Distorted view of

mine’s practices

In an article and editorial on the Bear Run Mine, the Indianapolis Star cherry-picks data and relies on innuendo and speculation to draw distorted conclusions. It is ironic that the Star calls for greater transparency in environmental reporting and yet offers a highly selective picture of the mine’s water management practices.

Simply put, Bear Run is subject to the same rigorous oversight as all surface mines in Indiana. The Star admits the Bear Run Mine has had no violations of its General “NPDES” or National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System Permit and a record of good compliance with water regulations.

Other facts are equally clear:

• The Indiana General Permit is the state standard, with testing requirements that are the same or more stringent than those required under the U.S. EPA’s guidelines for all coal mines.

The State of Indiana concurs that the General Permit protects the environment. That’s why state regulators independently made the decision to use this permit for the Bear Run Mine. Nearly all mines in Indiana have used the General Permitting process since it was implemented in 1992. 

• Water quality testing indicates the Bear Run Mine complies with regulatory requirements approved by the Indiana Department of Environmental Management and the EPA.

• The Star fails to note the fact that streams and waterways in Indiana are monitored under the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act (SMCRA), 401 and 404 programs, in addition to the General NPDES process. Water discharges are extensively regulated and studied and are well understood.

Peabody has an excellent reputation for environmental stewardship, and Bear Run upholds these high standards. We have earned more than 25 major national environmental honors in the past three years — more than a third of which recognize excellence in restoration of streams and wetlands like those planned for the Bear Run operation.

The Star calls for equal treatment for all mining operations. We agree. The Bear Run Mine’s record of compliance is good; regulatory oversight of Bear Run is rigorous and involves multiple programs; and that the mine received standard — not special — treatment from Indiana regulators.

— Vic Svec

Senior Vice President

Investor Relations and

Corporate Communications

Peabody Energy

Planning is necessary

to ensure free market

The points made in Arthur Foulkes’ recent column (“Stop trying to plan our lives — it doesn’t work”, Jan. 1, 2012) are all perfectly valid … within the bubble of a perfect capitalist economy.

Given that no such economy can possibly exist, and given that greed and other corruptions distort the possibility of a perfect system, what do we have? A non-perfect market that, left unchecked, would experience multiple market failures — insufficient competition, imperfect information, externalities, etc. So far, Economics 101.

So, if government gets completely “out of the way” as an online commentor suggests it does, it is no longer there to correct these market failures. Good government economic policy focuses on these market failures and gets “in the way” of their perpetrators in order to correct the system to be as close to perfect as possible.

Asserting that any government intervention in the market “blocks the free flow of … information” is simply incorrect — in fact, good government planning initiatives work to counteract private parties’ intentions to hide important market information that enables a free market. That’s not anti-market — it’s pro-market. Certainly, not all plans behave like this — just the ones that make sense.

Planning and capitalism are most certainly not opposites, nor are planning and freedom. I can only assume that you are basing your view of planning on bad examples. Good planning does not attempt to “plan our lives.” Rather, it is market-driven and its sole purpose is to improve the greater good of a community by ensuring a fair playing field, without infringing on private property rights. It does not purport to be able to nor does it attempt to control mountains of economic variables — instead, it puts a reasonable effort forth to manage those which are most distortionary and manageable.

So, since we don’t have the economic system that you have sketched out for us in said column, what would happen if we decided to stop applying planning and policy in the economy? Seriously, think about it. What would happen? What do you see? I see a perfectly realistic and likely scenario in which private corporations are the ones planning our economy, our society and our futures because there is nothing there to stop them. How good does that sound?

A more realistic and productive assertion, rather than arguing against planning altogether, would be that our system is broken and needs to be fixed. It needs to work within the existing (inherently imperfect) economic system and improve the extent to which planning actually serves residents and businesses of a community.

— Jason Saavedra

Terre Haute

Bring back

one-class tourney

I would like to comment on the recent column on class sports by the IHSAA commissioner on this topic and his desire to keep it the way it is and not have the politicians get involved. I think that the system needs to go back the way it was.

Maybe it’s not fair in football and a few sports for it to be everybody in one class, but who can forget when Loogootee played for the state title in 1975? And also who can forget when Odon played in the semistate in 1959 and ended up losing in sudden death. And those great L&M teams of the mid ’80s. And also the great White River Valley teams of the 1990s.

When I was in school, we won a Wabash Valley tourney title with 64 teams, even though we had two schools in a town of 2,500 in 1964. It may be true there has been just Milan who has won a state title since 1954, but some other teams have gone far in the one-class tourney. Cloverdale, Southridge and Carlisle went to the semistate and even little Washington Catholic went unbeaten in the early ’90s and went to the semistate.  Paoli had some great teams in the early ’90s also.

We need to put basketball back to the way it was. Loogootee went to the state finals two times in one-class basketball. I may be leaving some other teams out, but I am listing a lot of examples of teams that at least had the chance to go to state, even the 1967 Oakland City Acorns, who went unbeaten and lost out to the team who won the state in the regional. Except a call or basket here or there, the Acorns could have been the state champs instead of Evansville North.

As a person who saw the Loogootee Lions lose to Marion in ’75 and later getting to talk to the Marion star at an IU game about that game. We both agreed on how Marion won and why Loogootee lost, but it was still great that a town of 2,500 got to play for the state against someone who would end up winning a whole lot of state titles and become the leader in state titles for a coach.

But it also was a major coaching feat for Loogootee to have gone to the state finals two times in single-class basketball and having the all-time winningest coach. So maybe it is time for the political people to get involved as to voting on the issue since schools are taxpayer funded.

