Several years ago, when a (rather quiet) announcement was made that a revised site for a proposed electric substation would be considered during a Stevensville Town Council meeting, I attended that meeting. I listened to two puppets from Northwestern Energy spill words about the safety of the proposed station. When I asked for details about the presumed electromagnetic waves that would be emitted from the substation their programmed answers fit a “not too worry-all is safe” category. They refused to answer the questions. And I was very discouraged because I was the only resident at that meeting.
Now that substation is there, on the edge of Stevensville, pulsing their electromagnetic waves into Stevensville residents. They penetrate walls as if they were not there, and cause human fluid to vibrate just as a microwave does for food. I have repeatedly asked Northwestern Energy to provide specific details about the emissions from the substation. They do not respond, probably they do not want anyone to know.
And now another scourge is proposed near Stevensville; a gravel pit west of the airport off the Eastside Highway. There is a gravel pit currently existing within property owned by the Ellison Cattle Company, located off the Eastside Highway near the proposed site for the new gravel pit. We live near enough to the existing gravel pit to be horribly annoyed when it is in operation. There were times when the noise from the operation of that gravel pit was so penetrating that we could not be outside and truthfully could not be at peace within our house. The intrusion would go on from dawn to dusk, six days a week. A complaint was filed, signed by at least twenty persons, about the intrusive noise and dust from the gravel pit. The owners ignored it.
We must stop the progress of the proposed gravel pit. The site is listed to include more acres than the currently existing gravel pit which in its smaller dimension was horribly offensive. If the new gravel pit becomes a reality, its operation will be allowed from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Saturday. The noise will penetrate throughout the valley and will be heard by all citizens of Stevensville. There will be no daily peace.
An announcement about this proposed gravel pit was noted in the Missoulian on Monday, January 16th. Curious about the timing? It stated that unless enough letters are filed by Monday, January 23rd asking for a public meeting regarding the proposed gravel pit, such meeting will not be held. Without a public meeting most assuredly the gravel pit will exist and our peace will have disappeared.
Please, please, join in filing a request for a public meeting. This is urgent. Submit your request to the Montana Department of Environmental Quality. No address was provided in the Missoulian. As of the writing of this letter I could not obtain a proper address. There are several listed in the phone book, the main one seemingly is:
The Montana Department of Environmental Quality, Quality Enforcement Division Coordinator, P.O. Box 200901, Helena, MT 59620-0901 Or E-mail to RJost@mt.gov.
Thank you for your concern.
Bob Gensemer
Stevensville