Dear President Obama

Recently, there has been a fierce debate sparked over the new heavy metals mine opening up within my town’s city limits. The mine would produce various toxic metals, including lead, mercury and selenium. The mine could have a dangerous effect on the nearby people and environment, and yet city officials say that it won’t pose a threat. However, it is widely known that the elements they are searching for are toxic, and some are even known carcinogens. One of these elements is Chromium. Chromium is mainly used in dyes and pigments, chrome plating, and making stainless steel. However, it is known to cause cancers, tumors, and various other fatal abnormalities. Is it really worth it to risk hundreds of lives for better aesthetics? I don’t think so. Also, the mine would attempt to produce lead. Lead gives you lead poisoning, tumors, and plenty of other hazardous side effects. It is used to make ammunition, which in turn kills even more people.

These minerals not only kill people, but they also kill the environment. Mercury, for instance, can trickle into water, and then be consumed by fish out in the ocean. This means that as larger fish eat smaller fish, they are also consuming the mercury in the smaller fish. As you go higher up the food chain, you can see how much the mercury has accumulated. When it reaches the top of the food chain, with fish such as tuna, the amount of mercury in their bodies can kill them, or if caught, be unsafe for consumption. Also, the smoke produced by the machines that do the mining pollutes the air, killing plants.

You say that the mine will bring necessary income to the town, which will make it easier to support schools and communities. However, I think that most of us citizens would much prefer to spend an extra few dollars here and there, to risk our lives and trash our environment every day. In my opinion, this mine is too close to human life for it to be safe, when there is a massive, barren tundra nobody likes anyway, with very little life, ripe for the mining. That way, nobody would be endangered except for those foolish enough to work there.

Sincerely,

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ZS