Pulp mill lower Caddo east of Amity AR

[cpresoz]

Either the Admins removed the post or he self-censored himself and deleted his post. It's very disappointing when a discussion based on facts resorts to ad hominem attacks.

[LeanDoc]

Cpresoz

I am new to this blog, posting to share my concerns with the Sun project. There are many issues and very little information from AEDC. The Arkadelphia business leaders have provided some details, but there are no plans for an Environmental Impact Assessment or a Due Diligence study. AEDC is a state agency driven by a political agenda not the long term benefit of Arkansans. Like the ADEQ approving CAFO’s on the Buffalo River, there are dedicated professionals at these state agencies working with procedures they have to follow, giving the public limited input.

Previous experience with paper mills has limited value; the climate, economy, and technology have changed. The value of forests, rivers, and other ecosystems has been ignored in the past, using them as free resources by people, companies, and communities. Mother Earth is fighting back with extreme weather; this is a battle we can’t win.

Realistically, it will be very difficult to stop the Sun mill, most Arkansans don’t care, or if they do, they feel there is nothing we can do. Why?
If my comments are not welcomed for open discussion, I will stop posting. My hope is to learn from this group and to find others that care.

Yarbrough made a comment on what I said on pollution and tourism: “Your use of tourism numbers being down because of pollution is absurd. Tourism is down everywhere, nationally and locally.”

Here are the facts. 2015 was a great year with tourists spending $7 Billion in Arkansas. 2016 has been a very good year, as reported in Talk Business Arkansas July 27. “Arkansas’ designation as the Natural State played a major role in the strongest economic expansion in the U.S. among all 50 states in the first quarter of 2016, with the exception of Russellville, down 35%; Pine Bluff, down 13.9%; Rogers, down 11.1% among the 17 posted hospitality tax collection declines in the January-February 2016 period.

If the Sun fluff mill is built, say around 2020, the congestion on the roads and the air and wastewater pollution with a nasty stench, miles away from the mill, will keep tourists away. The $7 Billion tourist revenue is at high risk.

Why?

1. Tourists have many choices, they visit the most attractive sites. Tourists are finicky and hard to please; if they have a bad experience in Arkansas, they will not come back and they will tell their friends not to come. It takes millions of dollars and many years to create a brand. The “Natural State” marketing and promotion could be gone in a few months of bad tourist press reports.

2. 2020 seems far away, but the time to decide is now. Once the plant and infrastructure are built "Arkansas will never be the same," as Asa said. This is not what Asa had in mind, but many of his statements complementing Chairman Li as a tough negotiator seem absurd.

3. The massive Sun mill, the largest mill in the U.S. is twice the size of the G-P Crossett mill.

4. China's manufacturing is 10 times larger than the U.S. and Chinese are holding billions of dollars they need to spend. We are out of their league.

5. The 2-page April 26, 2016, Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), gives Sun the upper hand.

Why would we trust Sun, a privately owned Chinese company? Sun does not care about Arkansans.

Peace