External Leave a Legacy of Protecting Our Community

Johnson, Robert E
From: Lauren Wilkins <[e-mail]>
Sent: Friday, July 17, 2020 4:15 PM
To: Regan, Michael S
Subject: [External] Leave a Legacy of Protecting Our Community
Michaell Regain, Secretary DEQ,
Dear L.ocall and State Officials and DEQ,
l aim widting you as a 26 year iresident of Raleigh and a Iloing fime tral!ll useir. l have enjoyed the
wondeirfUl resources we have llin Umstead and L.ake Crabtree for the past 13 years thirough
ruini6ling, bilking, and (Milking. In the past couple of years, l have also llintroduced my cN!Nirein,
ages 4, '7, and '7, to this special place. l have expl141ined to theim the lImportaince of protecting
our Ipairk for the einviroiniment, for wildlife, and for our coimni to continue to einjoy inatuire llin
the face of aggressive devellopmeint within our city and county. My cN!Nirein are aware of the
plains of RIDUAA and Wake Stone to destroy some of the last ireirnalinliing gireein space ceint4l
to our coimni and oin our State Park's crliticall acquisition list, The Odd FelHows Tract. Why
is it that smallll cN10direin cain girasp the liirnpoirtaince of saving this Ilaind (but our adult elected
officials (with very few exceptions) 61their are unable to understand or choose to look the otheir
way due to th6lir corruption?
l have Ibeein liinvollved llin this issue for over 2 years inow, ever since RIDUAA quietly sigined the
lease to Wake Stone llin Mairch 2018 llin a 5 minute meeting, which was obviously pre pllainined.
Wake Stone was Iprepaired and out the f6lHowiing Monday with Ibulllldozeirs. l aim well liinforirned
of the negative effects this liindustrii4ll amine will have oin our most used State Park, the East
Coast Gireeinway corridor, Ipllains for a future 1 40 Tidainglle 1:111keway, Iprlivate (property and
residents, wildlife and wildlife corridors, Crabtree Greek and reuse River (buffers, dowin
stream floo61ng, our coniy's health and well belling, and our abifity to continue to Ibrlling
the (best eimployees and compainies to the Tidainglle.
l confident that the mi16ling Ipeirmit cain Ibe deinied (based oin all 5 of the statutes, (but o6ly oine is
required for de1641. I'd like to highlight G.S. '74 51 (subsection 4) substaint4l Iplhysicall Ihazaird to
�public health and safety. l aim deeply concerned that it willll ino Iloingeir Ibe safe to continue to
visit Umstead State Park wind L.ake Crabtree, should the inew mine Ibe allowed Iby DEQ.
1

Quarries are Ikinowin to irellease IhairmfUl IpairticUlate it atteir (PM2.5 and sifica) llinto the
surrouii areas. Exposure to these IpairticUlates cain cause Iluing and otheir orgain daimage
and is attributed to sificosis or "imineir's luing". Even inow, air quafity shoUld Ibe imoii MINlin
the Ipairk and the IpubBlic Ikept liinformed of the resufts due to the cuirireint Tidaii Quarry Ibut this
is inot Ihalppeii This Mlkl Ibe even it cruciall shoUld the inew amine Ibe approved and go
forward llin ad6fioin to the cuirireint amine. 1I Mlkl Ibe forced after 13 years of trallii and
enjoyment, to ino Iloingeir iruin, cycile, NlIke, or Ibrlling imy clNlOdirein to imy favoiriite Ipllaces, Uimstead
and L.alke Crabtree tralOs. I've seen the effects of Iluing disease oin imy motheir's quafity of Ikfe
and cain tellkl you that Ihavuing 50% Iluing capacity and irequllrlling ain oxygen imaclhliine for the rest
of your Ilife is detrllmeii Heir Iluing disease is idiopatINIc, imeaii theire is ino Ikinowin cause
and she has ineveir smolked llin Iheir Ilife. 1I wonder what she has Ibeein exposed to Ilinadveirteintily
to cause such daimage and lif 1I and imy clNlOdirein (2 of which were twiiins Iboirn at just 32 weelks
gestation) are it oire at rislk Ibeca use of our faimilly history.
There are seve14l IlocaIl iraces that use Uimstead tralOs, Iiiiig the aii Uimstead 100
Bice Ruin. L.ocaIl Ultrairuinineirs spend hundreds of Ihouirs trallii oin the Ipairk trallils for this
race and Ipairticilpaints come from aIlkl over the woidd. On race weelkeind abine, iruinineirs are oin
the trallils for up to 30 Ihouirs and v6luinteeirs spend the eii week Ikviing oinsite Iprelpairliing and
supporting the race. We are inot taflking about just a 30 iminute casuall waflk llin Uimstead for
poteii quarry IpairticVe exposure. This is it ainy Ihouirs of exposure. There is Ipoteii for
lawsullts agallinst the Ipublic Ilaind owineirs (Duirhaim City and County, RaIleiglh City, and Welke
County) shoUld traill users experience inegative IheaIltlh effects.
1I ask aM of you to Ibe oin the right side of history and do what is (best for our commuii and the
heafth of our iresideints. Many of you (Duirhaim County, Duirhaim City Couii RaIleiglh Mayor
Mary Aim BaMwiiii and RaIleiglh City Couii Wth the Iloine exception of David Cox) have
�loolked the other way, chosen to do inotlNlii voted for RDIUAA imeimbeirs who are Ikinowin to Ibe
pro quarry, and have Iblataintily iginoired the Ipeople's concerns. NCDEQ secretily omitted the
suinset cila use that woUld have lhellped Ipreveint this 6sasteir Ibut has the chaince inow to right
this wiroing and DENY imiii Ipeirmit 92 10. Now is your opportuii to do what's right and 1I
hope you Mlkl talke action today Ibefoire lit is too hate. 1I have doine what 1I cain and cain assure imy
clNlOdirein 1I tried imy (best and 1I was oin the ir9ight side of history.
But cain you?
MUMMA, INW,
RaIleiglh iresideint
siii motheir of 3

L.auirein WiHlkiins
�lbw��Ilkiins@lhotma�l.com
200 Woods Ream Didve
RaIleiglh, North afro Tina 27615