— Glen Arvin

Odon

Wonderful book

for a great cause

Dr. Renate Justin, formerly a well-known physician in Terre Haute, has written a book of essays on her experiences growing up in Nazi Germany as a Jewish child. The book, “The Last Time I Felt Safe,” is very moving, especially for those of us close to her in age when we contrast our own childhood with hers. Dr. Justin also recounts the family’s experiences here in the United States and the challenges she faced in her medical education and career.

Dr. Justin recently recorded these pieces on a CD called “Enduring Memories,” and her paced and measured delivery of the contents is riveting, even mesmerizing to hear. Though the times she speaks of occurred more than half a century ago, thoughtful listening reveals how relevant they are to our own and world circumstances today.

The CD was produced here in Terre Haute through the good offices of Sheron Daily, and all proceeds from its sale are going to the Johanna Justin-Jinich Community clinic in a slum of Nairobi, Kenya, called Kibera. The Clinic was named by Shining Hope, a non-profit organization, in honor of Justin’s granddaughter who was a murder victim of a hate crime simply because she was Jewish. The Clinic provides primary health care for the desperately poor women and children of the slum, a particular interest of Johanna who hoped to study international public health in graduate school.

The first recording of “Enduring Memories” sold out, but more copies are now available. They can be purchased at the very reasonable price of $15 by sending a check made out to Shining Hope to Dr. Justin at 931 Sailor Reef, Fort Collins, CO, 80525. She can also be reached at renatejustin@msn.com.

Direct contributions can be made at Shining Hope’s website: www.shininghopeforcommunities.org.

“The Last Time I Felt Safe” is available as an e-book through Amazon for Kindle or Barnes and Noble as a Nook Book.

I, personally, take this as an opportunity to express my appreciation to Dr. Justin for her care for me when I was her patient. Perhaps some of you will see it that way also.

— Char Minnette

Terre Haute

Liberals no longer

hold moral ground

I guess I will try again to get a letter published, but it is very unlikely, because I am not one of the poster boys and girls for the drive-by liberal Tribune-Star, like Ron Hastings, John Garner and Ms. Thomas. They can write as much, as long, and bash anyone they want — misstating the facts — and say the same old thing, week after week after week after week. And yet the Tribune-Star will print any thing they write.

I think the Tribune-Star wants to keep everyone arguing and upset, just like the Washington Democrats do. Ms. Thomas is right about the word “liberal.” I was born and raised a Democrat, and the Democrats used to be moral and for the working man, but they are no longer moral, or for the working man. They have changed the meaning of the word liberal to where right is wrong and wrong is right.

Mr. Hastings, it was $500 billion Obama took from the Social Security and he would take more if the American people would allow it. Obama is the dictator. He has done more damage to America than all the presidents we have ever had, so you need to clear the fog from your head and get it right for once.

Obama has lost more jobs by his stupid, job-killing policies. He wants to have everyone under government control. The only jobs he has created are government jobs. He needs to be a one-term president because if he gets another term he will succeed in destroying America as we know it. We will no longer be free and you and I will be taxed to death. His health-care plan will kill more senior citizens, with the death plan in it, and don’t tell me he took it out because he will sign it back in. He already said he would.

They all need to keep their greedy hands off Medicare. Yes, Slick Willie balanced the budget, but if memory serves me right it was said he robbed the Social Security fund to balance the budget and put in IOU’s. I believe he did.

Yes, some government spending is needed, but not trillions. The GOP wants more jobs. Obama and the Democrats want zero jobs.

Hope you all have a happy and a prosperous 2012.

— Howard E. Pennell

Terre Haute

Another great

holiday tourney

Thanks to the efforts of Mr. Gary Fears along with Mr. Danny Tanoos and the Vigo County School Corp., the Wabash Valley Pizza Hut Classic Tournament was once again a success. The tournament kicks off annually after Christmas and the anticipation on the part of the athletes and coaches is like a child waiting for Santa Claus. With 16 teams competing over the course of four days, there was certainly no better place to be than in the gym at North High School. 

The athletes should be commended on the high level of play displayed in each of the tournament games. This tournament provides schools with the chance to compete against teams that many wouldn’t have an opportunity to play in the regular season. What a great experience for our athletes! There are numerous schools around the state begging for a prospect such as this one. All teams and coaches should be very proud of the overall effort exemplified in each of their performances.

I also want to take the time to thank the many individuals who gave of their time to make this possible. With people working in the concession stands and the hospitality room, along with the ticket takers and those working the scorers bench as well as the custodians, it takes a lot of willing people to make the tournament a success. Thank you to Athletic Director Ron Clinkenbeard, Assistant Athletic Director Kris Painter and Assistant Principal David Bray for the organization and attention to detail they provided throughout each day of the tournament.

Thank you to all of the fans who came out to cheer on their favorite team. Community support of athletics and our programs is spectacular and appreciated.

Finally, a big thank you goes out to Mr. Fears and Pizza Hut for their continued emphasis on high school athletics.

— Stacy Mason, principal

Terre Haute North

Vigo High School

A few things

to think about

I don’t think it’s too unreasonable to inquire about the education and credentials of Barack Obama and his wife. Why has nobody, including the valedictorian of his graduating class, ever heard of him? Or her? Duh! Think about that, America.

I’m sick and tired of being conned. It’s a constant fact. Will it ever go away? Where greed and money are involved, I doubt it. They go hand in hand. Thieves apparently have no conscience.

— Michael T. Lawson

Marshall, Ill.