r/Eugene • u/Turbulent-Law7722 • Dec 01 '24

Petition to save Tv Butte in Oakridge! Activism

If we let this project happen, local tourism will go down which will take away jobs and harm our economy, on top of the environment. Here’s hoping I can post the link in the comments?

35 Upvotes

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3

u/kerit Dec 01 '24

Where in Oakridge is TV Butte?

3

u/happilyretired23 Dec 01 '24

East side of town, northeast of the intersection of Dunning Road and Fish Hatchery Road.

2

u/kerit Dec 01 '24

I'm having a tough time seeing how this will harm Oakridge beyond survival.

Will it have some negative effects? Sure. But Armageddon? I think not.

7

u/oreferngonian Dec 01 '24

It is the headwaters of the Willamette river and our drinking water but who cares

3

u/doosalone Dec 01 '24

The river in Oakridge literally has a giant gravel pit in it but you use the river argument for your cause. The proposed rock quarry is on top of a hill outside town. It just feels like when you make these wild claims it also debases the strange sounding claims that also sound kind of wild. A burial site, On a random hill? Elk breeding ground…as much as any other hill? I could go on…

1

u/oreferngonian Dec 01 '24

Do you frequent Oakridge?

1

u/MaraudersWereFramed Dec 01 '24

Just put a salmon in a fishbowl and place it at the proposed mine site.

2

u/oreferngonian Dec 01 '24

Salmon have to get trucked around Dexter and Lookout

3

u/MaraudersWereFramed Dec 01 '24

I'm just making a joke. Saying they can't mine there if there's salmon there.

3

u/oreferngonian Dec 01 '24

Oh but it’s true there are no fish ladders on the two dams keeping Eugene Springfield from flooding

2

u/oreferngonian Dec 01 '24

And this quarry will be right next to the fish hatchery

0

u/MaraudersWereFramed Dec 01 '24

I don't know if mining dust would pose a significant risk to hatchery fish. But any significant aquatic impact would be the most likely thing to get the mine blocked. I don't think ancient elk breeding grounds will be sufficient. Being at the top of a hill, drainage and runoff would be a concern just in general. But I'd imagine there are industry standards and they will have an answer ready for it. If this mine is going to open regardless of environmental challenges, maybe the people of Oakridge can try to get something positive out of it. Like shelter and employment for any homeless population looking to get back on their feet.

1

u/oreferngonian Dec 01 '24

Well unfortunately being out of city limits I’m afraid all the money will be gobbled up by lane county and not allocated back to us to improve the infrastructure for the added traffic

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u/kerit Dec 01 '24

You're claiming that Tina Kotek's DEQ is derelict?

And, if anything, it's like a match on a fire.

3

u/oreferngonian Dec 01 '24

I’m telling you where it is because I live there

Oakridge is on the headwaters of the Willamette and this butte is in between two of those creeks

2

u/kerit Dec 01 '24

Yes, and the DEQ is in charge of protection of those resources.

Resources have to come from somewhere.

2

u/oreferngonian Dec 01 '24

We have a gravel pit already it’s been operating for 50+ years

6

u/kerit Dec 01 '24

It may not contain aggregate that will meet the standards of future development. Mineral extraction isn't cheap, I'm guessing there's a reason why a new source is being considered.

2

u/oreferngonian Dec 01 '24

Nope it’s just Ed King looking for profit.

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u/kerit Dec 01 '24

That's an opinion. And apparently a biased one.

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u/ScaleEarnhardt Dec 01 '24

Prove that, please.

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u/oreferngonian Dec 01 '24

lol No one comes up here.

I’m glad you trust some DEQ to care about a dying town of 3000 living in poverty. But I’m here to tell you no one cares about Oakridge period

We are going broke running an ambulance on hwy 58 for all the shitty drivers

I’m tired of forgotten Oakridge and ppl like you are part of the problem

8

u/kerit Dec 01 '24

The neat thing is that you have the Middle Firk Willamette Watershed Council made up of diverse stakeholders that works with potential pollution sources to maintain water quality and more heavily involve DEQ if it is needed. So, DEQ doesn't even have to come to town, you have a local group.

You want OROR to change and improve, but when someone wants to invest in the area and likely create a few good paying jobs, Y'all try to nope them out of there.

It's a bold move, Cotton.

1

u/oreferngonian Dec 01 '24

This is not going to bring many jobs

Funny thing is you are arguing with someone who’s family has been here since the 20’s

We had a great industry and our town flourished during logging and when we had two mills.

You think some rich guys rock quarry is replacing two mills of jobs and boost our towns economy

lol You really like to sound smart but the reality is that you are just smoke and mirrors

5

u/kerit Dec 01 '24

I work in natural resources. I get it. But even if the mills came back, they'd employ 20 percent of the old workforce, if that. And logging crews are much smaller too.

But, you know what makes a huge difference to small communities? A few good jobs.

Just as a fun little exercise, let's say the incoming administration makes massive progress on reopening our forests for timber harvest. Do you know who is going to be the type of person to build new timber processing facilities in OROR? It'll be rich people who don't live in town.

Go figure.

2

u/Budtending101 Dec 01 '24

Why wouldn't a rock quarry provide good jobs?

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