5k run and BBQ attest to the fact that our movement has a great deal of local support. More than 1,000 people have signed our petitions and many local merchants contributed to help support our cause. Our congressman has stepped up and is asking the EPA to review the permitting process. The administrative law judges have ruled that we the people, the Sound Rivers Foundation and the business owners who will be impacted by the actions of MMM have no legal standing. We have no right to bring a legal action. This travesty and misuse of judicial authority will be challenged in the Beaufort County Courthouse on Sept. 17. Our attorneys and other legal scholars believe that these decisions will be overturned.

We have never opposed the mine so it is not about jobs. It is about preserving this pristine creek. The waterways here in Beaufort County provide countless hours of recreation for residents and visitors. They in turn spend thousands of dollars at local stores, gas stations, restaurants and other businesses. They register their boats and trailers and pay taxes to North Carolina on them. Our waterways are perhaps our greatest attraction and one of our most valuable resources. We should not let MMM degrade Blounts Creek for a few dollars of additional profit.

I am not a starry-eyed tree hugger. I am a retired superintendent of schools with 49 years experience as an educator and above all I am a realist. None of us should stand by and let this happen. Join with us and speak out — help us make MMM do the right thing.

Ed Rhine is a member of the Save Blounts Creek committee.