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All members of the coal working group deserve thanks Dear Editor: In response to Chris Nyikos's letter to [he editor in the Aug. 2 issue of the Delta County Inde- pendent, Iwill first introduce myself to the community and hopefully begin a relationship that is inclusive, not divisive; that is beneficial, not destructive; and that lays a strong foundation to build a community that truly lives with harmony and respect for the land and resources that surround and sustain us all. My name is Cliff Seigneur and I am the new director of the Western Slope Environmental Resource Council (WSERC). With that said and the above introduction, many of you may have already labeled me as a Flower-child enviro. I am not. 1 am a former Front Range resident, spending the 1990s working as an assistant attorncy general far the State of Colorado in federal and interstate water litigation. Mr. Nyikos's letter dwells on the fact that the coal companies pay millions in federal and state royalties, severance taxes and property taxes. I have no argument with that; however, Mr. Nyikos hits the nail on the head when he states [hat the real question is h'ow much of this money stream miti- gates the socioeconorpic impacts of affected communities, especial- ly safety concerns? Well, poor to my arrival in Paonia, WSERC looked into that specific question and the answer is very tittle. ]t is not the coal companies' fault; the money is just swallowed by the bureaucratic quicksand called gov- ernment. So, in the face of this, what happened? While the coal agree- ments between Bowie, Oxbow, WSERC and the community were reached before my time, 1 under- r- ~r_ _ .._._.._~ stand that they staffed with name calling and, as Mr. Nyikos would say, an us against them atmo- sphere. But, due to the goodwill of all panies -WSERC, the mining companies, government and com- munity members -that atmo- sphere dissipated and everyone sat down and worked out agreements that work for all. The environment gained protection, the coal mines stayed in business and the affected communities became a safer place to live. Is it perfect? No, of course not. In fact, as I wrote the first draft of this letter, seven cazs of a loaded coal train derailed in Hotchkiss. Fortunately, no one was hurt. What is important is that parties with widely disparate viewpoints sat down together and worked through their differences to reach agreements that benefit all. As a newcomer to this commu- nity, Iwill defend all members of the so-called coal working group. As the new director of WSERC, I strongly believe all panies to the coal agreements, including Steve Hinchman and WSERC, should be thanked for their tireless efforts. They provided a true service to the North Fork Valley. I invite Mr. Nyikos to attend the next coal working group meeting. He need not abandon his views, just sit down and observe. The next meet- ing is at the Delta County Court- house beginning at 8 a.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 29. Cliff Seigneur Director Western Slope Environmental Resource Council